wa-law.org > bill > 2023-24 > SB 5655 > Substitute Bill

SB 5655 - WA achievers grant program

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Section 1

  1. Subject to amounts appropriated specifically for this purpose, the student achievement council shall administer the Washington achievers grant program. The Washington achievers grant program is a matching grant program to expand access for resident students to federal TRIO programs at institutions of higher education. The Washington achievers grant program is designed to leverage state appropriations to grow capacity in existing federal TRIO programs for eligible students who are currently ineligible to participate in a federal TRIO program. The student achievement council must:

    1. Establish a request for proposal process to select the institutions of higher education that may benefit from grants provided under the Washington achievers grant program; and

    2. Create criteria for evaluating and reviewing the request for proposals that, at a minimum, must consider:

      1. The number of potential eligible students to be served;

      2. Success of the existing federal TRIO programs in providing services for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds; and

      3. Success of the federal TRIO programs in helping eligible students succeed in the educational pipeline.

  2. The student achievement council shall develop a process for helping institutions of higher education identify eligible students through Washington application for state financial aid submissions.

  3. The definitions in this subsection apply throughout this section, unless the context clearly requires otherwise:

    1. "Eligible student" means a student who:

      1. Is a resident student as defined in RCW 28B.15.012(2) (a) through (e);

      2. Demonstrates academic need; and

      3. Is one of the following:

(A) A first-generation college student meaning neither parent or guardian has a four-year college degree;

(B) Has a family income at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty level as adjusted for family size and determined annually by the federal department of health and human services; or

(C) Has a documented disability.

b. "Institutions of higher education" has the same meaning as in RCW 28B.92.030.
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