The Legislature wrapped up its second week with most of its work focused on hearing bills in committees. For the community and technical college system, the Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee heard testimony Monday on a bill that would require colleges east of the Cascades to offer a prelaw associate degree program. The committee voted on Thursday to approve a bill it heard last week that would give colleges the option to waive part of all of tuition and fees for elders over the age of 55 who are members of Washington's 29 federally-recognized Tribes. It now heads to the Senate Ways and Means Committee for its consideration.
House higher education committee hears financial aid, post-high school education outreach program bill
Jan. 17 — Members of the House Postsecondary Education and Workforce Committee took up a bill Friday that would create a program to support high school students with financial aid applications and applying to education beyond high school. The House bill is similar to SB 5164, a bill heard during the Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee’s hearing Jan. 16. If the House bill, HB 1136, is enacted, the state would create the Financial Aid Completion and Postsecondary Enrollment Program, in which outreach and enrollment specialists would work directly with high schools in every Educational Service District to help increase FAFSA and WASFA completion rates and counsel students on their post-high school education options.
“We're having students leave the system from high school not knowing what pathway opportunities they have, not knowing how to apply to get funding and resources are being left on the table federally,” Rep. Mari Leavitt, the bill’s prime sponsor, said. “Having navigators in our school districts and available to assist students specifically for postsecondary attainment is really critical in order to get [financial aid and enrollment] numbers up, and to get our trained workers out in the workforce and strengthening our economy in all areas of our state.”
Sam Herriot, government relations liaison for the State Board, spoke in favor of the bill, telling committee members of the success of the FAFSA and WASFA Outreach and Completion Initiative Pilot Program established by the Legislature in 2022 and expanded in 2023.
“Our navigators have demonstrated success as trusted messengers in these educational service districts,” they said. “These navigators are meant to be the additional support for K-12 students working with high school counselors to make sure they do warm handoffs with those connected in the interests of their postsecondary pathways that they're interested in.”
Colleen Hall, assistant director for outreach at Columbia Basin College, also spoke in favor of the bill. The college is one of eight that’s part of the Outreach and Completion Pilot Program. The other seven are Big Bend Community College, Centralia College, Grays Harbor College, Olympic College, Peninsula College, South Puget Sound Community College, and Walla Walla Community College.
“The increases in financial aid completion since 2022 are not solely the result of this program design, but the relationships and bills have been foundational to our success,” she said. “We would welcome an opportunity to assist in the training of new program participants. Financial aid completion has the potential to be life-changing, and we know that this information that we share is too important to not be accurate.”
Bill requiring colleges offer prelaw associate degree heard in Senate committee
Jan. 20 — A bill that would require community colleges east of the Cascades to offer prelaw associate degree and paralegal programs was topic of Monday’s Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee’s hearing. If passed, SB 5087 would require the State Board to develop and financially support a program for colleges east of the Cascades to start an American Bar Association-certified Approved Paralegal Education Program, and would require three colleges in eastern Washington to establish pre-law associate degree programs. The bill’s goal is to have one college in central Washington and one in eastern Washington offer the program.
Sen. Nikki Torres, the bill’s prime sponsor, testified the bill is intended to help fill public defenders and prosecuting attorney shortages in central and eastern Washington.
“Only six of our community colleges offer a prelaw degree. All but one is currently housed in western Washington … leaving those on the east side of the cascades left to either travel to Spokane or move to Western Washington,” she said.
The bill is currently written to require Columbia Basin College, Yakima Valley College, and Walla Walla Community College to offer a prelaw associate degree, subject to appropriation, but Torres noted in testimony that a forthcoming amendment would open the offering to all colleges in eastern and central Washington
“I want to be mindful and respectful of those community colleges if they don't have the bandwidth yet to establish a program,” she said.
Arlen Harris, legislative director for the State Board, told committee members that colleges already work closely with their communities to determine what programs to offer. He also asked the committee to consider changing the bill’s language to allow colleges to consult with the bar association on establishing a program.
“We go through a rigorous accreditation process for all our colleges,” he said.
Coming up next week
Committee work continues next week with the Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee slated to hold a work session on the Financial Aid Outreach and Completion Pilot program at its Monday hearing and a bill that would expand eligibility for the Washington College Grant at its Thursday hearing. On Tuesday, the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee is expected to hear a bill to help support high school students who are chronically absent from school.
