Financial aid awards/private

AN ACT Relating to financial aid awards for students attending 1
private four-year institutions of higher education; amending RCW 2
28B.92.030; reenacting and amending RCW 28B.118.010; and adding a new 3
section to chapter 28B.92 RCW. 4
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:5
Sec. 1. RCW 28B.92.030 and 2025 c 395 s 2 are each amended to 6
read as follows: 7
The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter 8
unless the context clearly requires otherwise. 9
(1) "Council" means the student achievement council.10
(2) "Financial aid" means either loans, grants, or both, to 11
students who demonstrate financial need enrolled or accepted for 12
enrollment as a student at institutions of higher education.13
(3) "Financial need" means a demonstrated financial inability to 14
bear the total cost of education as directed in rule by the office.15
(4) "Institution" or "institutions of higher education" means:16
(a) Any public university, college, community college, or 17
technical college operated by the state of Washington or any 18
political subdivision thereof; or 19
(b) Any other university, college, school, or institute in the 20
state of Washington offering instruction beyond the high school level 21
S-3947.2
SENATE BILL 6209
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Senators Wellman, Boehnke, Dozier, and Nobles
Read first time 01/19/26. Referred to Committee on Higher Education
& Workforce Development.
p. 1 SB 6209
that is a member institution of an accrediting association recognized 1
by rule of the council for the purposes of this section and that 2
agrees to and complies with program rules adopted pursuant to RCW 3
28B.92.150. However, any institution, branch, extension or facility 4
operating within the state of Washington that is affiliated with an 5
institution operating in another state must be: 6
(i) A separately accredited member institution of any such 7
accrediting association; 8
(ii) A branch of a member institution of an accrediting 9
association recognized by rule of the council for purposes of this 10
section, that is eligible for federal student financial aid 11
assistance and has operated as a nonprofit college or university 12
delivering on-site classroom instruction for a minimum of 20 13
consecutive years within the state of Washington, and has an annual 14
enrollment of at least 700 full-time equivalent students;15
(iii) A nonprofit institution recognized by the state of 16
Washington as provided in RCW 28B.77.240; or 17
(iv) An approved apprenticeship program under chapter 49.04 RCW.18
(5) "Maximum Washington college grant": 19
(a) For students attending two or four-year institutions of 20
higher education as defined in RCW 28B.10.016, is tuition and 21
estimated fees for 15 quarter credit hours or the equivalent, as 22
determined by the office, including operating fees, building fees, 23
and services and activities fees. 24
(b) For students attending private four-year not-for-profit 25
institutions of higher education in Washington: 26
(i) In the 2019-20 academic year, is $9,739 and may increase each 27
year afterwards by no more than the tuition growth factor through the 28
end of the 2025-26 academic year; and 29
(ii) Beginning in the 2026-27 academic year, is 50 percent of the 30
average of awards for the same academic year granted to students at 31
the public research institutions in Washington. 32
(c) For students attending two-year private not-for-profit 33
institutions of higher education in Washington, in the 2019-20 34
academic year, is $3,694 and may increase each year afterwards by no 35
more than the tuition growth factor. 36
(d) For students attending four-year private for-profit 37
institutions of higher education in Washington((, in)):38
(i) In the 2019-20 academic year, is eight thousand five hundred 39
seventeen dollars and may increase each year afterwards by no more 40
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than the tuition growth factor, until the end of the 2025-26 academic 1
year; and2
(ii) Beginning in the 2026-27 academic year, if the institution 3
meets the requirements established in section 3 of this act, is 50 4
percent of the average of awards for the same academic year granted 5
to students at the public research institutions in Washington.6
(e) For students attending two-year private for-profit 7
institutions of higher education in Washington, in the 2019-20 8
academic year, is two thousand eight hundred twenty-three dollars and 9
may increase each year afterwards by no more than the tuition growth 10
factor, until the end of the 2025-26 academic year.11
(f) For students attending Western Governors University-12
Washington, as established in RCW 28B.77.240: 13
(i) In the 2019-20 academic year, is $5,619 and may increase each 14
year afterwards by no more than the tuition growth factor through the 15
2025-26 academic year; and 16
(ii) Beginning in the 2026-27 academic year, is $4,150 and may 17
increase each year afterwards by no more than the tuition growth 18
factor. 19
(((e) [(g)])) (g) For students attending approved apprenticeship 20
programs: 21
(i) In the 2022-23 academic year, is the same amount as the 22
maximum Washington college grant for students attending two-year 23
institutions of higher education as defined in (a) of this subsection 24
to be used for tuition and fees, program supplies and equipment, and 25
other costs that facilitate educational endeavors through the 2025-26 26
academic year; and 27
(ii) Beginning in the 2026-27 academic year, is 50 percent of the 28
maximum Washington college grant award for students attending two-29
year institutions of higher education as defined in (a) of this 30
subsection to be used for tuition and fees, program supplies and 31
equipment, and other costs that facilitate educational endeavors.32
(6) "Office" means the office of student financial assistance.33
(7) "Tuition growth factor" means an increase of no more than the 34
average annual percentage growth rate of the median hourly wage for 35
Washington for the previous 14 years as the wage is determined by the 36
federal bureau of labor statistics. 37
Sec. 2. RCW 28B.118.010 and 2025 c 395 s 4 and 2025 c 288 s 1 38
are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:39
p. 3 SB 6209
The office of student financial assistance shall design the 1
Washington college bound scholarship program in accordance with this 2
section and in alignment with the Washington college grant program in 3
chapter 28B.92 RCW unless otherwise provided in this section. The 4
right of an eligible student to receive a college bound scholarship 5
vest upon enrollment in the program that is earned by meeting the 6
requirements of this section as it exists at the time of the 7
student's enrollment under subsection (2) of this section.8
(1) "Eligible students" are those students who:9
(a) Qualify for free or reduced-price lunches.10
(i) If a student qualifies in the seventh or eighth grade, the 11
student remains eligible even if the student does not receive free or 12
reduced-price lunches thereafter. 13
(ii) Beginning in the 2019-20 academic year, if a student 14
qualifies for free or reduced-price lunches in the ninth grade and 15
was previously ineligible during the seventh or eighth grade while he 16
or she was a student in Washington, the student is eligible for the 17
college bound scholarship program; 18
(b) Are dependent pursuant to chapter 13.34 RCW and:19
(i) In grade seven through 12; or 20
(ii) Are between the ages of 18 and 21 and have not graduated 21
from high school; or 22
(c) Were dependent pursuant to chapter 13.34 RCW and were adopted 23
between the ages of 14 and 18 with a negotiated adoption agreement 24
that includes continued eligibility for the Washington state college 25
bound scholarship program pursuant to RCW 74.13A.025.26
(2)(a) Every eligible student shall be automatically enrolled by 27
the office of student financial assistance, with no action necessary 28
by the student, student's family, or student's guardians.29
(b) Eligible students and the students' parents or guardians 30
shall be notified of the student's enrollment in the Washington 31
college bound scholarship program and the requirements for award of 32
the scholarship by the office of student financial assistance. To the 33
maximum extent practicable, an eligible student must acknowledge 34
enrollment in the college bound scholarship program and receipt of 35
the requirements for award of the scholarship. 36
(c) The office of the superintendent of public instruction and 37
the department of children, youth, and families must provide the 38
office of student financial assistance with a list of eligible 39
students when requested. The office of student financial assistance 40
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must determine the most effective methods, including timing and 1
frequency, to notify eligible students of enrollment in the 2
Washington college bound scholarship program. The office of student 3
financial assistance must take reasonable steps to ensure that 4
eligible students acknowledge enrollment in the college bound 5
scholarship program and receipt of the requirements for award of the 6
scholarship. The office of student financial assistance shall also 7
make available to every school district information, brochures, and 8
posters to increase awareness and to enable school districts to 9
notify eligible students directly or through school teachers, 10
counselors, or school activities. 11
(3) Except as provided in subsection (4) of this section, an 12
eligible student must: 13
(a)(i) Graduate from a public high school under RCW 28A.150.010 14
or an approved private high school under chapter 28A.195 RCW in 15
Washington, have received a high school equivalency certificate under 16
RCW 28B.50.536, or have received home-based instruction under chapter 17
28A.200 RCW; and 18
(ii) For eligible students enrolling in a postsecondary 19
educational institution for the first time beginning with the 2023-24 20
academic year, graduate with at least a "C" average for consideration 21
of direct admission to a public or private four-year institution of 22
higher education; 23
(b) Have no felony convictions; 24
(c) Be a resident student as defined in RCW 28B.15.012(2) (a) 25
through (e); and 26
(d) Have a family income that does not exceed 65 percent of the 27
state median family income at the time of high school graduation.28
(4) An eligible student who is a resident student under RCW 29
28B.15.012(2)(e) must also provide the institution, as defined in RCW 30
28B.15.012, an affidavit indicating that the individual will file an 31
application to become a permanent resident at the earliest 32
opportunity the individual is eligible to do so and a willingness to 33
engage in any other activities necessary to acquire citizenship, 34
including but not limited to citizenship or civics review courses.35
(5)(a) For students attending two or four-year institutions of 36
higher education as defined in RCW 28B.10.016, the value of the award 37
shall be (i) the difference between the student's tuition and 38
required fees, less the value of any state-funded grant, scholarship, 39
p. 5 SB 6209
or waiver assistance the student receives; (ii) plus $500 for books 1
and materials. 2
(b)(i) For students attending private four-year institutions of 3
higher education in Washington, the award amount shall be the average 4
of awards granted to students in public research universities in 5
Washington or the average of awards granted to students in public 6
research universities in Washington in the 2014-15 academic year, 7
whichever is greater, through the 2026-27 academic year.8
(ii) Beginning in the 2027-28 academic year, for students 9
attending private four-year not-for-profit institutions of higher 10
education in Washington, the award amount shall be 50 percent of the 11
average of awards for the same academic year granted to students in 12
public research universities in Washington. 13
(iii) Beginning in the 2027-28 academic year, for students 14
attending private four-year for-profit institutions of higher 15
education in Washington, if the institution meets the requirements 16
established in section 3 of this act, the award amount shall be 50 17
percent of the average of awards for the same academic year granted 18
to students in public research universities in Washington.19
(c)(i) For students attending private vocational schools in 20
Washington, the award amount shall be the average of awards granted 21
to students in public community and technical colleges in Washington 22
or the average of awards granted to students in public community and 23
technical colleges in Washington in the 2014-15 academic year, 24
whichever is greater, through the 2026-27 academic year.25
(ii) Beginning in the 2027-28 academic year, for students 26
attending two-year private not-for-profit schools in Washington, the 27
award amount shall be the average of awards granted in the same 28
academic year to students in public community and technical colleges 29
in Washington, or the average of awards granted to students in public 30
community and technical colleges in Washington in the 2014-15 31
academic year, whichever is greater. 32
(d) Beginning in the 2027-28 academic year, for students 33
attending Western Governors University-Washington, as established in 34
RCW 28B.77.240, the award shall be $4,650. 35
(6) Eligible students must enroll no later than the fall term, as 36
defined by the institution of higher education, one academic year 37
following high school graduation. College bound scholarship 38
eligibility may not extend beyond six years or 150 percent of the 39
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published length of the program in which the student is enrolled or 1
the credit or clock-hour equivalent. 2
(7) Institutions of higher education shall award the student all 3
need-based and merit-based financial aid for which the student would 4
otherwise qualify. The Washington college bound scholarship is 5
intended to replace unmet need, loans, and, at the student's option, 6
work-study award before any other grants or scholarships are reduced.7
(8) The first scholarships shall be awarded to students 8
graduating in 2012. 9
(9) The eligible student has a property right in the award, but 10
the state of Washington retains legal ownership of tuition units 11
awarded as scholarships under this chapter until the tuition units 12
are redeemed. These tuition units shall remain separately held from 13
any tuition units owned under chapter 28B.95 RCW by a Washington 14
college bound scholarship recipient. 15
(10)(a) The scholarship award must be used within six years of 16
receipt. Any unused scholarship tuition units revert to the 17
Washington college bound scholarship account. 18
(b) Should the recipient terminate his or her enrollment for any 19
reason during the academic year, the unused portion of the 20
scholarship tuition units shall revert to the Washington college 21
bound scholarship account. 22
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 28B.92 23
RCW to read as follows: 24
The office shall adopt rules establishing a gainful employment 25
standard for private four-year for-profit institutions of higher 26
education that wish to participate in the Washington college grant 27
and college bound scholarship. At minimum, to be eligible to 28
participate in the Washington college grant, debt payments for 29
graduates should be no more than eight percent of annual earnings or 30
20 percent of discretionary earnings, which is defined as annual 31
earnings minus 150 percent of the federal poverty guideline for a 32
single individual. In developing this standard, the office shall take 33
into consideration program completion, and work with the education 34
research and data center on the data development and measures.35
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