Passport to careers program

AN ACT Relating to modifying funding and award levels for the 1
passport to careers program, and permitting students eligible for the 2
passport to careers program to automatically qualify as income-3
eligible for the purpose of receiving the Washington college grant; 4
amending RCW 28B.76.525, 28B.117.020, and 28B.117.030; reenacting and 5
amending RCW 28B.92.200; and adding a new section to chapter 28B.117 6
RCW. 7
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:8
Sec. 1. RCW 28B.76.525 and 2020 c 357 s 910 are each amended to 9
read as follows: 10
(1) The state financial aid account is created in the custody of 11
the state treasurer. The primary purpose of the account is to ensure 12
that all appropriations designated for financial aid through 13
statewide student financial aid programs are made available to 14
eligible students. The account shall be a nontreasury account.15
(2) The office shall deposit in the account all money received 16
for the Washington college grant program established under chapter 17
28B.92 RCW, the state work-study program established under chapter 18
28B.12 RCW, the Washington scholars program established under RCW 19
28A.600.110, the Washington award for vocational excellence program 20
established under RCW 28C.04.525, ((and)) the educational opportunity 21
S-0349.1
SENATE BILL 5275
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Senators Nobles, Slatter, Hasegawa, Liias, Saldaña, Valdez, and C.
Wilson
Read first time 01/15/25. Referred to Committee on Higher Education
& Workforce Development.
p. 1 SB 5275
grant program established under chapter 28B.101 RCW, and the passport 1
to careers program established under chapter 28B.117 RCW. The account 2
shall consist of funds appropriated by the legislature for the 3
programs listed in this subsection and private contributions to the 4
programs. Moneys deposited in the account do not lapse at the close 5
of the fiscal period for which they were appropriated. Both during 6
and after the fiscal period in which moneys were deposited in the 7
account, the office may expend moneys in the account only for the 8
purposes for which they were appropriated, and the expenditures are 9
subject to any other conditions or limitations placed on the 10
appropriations. 11
(3) Expenditures from the account shall be used for scholarships 12
to students eligible for the programs according to program rules and 13
policies. For the 2019-2021 fiscal biennium, expenditures may also be 14
used for scholarship awards in the passport to career program 15
established under chapter 28B.117 RCW. It is the intent of the 16
legislature that this policy will be continued in subsequent fiscal 17
biennia. 18
(4) Disbursements from the account are exempt from appropriations 19
and the allotment provisions of chapter 43.88 RCW.20
(5) Only the director of the office or the director's designee 21
may authorize expenditures from the account. 22
Sec. 2. RCW 28B.92.200 and 2024 c 323 s 1 and 2024 c 116 s 1 are 23
each reenacted and amended to read as follows: 24
(1) The Washington college grant program is created to provide a 25
statewide free college program for eligible participants and greater 26
access to postsecondary education for Washington residents. The 27
Washington college grant program is intended to increase the number 28
of high school graduates and adults that can attain a postsecondary 29
credential and provide them with the qualifications needed to compete 30
for job opportunities in Washington. 31
(2) The office shall implement and administer the Washington 32
college grant program and is authorized to establish rules necessary 33
for implementation of the program. 34
(3) The legislature shall appropriate funding for the Washington 35
college grant program. Allocations must be made on the basis of 36
estimated eligible participants enrolled in eligible institutions of 37
higher education or apprenticeship programs. All eligible students 38
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are entitled to a Washington college grant beginning in academic year 1
2020-21. 2
(4) The office shall award Washington college grants to all 3
eligible students beginning in academic year 2020-21.4
(5) To be eligible for the Washington college grant, students 5
must meet the following requirements: 6
(a)(i) Demonstrate financial need under RCW 28B.92.205;7
(ii) Receive one or more of the following types of public 8
assistance: 9
(A) Aged, blind, or disabled assistance benefits under chapter 10
74.62 RCW; 11
(B) Essential needs and housing support program benefits under 12
RCW 43.185C.220; or 13
(C) Pregnant women assistance program financial grants under RCW 14
74.62.030; ((or))15
(iii) Be a Washington high school student in the 10th, 11th, or 16
12th grade whose parent or legal guardian is receiving one or more of 17
the types of public assistance listed in (a)(ii) of this subsection 18
and have received a certificate confirming eligibility from the 19
office in accordance with RCW 28B.92.225; ((or))20
(iv) Beginning in the 2025-26 academic year, be a Washington high 21
school student in the 10th, 11th, or 12th grade who is a member of an 22
assistance unit receiving benefits under the Washington basic food 23
program in chapter 74.04 RCW or the Washington food assistance 24
program established under RCW 74.08A.120; or25
(v) Beginning in the 2025–26 academic year, be eligible for the 26
passport to careers program as provided in RCW 28B.117.030(4);27
(b)(i) Be enrolled or accepted for enrollment for at least three 28
quarter credits or the equivalent semester credits at an institution 29
of higher education in Washington as defined in RCW 28B.92.030; or30
(ii) Be enrolled in a registered apprenticeship program approved 31
under chapter 49.04 RCW; 32
(c) Be a resident student as defined in RCW 28B.15.012(2) (a) 33
through (e); 34
(d) File an annual application for financial aid as approved by 35
the office; and 36
(e) Must not have earned a baccalaureate degree or higher from a 37
postsecondary institution. 38
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(6) Washington college grant eligibility may not extend beyond 1
six years or 150 percent of the published length of the program in 2
which the student is enrolled or the credit or clock-hour equivalent.3
(7) Institutional aid administrators shall determine whether a 4
student eligible for the Washington college grant in a given academic 5
year may remain eligible for the ensuing year if the student's family 6
income increases by no more than three percent. 7
(8) Qualifications for receipt and renewal include maintaining 8
satisfactory academic progress toward completion of an eligible 9
program as determined by the office and established in rule.10
(9) Should a recipient terminate his or her enrollment for any 11
reason during the academic year, the unused portion of the grant 12
shall be returned to the state educational grant fund by the 13
institution of higher education according to the institution of 14
higher education's policy for issuing refunds, except as provided in 15
RCW 28B.92.070. 16
(10) An eligible student enrolled on a part-time basis shall 17
receive a prorated portion of the Washington college grant for any 18
academic period in which he or she is enrolled on a part-time basis.19
(11) The Washington college grant is intended to be used to meet 20
the costs of postsecondary education for students with financial 21
need. The student shall be awarded all need-based financial aid for 22
which the student qualifies as determined by the institution.23
(12) Students and participating institutions of higher education 24
shall comply with all the rules adopted by the council for the 25
administration of this chapter. 26
Sec. 3. RCW 28B.117.020 and 2022 c 78 s 7 are each amended to 27
read as follows: 28
The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter 29
unless the context clearly requires otherwise. 30
(1) "Apprentice" means a person enrolled in a state-approved, 31
federally registered, or reciprocally recognized apprenticeship 32
program. 33
(2) "Apprenticeship" means an apprenticeship training program 34
approved or recognized by the state apprenticeship council or similar 35
federal entity. 36
(3) "Cost of attendance" means the cost associated with attending 37
a particular institution of higher education as determined by the 38
office, including but not limited to tuition, fees, room, board, 39
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books, personal expenses, and transportation, plus the cost of 1
reasonable additional expenses incurred by an eligible student and 2
approved by a financial aid administrator at the student's school of 3
attendance. 4
(4) "Federal foster care system" means the foster care program 5
under the federal unaccompanied refugee minors program, Title 8 6
U.S.C. Sec. 1522 of the immigration and nationality act of 1965, as 7
amended. 8
(5) "Financial need" means the difference between a student's 9
cost of attendance and the student's total ((family contribution )) 10
student aid index as determined by the method prescribed by the 11
United States department of education. 12
(6) "Homeless" or "homelessness" means without a fixed, regular, 13
and adequate nighttime residence as set forth in the federal 14
McKinney-Vento homeless assistance act, 42 U.S.C. Sec. 11301 et seq.15
(7) "Independent college or university" means a private, 16
nonprofit institution of higher education, open to residents of the 17
state, providing programs of education beyond the high school level 18
leading to at least the baccalaureate degree, and accredited by the 19
Northwest association of schools and colleges, and other institutions 20
as may be developed that are approved by the student achievement 21
council as meeting equivalent standards as those institutions 22
accredited under this section. 23
(8) "Institution of higher education" means any institution 24
eligible to and participating in the Washington college grant 25
program. 26
(9) "Occupational-specific costs" means the costs associated with 27
entering an apprenticeship or preapprenticeship, including but not 28
limited to fees, tuition for classes, work clothes, rain gear, boots, 29
occupation-specific tools. 30
(10) "Office" means the office of student financial assistance.31
(11) "Preapprenticeship" means an apprenticeship preparation 32
program recognized by the state apprenticeship council and as defined 33
in RCW 28C.18.162. 34
(12) "Program" means the passport to careers program created in 35
this chapter. 36
(13) "State foster care system" means out-of-home care pursuant 37
to a dependency and includes the placement of dependents from other 38
states who are placed in Washington pursuant to orders issued under 39
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the interstate compact on the placement of children, chapter 26.34 1
RCW. 2
(14) "Tribal court" has the same meaning as defined in RCW 3
13.38.040. 4
(15) "Tribal foster care system" means an out-of-home placement 5
under a dependency order from a tribal court. 6
(16) "Unaccompanied" means a youth or young adult experiencing 7
homelessness while not in the physical custody of a parent or 8
guardian. 9
Sec. 4. RCW 28B.117.030 and 2024 c 323 s 4 are each amended to 10
read as follows: 11
(1) The office shall design and ((, to the extent funds are 12
appropriated for this purpose, )) implement((,)) passport to careers 13
with two programmatic pathways: The passport to college promise 14
program and the passport to apprenticeship opportunities program. 15
Both programs offer supplemental scholarship and student assistance 16
for students who were under the care of the state foster care system, 17
tribal foster care system, or federal foster care system, and 18
verified unaccompanied youth or young adults who have experienced 19
homelessness. 20
(2) The office shall convene and consult with an advisory 21
committee to assist with program design and implementation. The 22
committee shall include but not be limited to former foster care and 23
unaccompanied homeless youth and their advocates; representatives 24
from the state board for community and technical colleges, public and 25
private agencies that assist current and former foster care 26
recipients and unaccompanied youth or young adults experiencing 27
homelessness in their transition to adulthood; student support 28
specialists from public and private colleges and universities; the 29
state workforce training and education coordinating board; the 30
employment security department; and the state apprenticeship council.31
(3) ((To the extent that sufficient funds have been appropriated 32
for this purpose, a )) The legislature shall appropriate funding for 33
the passport to careers program. Appropriations must be made on the 34
basis of estimated eligible participants enrolled in eligible 35
institutions of higher education or apprenticeship programs. All 36
eligible students are entitled to a passport to careers award 37
beginning in the 2025–26 academic year.38
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(4) A student is eligible for assistance under this section if he 1
or she: 2
(a)(i) Was in the care of the state foster care system, tribal 3
foster care system, or federal foster care system in Washington state 4
at any time before age twenty-one subsequent to the following:5
(A) Age fifteen as of July 1, 2018; 6
(B) Age fourteen as of July 1, 2019; and 7
(C) Age thirteen as of July 1, 2020; or 8
(ii) Beginning July 1, 2019, was verified on or after July 1st of 9
the prior academic year as an unaccompanied youth experiencing 10
homelessness, before age twenty-one; 11
(b) Is a resident student, as defined in RCW 28B.15.012(2), or if 12
unable to establish residency because of homelessness or placement in 13
out-of-state foster care under the interstate compact for the 14
placement of children, has residency determined through verification 15
by the office; 16
(c) Is enrolled with or will enroll on at least a half -time basis 17
with an institution of higher education or a registered 18
apprenticeship or recognized preapprenticeship in Washington state by 19
the age of twenty-one; 20
(d) Is making satisfactory academic progress toward the 21
completion of a degree, certificate program, or registered 22
apprenticeship or recognized preapprenticeship, if receiving 23
supplemental scholarship assistance; 24
(e) Has not earned a bachelor's or professional degree; and25
(f) Is not pursuing a degree in theology. 26
(((4))) (5) The office shall define a process for verifying 27
unaccompanied homeless status for determining eligibility under 28
subsection (((3))) (4)(a)(ii) of this section. The office may use a 29
letter from the following persons or entities to provide 30
verification: A high school or school district McKinney-Vento 31
liaison; the director or designated staff member of an emergency 32
shelter, transitional housing program, or homeless youth drop-in 33
center; or other similar professional case manager or school 34
employee. Students who have no formal connection with such a 35
professional may also submit to the office an essay that describes 36
their experience with homelessness and the barriers it created to 37
their academic progress. The office may consider this essay in lieu 38
of a letter of homelessness determination and may interview the 39
student if further information is needed to verify eligibility.40
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(((5))) (6) A passport to college promise program is created.1
(a) A passport to college promise scholarship under this 2
section((:3
(i) Shall not exceed resident undergraduate tuition and fees at 4
the highest-priced public institution of higher education in the 5
state; and6
(ii) Shall)) shall be $5,000 annually beginning in the 2025–26 7
academic year and may increase annually by the tuition growth factor 8
defined in RCW 28B.92.030; however, the scholarship may not exceed 9
the student's financial need, when combined with all other public and 10
private grant, scholarship, and waiver assistance the student 11
receives. 12
(b) Passport to college promise scholarship eligibility may not 13
extend beyond six years or 150 percent of the published length of the 14
program in which the student is enrolled or the credit or clock-hour 15
equivalent. 16
(c) The office, in consultation with and with assistance from the 17
state board for community and technical colleges, shall perform an 18
annual analysis to verify that those institutions of higher education 19
at which students have received a scholarship under this section have 20
awarded the student all available need -based and merit -based grant 21
and scholarship aid for which the student qualifies.22
(d) In designing and implementing the passport to college promise 23
student support program under this section, the office, in 24
consultation with and with assistance from the state board for 25
community and technical colleges, shall ensure that a participating 26
college or university: 27
(i) Has a viable plan for identifying students eligible for 28
assistance under this section, for tracking and enhancing their 29
academic progress, for addressing their unique needs for assistance 30
during school vacations and academic interims, and for linking them 31
to appropriate sources of assistance in their transition to 32
adulthood; 33
(ii) Receives financial and other incentives for achieving 34
measurable progress in the recruitment, retention, and graduation of 35
eligible students. 36
(e) To the extent funds are appropriated for this specific 37
purpose, the office shall contract with at least one nongovernmental 38
entity to provide services to support effective program 39
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implementation, resulting in increased postsecondary completion rates 1
for passport scholars. 2
(((6))) (7) The passport to apprenticeship opportunities program 3
is created. The office shall: 4
(a) Identify students and applicants who are eligible for 5
services under ((RCW 28B.117.030 [this section] )) this section 6
through coordination of certain agencies as detailed in RCW 7
28B.117.040; 8
(b) Provide financial assistance through the nongovernmental 9
entity or entities in RCW 28B.117.055 for registered apprenticeship 10
and recognized preapprenticeship entrance requirements and 11
occupational-specific costs that does not exceed the individual's 12
financial need; and 13
(c) Extend financial assistance to any eligible applicant for six 14
years or 150 percent of the published length of the program in which 15
the student is enrolled or the credit or clock-hour equivalent.16
(((7))) (8) Recipients may utilize passport to college promise or 17
passport to apprenticeship opportunities at different times, but not 18
concurrently. The total award an individual may receive in any 19
combination of the programs shall not exceed the equivalent amount 20
that would have been awarded for the individual to attend a public 21
university for six years with the highest annual tuition and state-22
mandated fees in the state. 23
(((8))) (9) Personally identifiable information shared pursuant 24
to this section retains its confidentiality and may not be further 25
disclosed except as allowed under state and federal law.26
NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. A new section is added to chapter 28B.117 27
RCW to read as follows: 28
The caseload forecast council shall estimate the anticipated 29
caseload of the passport to careers program and submit the caseload 30
forecast as specified in RCW 43.88C.020. 31
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