wa-law.org > bill > 2025-26 > HB 1485 > Original Bill
The legislature finds that institutions of higher education, specifically in more urban areas of our state, often face rising costs for maintaining and expanding essential services and activities, such as student health services, counseling, recreation facilities, student clubs, cultural events, and academic support programs. An increase in the annual limit of services and activities fees would help offset inflationary pressures and ensure these services can continue to operate effectively. Therefore, the legislature intends to provide the opportunity for students to raise the services and activities fees while keeping the fee process for approval the same.
The building fee for each academic year shall be a percentage of total tuition fees. This percentage shall be calculated by the office of financial management and be based on the actual percentage the building fee is of total tuition for each tuition category in the 1994-95 academic year, rounded up to the nearest half percent. After October 9, 2015, the dollar value of the building fee shall not be reduced below the level in the 2014-15 academic year adjusted for inflation. As used in this subsection, "inflation" has the meaning in RCW 28B.15.066(2).
The governing boards of each institution of higher education shall charge to and collect from each student a services and activities fee. A governing board may increase the existing fee annually, consistent with budgeting procedures set forth in RCW 28B.15.045, by amounts that shall not exceed six percent per year, judged reasonable and necessary by the services and activities fee committee and the governing board. The governing boards of the community and technical colleges may increase the existing student and activities fee annually, consistent with budgeting procedures set forth in RCW 28B.15.045, by a percentage not to exceed the annual percentage increase in student tuition fees for resident undergraduate students: PROVIDED, That such percentage increase shall not apply to that portion of the services and activities fee previously committed to the repayment of bonded debt. These rate adjustments may exceed the fiscal growth factor. The services and activities fee committee provided for in RCW 28B.15.045 may initiate a request to the governing board for a fee increase.
Tuition and services and activities fees consistent with subsection (2) of this section shall be set by the state board for community and technical colleges for community and technical college summer school students unless the college charges fees in accordance with RCW 28B.15.515.
Subject to the limitations of RCW 28B.15.910, each governing board of a community or technical college may charge such fees for ungraded courses, noncredit courses, community services courses, and self-supporting courses as it, in its discretion, may determine, consistent with the rules of the state board for community and technical colleges.
The governing board of a college offering an applied baccalaureate degree program under RCW 28B.50.810 or a bachelor of science degree program described in RCW 28B.50.825 may charge tuition fees for those courses above the associate degree level at rates consistent with rules adopted by the state board for community and technical colleges, not to exceed tuition fee rates at the regional universities.