Guaranteed admissions prg.

AN ACT Relating to making higher education more accessible by 1
establishing the Washington guaranteed admissions program and 2
requiring student notifications; adding a new section to chapter 3
28B.10 RCW; adding new sections to chapter 28A.150 RCW; and creating 4
a new section. 5
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:6
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that engaging with 7
high school students to prepare them for higher education and 8
familiarize them with college admissions through guaranteed 9
admissions increases equity, access, and credential completion in the 10
state. The legislature intends to establish the Washington guaranteed 11
admissions program as an appropriate and necessary step to accomplish 12
these goals.13
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 28B.10 14
RCW to read as follows: 15
(1) The Washington guaranteed admissions program is established 16
in collaboration with the state's public four-year institutions of 17
higher education. 18
(2)(a) The regional universities, the state college, at least one 19
campus of each state university, and tribal institutions of higher 20
S-3480.1
SENATE BILL 5978
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Senators Hansen, Hasegawa, Liias, Nobles, Shewmake, and Slatter
Prefiled 01/05/26. Read first time 01/12/26. Referred to Committee
on Higher Education & Workforce Development.
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education operated by an Indian tribe as defined in RCW 43.376.010 1
shall participate in the Washington guaranteed admissions program 2
beginning in the 2027-28 academic year. 3
(b) Institutions in (a) of this subsection may opt out of the 4
Washington guaranteed admissions program by reporting to the 5
legislature, in accordance with RCW 43.01.036, the following:6
(i) The reason for opting out; and 7
(ii) A detailed overview of other initiatives for improving 8
admissions and expanding access to the institution for resident 9
students. 10
(3) Beginning with the 2027-28 academic year, participating 11
institutions shall simplify and streamline the general admissions 12
application form requiring only necessary information for students.13
(4) Beginning with the 2027-28 academic year, an organization 14
representing the presidents of the public four-year institutions of 15
higher education shall consult with the student achievement council 16
and the state board for community and technical colleges in 17
determining eligibility criteria for the Washington guaranteed 18
admissions program and annually reviewing the eligibility criteria.19
(5) An organization representing the presidents of the public 20
four-year institutions of higher education may collaborate with 21
philanthropic organizations to secure funding for a range of 22
strategic initiatives essential to the successful promotion and 23
implementation of the program, including marketing campaigns, 24
research and analysis, and the engagement of specialized professional 25
services to enhance program visibility, outreach, and operational 26
effectiveness. 27
(6) Beginning with the 2027-28 academic year, the Washington 28
school information processing cooperative shall collect and transmit 29
the data of students in grades 11 and 12 who meet the criteria 30
determined in subsection (4) of this section to an organization 31
representing the presidents of the public four-year institutions of 32
higher education, which shall hold and make the information available 33
to participating institutions for the purpose of guaranteeing 34
admission to qualified applicants in accordance with this section.35
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 28A.150 36
RCW to read as follows: 37
(1) By January 1, 2027, each school district, charter school, 38
state-tribal education compact school, and institutional education 39
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provider with students in grade 11 or 12 shall enter into a data-1
sharing agreement with each participating institution in the 2
Washington guaranteed admissions program established in section 2 of 3
this act or the Washington school information processing cooperative 4
to facilitate the transfer of data of students in grades 11 and 12 5
who meet the criteria determined pursuant to section 2 (4) of this 6
act. Beginning with the 2027-28 school year, school districts, 7
charter schools, state-tribal education compact schools, and 8
institutional education providers shall work with the Washington 9
school information processing cooperative and participating 10
institutions through an organization representing the presidents of 11
the public four-year institutions of higher education to facilitate 12
the transfer of data required under this subsection.13
(2) The definitions in this subsection apply throughout this 14
section unless the context clearly requires otherwise.15
(a) "Charter school" means a school established under chapter 16
28A.710 RCW. 17
(b) "Institutional education provider" has the same meaning as in 18
RCW 28A.190.005. 19
(c) "Participating institutions" are those that have not opted 20
out of the program and includes the regional universities, the state 21
college, at least one campus of each state university, and tribal 22
institutions of higher education operated by an Indian tribe as 23
defined in RCW 43.376.010. 24
(d) "State-tribal education compact school" means a school 25
subject to chapter 28A.715 RCW. 26
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. A new section is added to chapter 28A.150 27
RCW to read as follows: 28
(1) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall 29
collaborate with the student achievement council, an organization 30
representing the presidents of the public four-year institutions of 31
higher education, the state board for community and technical 32
colleges, educational service districts, the Washington school 33
information processing cooperative, and the Washington school 34
counselor association to create a notice providing information about 35
the following programs or initiatives, including definitions and 36
eligibility criteria: 37
(a) The Washington guaranteed admissions program established in 38
section 2 of this act; 39
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(b) The Washington college grant program created in RCW 1
28B.92.200; 2
(c) Dual credit programs as defined in RCW 28A.600.280;3
(d) Career and technical education programs; 4
(e) Associate degrees and certificates; 5
(f) The free application for federal student aid; and6
(g) The Washington application for state financial aid.7
(2) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall 8
work with the student achievement council to disseminate the notice 9
created in subsection (1) of this section to each school district, 10
charter school, state-tribal education compact school, and 11
institutional education provider with students in grades nine through 12
12. Alternatively, the information in the notice may be incorporated 13
into high school and beyond plans required by RCW 28A.230.212.14
(3)(a) Beginning in the 2026-27 school year, each school 15
district, charter school, state-tribal education compact school, and 16
institutional education provider with students in grades nine through 17
12 shall: 18
(i) Disseminate the notice created in subsection (1) of this 19
section to students in grades nine through 12 and their parents or 20
guardians at the beginning of the school year, but no later than 21
November of each school year. The notice may be disseminated 22
electronically; and 23
(ii) Designate a staff member or create a virtual resource for 24
students to learn more about the information contained in the notice 25
created in subsection (1) of this section. 26
(b) Beginning with the 2027-28 school year, each school district, 27
charter school, state-tribal education compact school, and 28
institutional education provider with students in grade 11 or 12 29
shall: 30
(i) Collaborate with the Washington school information processing 31
cooperative and participating public four-year institutions of higher 32
education through an organization representing the presidents of the 33
public four-year institutions of higher education to create a 34
notification about the Washington guaranteed admissions program 35
established in section 2 of this act and general admissions. The 36
notification must provide a parent or guardian of a student in grades 37
nine through 12 with an opportunity to opt the student out of the 38
Washington guaranteed admissions program; and 39
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(ii) Disseminate the notice created in (b)(i) of this subsection 1
to students in grades 11 and 12 and their parents or guardians.2
(4) The definitions in this subsection apply throughout this 3
section unless the context clearly requires otherwise.4
(a) "Charter school" means a school established under chapter 5
28A.710 RCW. 6
(b) "Institutional education provider" has the same meaning as in 7
RCW 28A.190.005. 8
(c) "State-tribal education compact school" means a school 9
subject to chapter 28A.715 RCW. 10
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