Students/apprenticeships

AN ACT Relating to students attending approved apprenticeship 1
programs; amending RCW 28B.92.030 and 28B.124.030; and adding a new 2
section to chapter 28B.77 RCW. 3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
Sec. 1. RCW 28B.92.030 and 2022 c 166 s 1 are each amended to 5
read as follows: 6
The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter 7
unless the context clearly requires otherwise. 8
(1) "Council" means the student achievement council.9
(2) "Financial aid" means either loans, grants, or both, to 10
students who demonstrate financial need enrolled or accepted for 11
enrollment as a student at institutions of higher education.12
(3) "Financial need" means a demonstrated financial inability to 13
bear the total cost of education as directed in rule by the office.14
(4) "Institution" or "institutions of higher education" means:15
(a) Any public university, college, community college, or 16
technical college operated by the state of Washington or any 17
political subdivision thereof; or 18
(b) Any other university, college, school, or institute in the 19
state of Washington offering instruction beyond the high school level 20
that is a member institution of an accrediting association recognized 21
S-0916.1
SENATE BILL 5562
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Senators Hansen, Conway, Liias, Nobles, Salomon, and Valdez
Read first time 01/29/25. Referred to Committee on Higher Education
& Workforce Development.
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by rule of the council for the purposes of this section and that 1
agrees to and complies with program rules adopted pursuant to RCW 2
28B.92.150. However, any institution, branch, extension or facility 3
operating within the state of Washington that is affiliated with an 4
institution operating in another state must 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 twenty 12
consecutive years within the state of Washington, and has an annual 13
enrollment of at least seven hundred 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 fifteen 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, in the 2019-20 25
academic year, is nine thousand seven hundred thirty-nine dollars and 26
may increase each year afterwards by no more than the tuition growth 27
factor. 28
(c) For students attending two-year private not-for-profit 29
institutions of higher education in Washington, in the 2019-20 30
academic year, is three thousand six hundred ninety-four dollars and 31
may increase each year afterwards by no more than the tuition growth 32
factor. 33
(d) For students attending four-year private for-profit 34
institutions of higher education in Washington, in the 2019-20 35
academic year, is eight thousand five hundred seventeen dollars and 36
may increase each year afterwards by no more than the tuition growth 37
factor. 38
(e) For students attending two-year private for-profit 39
institutions of higher education in Washington, in the 2019-20 40
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academic year, is two thousand eight hundred twenty-three dollars and 1
may increase each year afterwards by no more than the tuition growth 2
factor. 3
(f) For students attending Western Governors University-4
Washington, as established in RCW 28B.77.240, in the 2019-20 academic 5
year, is five thousand six hundred nineteen dollars and may increase 6
each year afterwards by no more than the tuition growth factor.7
(g) For students attending approved apprenticeship programs, 8
beginning in the 2022-23 academic year, is the same amount as the 9
maximum Washington college grant for students attending two-year 10
institutions of higher education as defined in (a) of this subsection 11
to be used for tuition and fees ((, program supplies and equipment, 12
and other costs that facilitate educational endeavors )). The amount 13
in determining the cost cannot include tuition and fees for students 14
attending approved apprenticeship programs that otherwise pay for the 15
cost of the tuition and fees, or its equivalent, through the approved 16
apprenticeship program or any other method that pays tuition and 17
fees, or their equivalent, for the student. The office shall assess 18
compliance with this requirement based on apprenticeship programs as 19
they existed as of July 1, 2022, in accordance with chapter 166, Laws 20
of 2022.21
(6) "Office" means the office of student financial assistance.22
(7) "Tuition growth factor" means an increase of no more than the 23
average annual percentage growth rate of the median hourly wage for 24
Washington for the previous fourteen years as the wage is determined 25
by the federal bureau of labor statistics. 26
Sec. 2. RCW 28B.124.030 and 2022 c 166 s 4 are each amended to 27
read as follows: 28
(1) All institutions of higher education ((, as defined in RCW 29
28B.10.016,)) must establish a policy for granting as many credits as 30
possible and appropriate((,)) for related supplemental instruction in 31
active state apprenticeship programs ((, registered during or before 32
July 1, 2022, by the 2028-29 school year. For all state registered 33
apprenticeship programs approved after July 1, 2022, all institutions 34
of higher education, as defined in RCW 28B.10.016, must establish a 35
policy for granting as many credits, as possible and appropriate, for 36
related supplemental instruction within six years of the program's 37
registration. While establishing credits, institutions of higher 38
education must consult with their faculty representatives. Credits 39
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are at the sole discretion of each institution of higher education 1
and must be determined in consultation with their faculty 2
representatives)). 3
(2) Credits for related supplemental instruction must be approved 4
within a reasonable amount of time, not to exceed one year from the 5
date of the program's registration or the effective date of this 6
section. Exceptions may be made for good cause on a case-by-case 7
basis.8
(3) Credits established by institutions of higher education are 9
not intended to impact the possible revision of previously approved 10
related supplemental instruction in a state registered apprenticeship 11
program. 12
(4) All credits granted for related supplemental instruction must 13
count towards a degree from an institution of higher education as of 14
July 1, 2026. The institution of higher education which granted the 15
credit need not be the same as the institution where the apprentice 16
receives the degree. The student achievement council shall ensure 17
that the statewide transfer of credit policy and agreement under RCW 18
28B.77.210 is designed to facilitate the transfer of credit and the 19
evaluation of transcripts for students attending approved 20
apprenticeship programs.21
(5) For the purpose of this section, "institutions of higher 22
education" has the same meaning as defined in RCW 28B.10.016.23
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 28B.77 24
RCW to read as follows: 25
The council shall adopt statewide transfer and articulation 26
policies, in alignment with RCW 28B.124.030, that ensure efficient 27
transfer of credits for related supplemental instruction for students 28
attending approved apprenticeship programs across public two and 29
four-year institutions of higher education by July 1, 2026. Policies 30
may address, but are not limited to: Creation of a statewide system 31
of course equivalency; creation of transfer associate degrees; 32
statewide articulation agreements; applicability of technical courses 33
toward baccalaureate degrees; and other issues. The institutions of 34
higher education and the state board for community and technical 35
colleges shall cooperate with the council in developing the statewide 36
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policies and shall provide support and staff resources as necessary 1
to assist in maintaining the policies. 2
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