State financial aid

AN ACT Relating to state financial aid; and amending RCW 1
28B.92.030. 2
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:3
Sec. 1. RCW 28B.92.030 and 2025 c 395 s 2 are each amended to 4
read as follows: 5
The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter 6
unless the context clearly requires otherwise. 7
(1) "Council" means the student achievement council.8
(2) "Financial aid" means either loans, grants, or both, to 9
students who demonstrate financial need enrolled or accepted for 10
enrollment as a student at institutions of higher education.11
(3) "Financial need" means a demonstrated financial inability to 12
bear the total cost of education as directed in rule by the office.13
(4) "Institution" or "institutions of higher education" means:14
(a) Any public university, college, community college, or 15
technical college operated by the state of Washington or any 16
political subdivision thereof; or 17
(b) Any other university, college, school, or institute in the 18
state of Washington offering instruction beyond the high school level 19
that is a member institution of an accrediting association recognized 20
by rule of the council for the purposes of this section and that 21
H-3158.1
HOUSE BILL 2671
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Representatives Timmons, Reed, Parshley, and Pollet
Read first time 01/26/26. Referred to Committee on Postsecondary
Education & Workforce.
p. 1 HB 2671
agrees to and complies with program rules adopted pursuant to RCW 1
28B.92.150. However, any institution, branch, extension or facility 2
operating within the state of Washington that is affiliated with an 3
institution operating in another state must meet the exemption 4
requirements provided in RCW 28B.85.040(3)(b) or be:5
(i) A separately accredited member institution of any such 6
accrediting association; 7
(ii) A branch of a member institution of an accrediting 8
association recognized by rule of the council for purposes of this 9
section, that is eligible for federal student financial aid 10
assistance and has operated as a nonprofit college or university 11
delivering on-site classroom instruction for a minimum of 20 12
consecutive years within the state of Washington, and has an annual 13
enrollment of at least 700 full-time equivalent students;14
(iii) A nonprofit institution recognized by the state of 15
Washington as provided in RCW 28B.77.240; or 16
(iv) An approved apprenticeship program under chapter 49.04 RCW.17
(5) "Maximum Washington college grant": 18
(a) For students attending two or four-year institutions of 19
higher education as defined in RCW 28B.10.016, is tuition and 20
estimated fees for 15 quarter credit hours or the equivalent, as 21
determined by the office, including operating fees, building fees, 22
and services and activities fees. 23
(b) For students attending private four-year not-for-profit 24
institutions of higher education in Washington: 25
(i) In the 2019-20 academic year, is $9,739 and may increase each 26
year afterwards by no more than the tuition growth factor through the 27
end of the 2025-26 academic year; and 28
(ii) Beginning in the 2026-27 academic year, is 50 percent of the 29
average of awards for the same academic year granted to students at 30
the public research institutions in Washington. 31
(c) For students attending two-year private not-for-profit 32
institutions of higher education in Washington, in the 2019-20 33
academic year, is $3,694 and may increase each year afterwards by no 34
more than the tuition growth factor. 35
(d) For students attending four-year private for-profit 36
institutions of higher education in Washington, in the 2019-20 37
academic year, is eight thousand five hundred seventeen dollars and 38
may increase each year afterwards by no more than the tuition growth 39
factor, until the end of the 2025-26 academic year.40
p. 2 HB 2671
(e) For students attending two-year private for-profit 1
institutions of higher education in Washington, in the 2019-20 2
academic year, is two thousand eight hundred twenty-three dollars and 3
may increase each year afterwards by no more than the tuition growth 4
factor, until the end of the 2025-26 academic year.5
(f) For students attending Western Governors University-6
Washington, as established in RCW 28B.77.240: 7
(i) In the 2019-20 academic year, is $5,619 and may increase each 8
year afterwards by no more than the tuition growth factor through the 9
2025-26 academic year; and 10
(ii) Beginning in the 2026-27 academic year, is $4,150 and may 11
increase each year afterwards by no more than the tuition growth 12
factor. 13
(((e) [(g)])) (g) For students attending approved apprenticeship 14
programs: 15
(i) In the 2022-23 academic year, is the same amount as the 16
maximum Washington college grant for students attending two-year 17
institutions of higher education as defined in (a) of this subsection 18
to be used for tuition and fees, program supplies and equipment, and 19
other costs that facilitate educational endeavors through the 2025-26 20
academic year; and 21
(ii) Beginning in the 2026-27 academic year, is 50 percent of the 22
maximum Washington college grant award for students attending two-23
year institutions of higher education as defined in (a) of this 24
subsection to be used for tuition and fees, program supplies and 25
equipment, and other costs that facilitate educational endeavors.26
(6) "Office" means the office of student financial assistance.27
(7) "Tuition growth factor" means an increase of no more than the 28
average annual percentage growth rate of the median hourly wage for 29
Washington for the previous 14 years as the wage is determined by the 30
federal bureau of labor statistics. 31
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