wa-law.org > bill > 2025-26 > HB 1136 > Substitute Bill
The legislature finds that counseling, advising, and coaching that help students with the postsecondary financial aid application and enrollment processes, and that provide hands-on assistance, are evidence-based approaches to increasing rates of postsecondary enrollment. The legislature further recognizes that on-site experts deliver comprehensive school career counseling programs, which provide support for students and their families in securing postsecondary opportunities.
The addition of enrollment and outreach specialists can provide a valuable resource for comprehensive school career counseling programs and broaden access to student navigational supports throughout the state. Therefore, Washington state should invest in student navigational support and services to advise students to and through postsecondary education and training.
It is the intent of the legislature to establish a postsecondary outreach and enrollment specialist program for the purposes of helping Washington high school students with postsecondary financial aid and educational opportunities as well as encouraging completion of financial aid and postsecondary enrollment.
Subject to availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the college board shall administer a
financial aid completion and postsecondary enrollment program.
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Depending on the needs of the educational service district, the college board shall select at least one of the following entities to participate in the program:
Community or technical colleges;
Public four-year institutions of higher education;
Tribal organizations; or
Community-based organizations.
The entities selected to participate must each be located within educational service districts that are in the bottom five for free application for federal student aid completion rates when combining their respective school districts' free application for federal student aid completion rates over the past three completed academic years prior to the effective date of this section.
The college board shall establish a selection committee for selecting the entities to participate in the program.
The selection committee must include at least two community or technical college representatives as designated by the college board and at least two public four-year representatives as designated by an organization representing the public four-year institutions of higher education.
The selection committee may consult with colleges, institutions of higher education, and the student achievement council in developing selection criteria.
Entities selected to participate shall employ outreach and enrollment specialists to work directly with the high schools located in the corresponding educational service district.
The outreach and enrollment specialists shall coordinate with the secondary school counseling program and any other school district staff as appropriate to make significant contact with high school students and their families, with a focus on secondary schools that have a higher percentage of students who are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch compared to other schools in the same educational service district, for the purpose of increasing free application for federal student aid and Washington application for state financial aid completion rates. The outreach and enrollment specialists must use the free application for federal student aid, Washington application for state financial aid, and college bound scholarship eligibility data maintained by the student achievement council to conduct targeted outreach and free application for federal student aid and Washington application for state financial aid completion assistance to high school seniors. The outreach and enrollment specialists must also provide information on how to access private scholarships. The outreach and enrollment specialists shall conduct other outreach as appropriate, including virtual or in-person presentations with students and families, announcements on school intercoms and social media channels, outreach to recent high school graduates as peer messengers, and events at school college or career fairs.
The outreach and enrollment specialists shall assist:
High school students in navigating the application and enrollment process for institutions of higher education and coordinate with school district staff and other college access partners as appropriate and as needed;
High school students in connecting with appropriate staff at institutions of higher education who can help students in exploring campus services and programs to improve their skills, increase academic achievement, and help students reach their education and career goals; and
High school students in connecting with staff or instructors affiliated with state-registered apprenticeship programs who can help students navigate apprenticeship application processes and utilizing eligible financial aid.
The tasks performed by outreach and enrollment specialists must complement and support the work of secondary school staff and administration in providing comprehensive postsecondary navigation support.
The college board, in collaboration with the office of the superintendent of public instruction, an organization representing the public four-year institutions of higher education, and college access staff from the student achievement council, shall outline the roles and responsibilities of colleges, institutions of higher education, tribal organizations, and community-based organizations to ensure outreach and enrollment specialists have the necessary resources and support to effectively engage with students to promote financial aid attainment and postsecondary enrollment. Resources and support may include, but are not limited to: Access to buildings, adequate meeting spaces, certain technology, school supplies, and safe and secure access to individual student's high school and beyond plans.
The college board must develop a communication plan for students and families about the presence and role of outreach and enrollment specialists.
The college board, the student achievement council, an organization representing the public four-year institutions of higher education, an organization representing the private four-year institutions of higher education, statewide organizations representing state-registered apprenticeship programs, and those organizations representing teachers, counselors, and principals shall collaborate in preparing a training program for outreach and enrollment specialists.
The college board shall report annually to the appropriate committees of the legislature in accordance with RCW 43.01.036 beginning January 15, 2026, on the outreach and enrollment specialist program. The report must include details on how:
The colleges, institutions of higher education, tribal organizations, or community-based organizations selected used the funding; and
The initiatives worked to increase free application for federal student aid and Washington application for state financial aid completion rates.
The education data center established in RCW 43.41.400, in collaboration with the college board, the public four-year institutions of higher education, the office of the superintendent of public instruction, and the student achievement council shall create a report on the completion rates of the free application for federal student aid and Washington application for state financial aid by Washington high school seniors. The report must include data, disaggregated by demographic data, on: The completion rates prior to implementation of the program created in this section, the postimplementation completion rates, and the rates of first-time postsecondary enrollment of students within one year of high school graduation. The report required by this subsection must be submitted to the appropriate committees of the legislature by December 1, 2027.