The appropriation committees in the House and Senate kicked off the week with long sessions of public hearings on dozens of bills. Friday, March 27 marks another major deadline in the legislative process. Bills that have been moved to an appropriations committee in either the House or the Senate must have moved from the committee to the floor by the end of the day.
The Senate Ways & Means Committee heard several higher education related bills this afternoon, including:
- SB 5954: Creates the College Affordability Program (CAP). Removes tuition-setting authority for resident undergraduate students for the public baccalaureate institutions. Beginning in the 2015-16 academic year, tuition fees for resident undergraduates must be no more than the following: for community and technical colleges, 6 percent of the state’s average wage; for the regional universities and The Evergreen State College, 10 percent of the state’s average wage; and for the research universities, 14 percent of the state’s average wage. Beginning with the 2015-17 operating budget, the Legislature must appropriate to the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges and each four-year institution of higher education an amount that is at least equal to the total state funds appropriated in the 2013-15 biennium plus the reduction in revenues from resident undergraduate tuition operating fees received for the 2015-17 fiscal biennium under this act, adjusted for inflation. Additionally, the dollar value of the building fee must not be reduced below the level in the 2014-15 academic year, adjusted for inflation.
- SB 5851: Advances recommendations to improve and enhance certain components of the program, including data collection, outreach and program outcomes.
- SB 5561: A child of a veteran or National Guard member is eligible for a full tuition waiver at a Washington State institution of higher education if one of the child’s parents became totally disabled as a result of active service, was a prisoner of war, or lost their life as a result of serving in active duty, and the child: is a Washington domiciliary between the age of 17 and 26; or meets one of eight federal requirements for receiving education assistance.
- SB 5547: SNG recipients must maintain a 2.5 GPA to be eligible for renewal, unless the student attends The Evergreen State College (TESC). Students enrolled at TESC must meet the requirements of the college’s satisfactory academic progress policy to remain
eligible for the SNG program. - SB 5355: Amends the definition of resident student to comply with federal requirements established by the veterans access, choice, and accountability act of 2014.
The House Appropriations committee is expected to take up a handful of higher education bills tomorrow including: