AN ACT Relating to tuition waivers for high school completers at community and technical colleges;
Summary
SB 5542 expands tuition-waiver authority at Washington community and technical colleges for two groups of students who are completing high school through college coursework. First, it allows governing boards to waive all or part of tuition, services, and activities fees for students age 19 or older who are eligible for resident tuition and enroll in a course of study that leads to a high school diploma or certificate, but who are not otherwise eligible students under the state’s existing definition. These waivers are limited to students who begin the program within 10 years of high school graduation.
Second, the bill requires colleges to waive all tuition, services, and activities fees for children and surviving spouses of certain public-safety personnel who died or became totally disabled in the line of duty, including law enforcement officers, firefighters, and Washington State Patrol officers. It also allows colleges to waive all or part of the nonresident tuition differential for nonresident students in high school completion programs, and specifically authorizes waivers for up to 40 percent of students in the regional education program for deaf students, subject to federal funding limits. The bill defines “totally disabled” and requires annual reporting on the cost of these waivers to the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges and the Legislature.
Impact
The bill amends RCW provisions governing tuition waivers at community and technical colleges, broadening institutional discretion to reduce or eliminate charges for adult high school completers and certain nonresident students. It also creates a mandatory waiver category for eligible surviving spouses and children of fallen or totally disabled public-safety personnel, shifting some enrollment costs from students to colleges and, indirectly, the state system. The reporting requirement adds a new fiscal oversight obligation for colleges and the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges.
Sentiment
The available voting record shows strong bipartisan support and no recorded opposition: the bill passed the Senate committee 5-0, passed the Senate floor 49-0, and passed the House committee 17-0. The absence of dissent in the recorded votes suggests broad agreement with the bill’s education-access and public-safety-family provisions.
Contention
No substantive controversy appears in the provided committee materials or vote history. The main policy considerations implied by the bill are fiscal, including the cost of expanded waivers and the need for annual reporting, as well as eligibility limits such as the 10-year post-graduation window, the restriction to programs leading to a diploma or certificate, and the cap tied to the regional education program for deaf students. These details suggest the bill was designed to balance expanded access with budgetary and programmatic constraints.
Interim study to examine the fiscal impact of unfunded, statutorily mandated tuition and fee waivers on Nebraska's public university, state colleges, community colleges, and the Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education