Workforce education account

AN ACT Relating to the workforce education investment account; 1
amending RCW 28B.92.205 and 28B.77.310; reenacting and amending RCW 2
43.79.195; adding a new section to chapter 28B.92 RCW; and making an 3
appropriation. 4
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:5
Sec. 1. RCW 28B.92.205 and 2023 c 475 s 923 are each amended to 6
read as follows: 7
(1) In addition to other eligibility requirements outlined in 8
this chapter, students who demonstrate financial need are eligible to 9
receive the Washington college grant. 10
(2) Financial need is as follows: 11
(((1) Until academic year 2020-21, students with family incomes 12
between zero and fifty percent of the state median family income, 13
adjusted for family size, shall receive the maximum Washington 14
college grant as defined in RCW 28B.92.030. Grants for students with 15
incomes between fifty-one and seventy percent of the state median 16
family income, adjusted for family size, shall be prorated at the 17
following percentages of the maximum Washington college grant amount:18
(a) Seventy percent for students with family incomes between 19
fifty-one and fifty-five percent of the state median family income;20
S-1078.1
SENATE BILL 5658
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Senators Hansen, Hasegawa, Slatter, and Valdez
Read first time 02/04/25. Referred to Committee on Higher Education
& Workforce Development.
p. 1 SB 5658
(b) Sixty-five percent for students with family incomes between 1
fifty-six and sixty percent of the state median family income;2
(c) Sixty percent for students with family incomes between sixty-3
one and sixty-five percent of the state median family income; and4
(d) Fifty percent for students with family incomes between sixty-5
six and seventy percent of the state median family income.6
(2) Beginning with academic year 2020-21, except during the 7
2022-23, 2023-24, and 2024-25 academic years, students))8
(a) Students with family incomes between zero and ((fifty-five)) 9
70 percent of the state median family income, adjusted for family 10
size, shall receive the maximum Washington college grant as defined 11
in RCW 28B.92.030((. During the 2022-23, 2023-24, and 2024-25 12
academic years, students with family incomes between zero and sixty 13
percent of the state median family income, adjusted for family size, 14
shall receive the maximum Washington college grant.)); and15
(b) Grants for students with incomes between ((fifty-six)) 71 and 16
((one hundred )) 100 percent of the state median family income, 17
adjusted for family size, shall be prorated at the following 18
percentages of the maximum Washington college grant amount:19
(((a) Seventy)) (i) 50 percent for students with family incomes 20
between ((fifty-six)) 71 and ((sixty)) 80 percent of the state median 21
family income ((, except during the 2022-23, 2023-24, and 2024-25 22
academic years)); 23
(((b) Sixty)) (ii) 25 percent for students with family incomes 24
between ((sixty-one)) 81 and ((sixty-five)) 90 percent of the state 25
median family income ((, except during the 2023-24 and 2024-25 26
academic years when student grant award shall not be prorated and 27
students shall receive the maximum award;28
(c) Fifty percent for students with family incomes between sixty-29
six and seventy percent of the state median family income;30
(d) Twenty-four and one-half percent for students with family 31
incomes between seventy-one and seventy-five percent of the state 32
median family income)); and 33
(((e) Ten)) (iii) 10 percent for students with family incomes 34
between ((seventy-six)) 91 and ((one hundred )) 100 percent of the 35
state median family income. 36
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 28B.92 37
RCW to read as follows: 38
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(1) As part of the Washington college grant program, all 1
Washington college grant recipients who qualify for the maximum 2
Washington college grant, but who are not recipients of the college 3
bound scholarship program under chapter 28B.118 RCW are entitled to 4
receive an annual bridge grant of $500. 5
(2) The office shall award bridge grants to eligible students 6
beginning with the 2025-26 academic year. 7
(3) To receive the full bridge grant for which the student 8
qualifies, the student needs to be enrolled in an institution of 9
higher education on at least a half-time basis. Students enrolled 10
less than half-time must receive a prorated bridge grant.11
(4) The bridge grant must be applied to a student's financial aid 12
package after all other gift aid has been awarded to the student.13
(5) As used in this section, "bridge grant" means an annual 14
stipend provided in addition to the Washington college grant to 15
provide supplementary financial support to low-income students to 16
cover higher education expenses beyond tuition and fees, such as 17
books, lab fees, supplies, technology, transportation, housing, and 18
child care. 19
Sec. 3. RCW 43.79.195 and 2021 c 334 s 971 and 2021 c 170 s 6 20
are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:21
(1) The workforce education investment account is created in the 22
state treasury. All revenues from the workforce investment surcharge 23
created in RCW 82.04.299 and those revenues as specified under RCW 24
82.04.290(2)(c) must be deposited directly into the account. Moneys 25
in the account may be spent only after appropriation. Expenditures 26
from the account may be used only for higher education programs, 27
higher education operations, higher education compensation, state-28
funded student aid programs , and workforce development including 29
career connected learning as defined by RCW 28C.30.020. Beginning in 30
fiscal year 2025, and each year thereafter, an amount equal to all 31
the revenues derived from the surcharge imposed under RCW 82.04.299 32
must be used exclusively for higher education programs that lead to a 33
credential in advanced computing, as defined in RCW 82.04.299, and 34
related science, technology, engineering, and math computing fields 35
to increase access and equity, especially for students from 36
traditionally underserved communities. When the number of qualified 37
Washington state applicants exceeds the available enrollments at the 38
University of Washington Paul G. Allen school of computer science by 39
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100, then additional enrollments must be automatically added and 1
funded from the surcharge imposed under RCW 82.04.299 to accommodate 2
the additional demand. The University of Washington shall submit a 3
report, in accordance with RCW 43.01.036, to the appropriate 4
committees of the legislature annually, beginning June 30, 2026, on 5
program graduation rates, waitlist for entry into the program, time 6
to degree completion, and degrees awarded. 7
(2) Expenditures from the workforce education investment account 8
must be used to supplement, not supplant, other federal, state, and 9
local funding for higher education. 10
Sec. 4. RCW 28B.77.310 and 2023 c 282 s 1 are each amended to 11
read as follows: 12
(1) The workforce education investment accountability and 13
oversight board is established. The board consists of 18 members, as 14
provided in this subsection: 15
(a) Four members of the legislature consisting of the chairs and 16
ranking minority members of the respective higher education and 17
workforce development committees of the senate and house of 18
representatives, ex officio; and 19
(b) The following members appointed by the governor with the 20
consent of the senate: 21
(i) Five members representing the businesses described in RCW 22
82.04.299 or subject to the tax rate under RCW 82.04.290(2)(a)(i);23
(ii) Two members representing labor organizations, one of which 24
must have expertise in registered apprenticeships and training a 25
high-demand workforce and one of which must represent faculty at the 26
four-year institutions of higher education; 27
(iii) Two members representing the institutions of higher 28
education, as defined in RCW 28B.10.016, one of which must be from 29
the four-year sector and one of which must be from the community and 30
technical college sector; 31
(iv) Two members representing students, one of which must be a 32
community and technical college student; 33
(v) One member representing the independent, not-for-profit 34
higher education institutions; 35
(vi) One member representing the workforce training and education 36
coordinating board created under RCW 28C.18.020; and37
(vii) One member representing the student achievement council, 38
established under this chapter. 39
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(2) Except for ex officio and student members, board members 1
shall hold their offices for a term of three years until their 2
successors are appointed. Student board members shall hold one-year 3
terms. 4
(3) The board shall have two cochairs. One cochair shall be one 5
of the chairs of the respective higher education and workforce 6
development committees of the legislature and the other cochair shall 7
be one of the board members representing the businesses described in 8
RCW 82.04.299 or subject to the tax rate under RCW 9
82.04.290(2)(a)(i). The cochairs shall hold the position for a one-10
year term. The board members shall elect the cochairs annually.11
(4) Nine voting members of the board constitute a quorum for the 12
transaction of business. The board shall meet four times a year.13
(5) Staff support for the board shall be provided by the student 14
achievement council established in this chapter. The student 15
achievement council must provide the board and the higher education 16
committees of the legislature with a report by August 1st of each 17
year that details the expenditures from the workforce education 18
investment account created in RCW 43.79.195. The report must provide 19
the amount and the outcome of expenditures for higher education 20
programs that lead to a credential in advanced computing, as defined 21
in RCW 82.04.299, and related science, technology, engineering, and 22
math computing fields.23
(6) The purposes of the board are to: 24
(a) Provide guidance and recommendations to the legislature on 25
what workforce education priorities should be funded with the 26
workforce education investment account; and 27
(b) Ensure accountability that the workforce education 28
investments funded with the workforce education investment account 29
are producing the intended results and are effectively increasing 30
student success and career readiness, such as by increasing 31
retention, completion, and job placement rates. 32
(7) The board shall consult data from the education data center 33
established under RCW 43.41.400 and the workforce training and 34
education coordinating board established under this chapter when 35
reviewing and determining whether workforce education investments 36
funded from the workforce education investment account are 37
effectively increasing student success and career readiness. The 38
workforce training and education coordinating board shall maintain 39
the workforce education investment accountability and oversight board 40
p. 5 SB 5658
data dashboard on a public-facing portal and work with the board to 1
update and modify the data dashboard as new performance metrics are 2
identified. 3
(8) The board shall report its recommendations to the appropriate 4
committees of the legislature by ((August 1st)) December 31st of each 5
year. 6
(9) For the purposes of this section, "board" means the workforce 7
education investment accountability and oversight board established 8
in this section. 9
NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. The sum of $6,000,000, or as much thereof 10
as may be necessary, is appropriated for the fiscal biennium ending 11
June 30, 2027, from the workforce education investment account — state 12
to the University of Washington for the sole purpose of awarding an 13
additional 100 degrees by fiscal year 2029 at the University of 14
Washington Paul G. Allen school of computer science and engineering.15
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