College scholarships/private

AN ACT Relating to the Washington college grant and college bound 1
scholarship program for students attending private four-year not-for-2
profit institutions of higher education in Washington; amending RCW 3
28B.92.030; and reenacting and amending RCW 28B.118.010.4
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:5
Sec. 1. RCW 28B.92.030 and 2025 c 395 s 2 are each amended to 6
read as follows: 7
The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter 8
unless the context clearly requires otherwise. 9
(1) "Council" means the student achievement council.10
(2) "Financial aid" means either loans, grants, or both, to 11
students who demonstrate financial need enrolled or accepted for 12
enrollment as a student at institutions of higher education.13
(3) "Financial need" means a demonstrated financial inability to 14
bear the total cost of education as directed in rule by the office.15
(4) "Institution" or "institutions of higher education" means:16
(a) Any public university, college, community college, or 17
technical college operated by the state of Washington or any 18
political subdivision thereof; or 19
(b) Any other university, college, school, or institute in the 20
state of Washington offering instruction beyond the high school level 21
H-2997.1
HOUSE BILL 2567
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Representatives Street, Ybarra, Abell, Leavitt, Lekanoff, Simmons,
Mena, Stuebe, Bergquist, Cortes, Reed, Goodman, and Thomas
Read first time 01/19/26. Referred to Committee on Postsecondary
Education & Workforce.
p. 1 HB 2567
that is a member institution of an accrediting association recognized 1
by rule of the council for the purposes of this section and that 2
agrees to and complies with program rules adopted pursuant to RCW 3
28B.92.150. However, any institution, branch, extension or facility 4
operating within the state of Washington that is affiliated with an 5
institution operating in another state must be: 6
(i) A separately accredited member institution of any such 7
accrediting association; 8
(ii) A branch of a member institution of an accrediting 9
association recognized by rule of the council for purposes of this 10
section, that is eligible for federal student financial aid 11
assistance and has operated as a nonprofit college or university 12
delivering on-site classroom instruction for a minimum of 20 13
consecutive years within the state of Washington, and has an annual 14
enrollment of at least 700 full-time equivalent students;15
(iii) A nonprofit institution recognized by the state of 16
Washington as provided in RCW 28B.77.240; or 17
(iv) An approved apprenticeship program under chapter 49.04 RCW.18
(5) "Maximum Washington college grant": 19
(a) For students attending two or four-year institutions of 20
higher education as defined in RCW 28B.10.016, is tuition and 21
estimated fees for 15 quarter credit hours or the equivalent, as 22
determined by the office, including operating fees, building fees, 23
and services and activities fees. 24
(b) For students attending private four-year not-for-profit 25
institutions of higher education in Washington: 26
(i) In the 2019-20 academic year, is $9,739 and may increase each 27
year afterwards by no more than the tuition growth factor through the 28
end of the 2025-26 academic year; and 29
(ii) Beginning in the 2026-27 academic year, is ((50 percent of)) 30
the average of awards for the same academic year granted to students 31
at the public ((research)) four-year institutions of higher education 32
in Washington. 33
(c) For students attending two-year private not-for-profit 34
institutions of higher education in Washington, in the 2019-20 35
academic year, is $3,694 and may increase each year afterwards by no 36
more than the tuition growth factor. 37
(d) For students attending four-year private for-profit 38
institutions of higher education in Washington, in the 2019-20 39
academic year, is eight thousand five hundred seventeen dollars and 40
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may increase each year afterwards by no more than the tuition growth 1
factor, until the end of the 2025-26 academic year.2
(e) For students attending two-year private for-profit 3
institutions of higher education in Washington, in the 2019-20 4
academic year, is two thousand eight hundred twenty-three dollars and 5
may increase each year afterwards by no more than the tuition growth 6
factor, until the end of the 2025-26 academic year.7
(f) For students attending Western Governors University-8
Washington, as established in RCW 28B.77.240: 9
(i) In the 2019-20 academic year, is $5,619 and may increase each 10
year afterwards by no more than the tuition growth factor through the 11
2025-26 academic year; and 12
(ii) Beginning in the 2026-27 academic year, is $4,150 and may 13
increase each year afterwards by no more than the tuition growth 14
factor. 15
(((e) [(g)])) (g) For students attending approved apprenticeship 16
programs: 17
(i) In the 2022-23 academic year, is the same amount as the 18
maximum Washington college grant for students attending two-year 19
institutions of higher education as defined in (a) of this subsection 20
to be used for tuition and fees, program supplies and equipment, and 21
other costs that facilitate educational endeavors through the 2025-26 22
academic year; and 23
(ii) Beginning in the 2026-27 academic year, is 50 percent of the 24
maximum Washington college grant award for students attending two-25
year institutions of higher education as defined in (a) of this 26
subsection to be used for tuition and fees, program supplies and 27
equipment, and other costs that facilitate educational endeavors.28
(6) "Office" means the office of student financial assistance.29
(7) "Tuition growth factor" means an increase of no more than the 30
average annual percentage growth rate of the median hourly wage for 31
Washington for the previous 14 years as the wage is determined by the 32
federal bureau of labor statistics. 33
Sec. 2. RCW 28B.118.010 and 2025 c 395 s 4 and 2025 c 288 s 1 34
are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:35
The office of student financial assistance shall design the 36
Washington college bound scholarship program in accordance with this 37
section and in alignment with the Washington college grant program in 38
chapter 28B.92 RCW unless otherwise provided in this section. The 39
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right of an eligible student to receive a college bound scholarship 1
vest upon enrollment in the program that is earned by meeting the 2
requirements of this section as it exists at the time of the 3
student's enrollment under subsection (2) of this section.4
(1) "Eligible students" are those students who:5
(a) Qualify for free or reduced-price lunches. 6
(i) If a student qualifies in the seventh or eighth grade, the 7
student remains eligible even if the student does not receive free or 8
reduced-price lunches thereafter. 9
(ii) Beginning in the 2019-20 academic year, if a student 10
qualifies for free or reduced-price lunches in the ninth grade and 11
was previously ineligible during the seventh or eighth grade while he 12
or she was a student in Washington, the student is eligible for the 13
college bound scholarship program; 14
(b) Are dependent pursuant to chapter 13.34 RCW and:15
(i) In grade seven through 12; or 16
(ii) Are between the ages of 18 and 21 and have not graduated 17
from high school; or 18
(c) Were dependent pursuant to chapter 13.34 RCW and were adopted 19
between the ages of 14 and 18 with a negotiated adoption agreement 20
that includes continued eligibility for the Washington state college 21
bound scholarship program pursuant to RCW 74.13A.025.22
(2)(a) Every eligible student shall be automatically enrolled by 23
the office of student financial assistance, with no action necessary 24
by the student, student's family, or student's guardians.25
(b) Eligible students and the students' parents or guardians 26
shall be notified of the student's enrollment in the Washington 27
college bound scholarship program and the requirements for award of 28
the scholarship by the office of student financial assistance. To the 29
maximum extent practicable, an eligible student must acknowledge 30
enrollment in the college bound scholarship program and receipt of 31
the requirements for award of the scholarship. 32
(c) The office of the superintendent of public instruction and 33
the department of children, youth, and families must provide the 34
office of student financial assistance with a list of eligible 35
students when requested. The office of student financial assistance 36
must determine the most effective methods, including timing and 37
frequency, to notify eligible students of enrollment in the 38
Washington college bound scholarship program. The office of student 39
financial assistance must take reasonable steps to ensure that 40
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eligible students acknowledge enrollment in the college bound 1
scholarship program and receipt of the requirements for award of the 2
scholarship. The office of student financial assistance shall also 3
make available to every school district information, brochures, and 4
posters to increase awareness and to enable school districts to 5
notify eligible students directly or through school teachers, 6
counselors, or school activities. 7
(3) Except as provided in subsection (4) of this section, an 8
eligible student must: 9
(a)(i) Graduate from a public high school under RCW 28A.150.010 10
or an approved private high school under chapter 28A.195 RCW in 11
Washington, have received a high school equivalency certificate under 12
RCW 28B.50.536, or have received home-based instruction under chapter 13
28A.200 RCW; and 14
(ii) For eligible students enrolling in a postsecondary 15
educational institution for the first time beginning with the 2023-24 16
academic year, graduate with at least a "C" average for consideration 17
of direct admission to a public or private four-year institution of 18
higher education; 19
(b) Have no felony convictions; 20
(c) Be a resident student as defined in RCW 28B.15.012(2) (a) 21
through (e); and 22
(d) Have a family income that does not exceed 65 percent of the 23
state median family income at the time of high school graduation.24
(4) An eligible student who is a resident student under RCW 25
28B.15.012(2)(e) must also provide the institution, as defined in RCW 26
28B.15.012, an affidavit indicating that the individual will file an 27
application to become a permanent resident at the earliest 28
opportunity the individual is eligible to do so and a willingness to 29
engage in any other activities necessary to acquire citizenship, 30
including but not limited to citizenship or civics review courses.31
(5)(a) For students attending two or four-year institutions of 32
higher education as defined in RCW 28B.10.016, the value of the award 33
shall be (i) the difference between the student's tuition and 34
required fees, less the value of any state-funded grant, scholarship, 35
or waiver assistance the student receives; (ii) plus $500 for books 36
and materials. 37
(b)(i) For students attending private four-year institutions of 38
higher education in Washington, the award amount shall be the average 39
of awards granted to students in public research universities in 40
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Washington or the average of awards granted to students in public 1
research universities in Washington in the 2014-15 academic year, 2
whichever is greater, through the 2026-27 academic year.3
(ii) Beginning in the 2027-28 academic year, for students 4
attending private four-year not-for-profit institutions of higher 5
education in Washington, the award amount shall be ((50 percent of )) 6
the average of awards for the same academic year granted to students 7
in public research universities in Washington. 8
(c)(i) For students attending private vocational schools in 9
Washington, the award amount shall be the average of awards granted 10
to students in public community and technical colleges in Washington 11
or the average of awards granted to students in public community and 12
technical colleges in Washington in the 2014-15 academic year, 13
whichever is greater, through the 2026-27 academic year.14
(ii) Beginning in the 2027-28 academic year, for students 15
attending two-year private not-for-profit schools in Washington, the 16
award amount shall be the average of awards granted in the same 17
academic year to students in public community and technical colleges 18
in Washington, or the average of awards granted to students in public 19
community and technical colleges in Washington in the 2014-15 20
academic year, whichever is greater. 21
(d) Beginning in the 2027-28 academic year, for students 22
attending Western Governors University-Washington, as established in 23
RCW 28B.77.240, the award shall be $4,650. 24
(6) Eligible students must enroll no later than the fall term, as 25
defined by the institution of higher education, one academic year 26
following high school graduation. College bound scholarship 27
eligibility may not extend beyond six years or 150 percent of the 28
published length of the program in which the student is enrolled or 29
the credit or clock-hour equivalent. 30
(7) Institutions of higher education shall award the student all 31
need-based and merit-based financial aid for which the student would 32
otherwise qualify. The Washington college bound scholarship is 33
intended to replace unmet need, loans, and, at the student's option, 34
work-study award before any other grants or scholarships are reduced.35
(8) The first scholarships shall be awarded to students 36
graduating in 2012. 37
(9) The eligible student has a property right in the award, but 38
the state of Washington retains legal ownership of tuition units 39
awarded as scholarships under this chapter until the tuition units 40
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are redeemed. These tuition units shall remain separately held from 1
any tuition units owned under chapter 28B.95 RCW by a Washington 2
college bound scholarship recipient. 3
(10)(a) The scholarship award must be used within six years of 4
receipt. Any unused scholarship tuition units revert to the 5
Washington college bound scholarship account. 6
(b) Should the recipient terminate his or her enrollment for any 7
reason during the academic year, the unused portion of the 8
scholarship tuition units shall revert to the Washington college 9
bound scholarship account. 10
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