S-1353.1
SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5703
State of Washington 68th Legislature 2023 Regular Session
By Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development (originally
sponsored by Senators Randall, Holy, Conway, Hasegawa, Keiser, Liias,
Lovick, Nguyen, Nobles, Pedersen, Saldaña, Salomon, Shewmake, Valdez,
and C. Wilson)
READ FIRST TIME 02/16/23.
1 AN ACT Relating to modifying the Washington college grant and
2 establishing bridge grants; amending RCW 28B.92.205; and adding a new
3 section to chapter 28B.92 RCW.
4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
5 Sec. 1. RCW 28B.92.205 and 2022 c 297 s 949 are each amended to
6 read as follows:
7 (1) In addition to other eligibility requirements outlined in
8 this chapter, students who demonstrate financial need are eligible to
9 receive the Washington college grant. ((Financial need is as follows:
10 (1) Until academic year 2020-21, students with family incomes
11 between zero and fifty percent of the state median family income,
12 adjusted for family size, shall receive the maximum Washington
13 college grant as defined in RCW 28B.92.030. Grants for students with
14 incomes between fifty-one and seventy percent of the state median
15 family income, adjusted for family size, shall be prorated at the
16 following percentages of the maximum Washington college grant amount:
17 (a) Seventy percent for students with family incomes between
18 fifty-one and fifty-five percent of the state median family income;
19 (b) Sixty-five percent for students with family incomes between
20 fifty-six and sixty percent of the state median family income;
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 1 (c) Sixty percent for students with family incomes between sixty-
2 one and sixty-five percent of the state median family income; and
3 (d) Fifty percent for students with family incomes between sixty-
4 six and seventy percent of the state median family income.))
5 (2) Beginning with academic year ((2020-21, except during the
6 2022-23 academic year)) 2023-24, students with family incomes between
7 zero and ((fifty-five)) 70 percent of the state median family income,
8 adjusted for family size, shall receive the maximum Washington
9 college grant as defined in RCW 28B.92.030. ((During the 2022-23
10 academic year, students with family incomes between zero and 60
11 percent of the state median family income, adjusted for family size,
12 shall receive the maximum Washington college grant.)) Grants for
13 students with incomes between ((fifty-six)) 71 and ((one hundred))
14 100 percent of the state median family income, adjusted for family
15 size, shall be prorated at the following percentages of the maximum
16 Washington college grant amount:
17 (a) ((Seventy)) 50 percent for students with family incomes
18 between ((fifty-six)) 71 and ((sixty)) 80 percent of the state median
19 family income((, except during the 2022-23 academic year));
20 (b) ((Sixty)) 25 percent for students with family incomes between
21 ((sixty-one)) 81 and ((sixty-five)) 90 percent of the state median
22 family income; and
23 (c) ((Fifty)) 10 percent for students with family incomes between
24 ((sixty-six)) 91 and ((seventy)) 100 percent of the state median
25 family income((;
26 (d) Twenty-four and one-half percent for students with family
27 incomes between seventy-one and seventy-five percent of the state
28 median family income; and
29 (e) Ten percent for students with family incomes between seventy-
30 six and one hundred percent of the state median family income)).
31 NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 28B.92
32 RCW to read as follows:
33 (1) As part of the Washington college grant program, all
34 Washington college grant recipients who qualify for the maximum
35 Washington college grant are entitled to also receive an annual
36 bridge grant.
37 (2) The office shall award bridge grants to eligible students
38 beginning with the 2023-24 academic year.
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 1 (a) For Washington college grant recipients who receive a maximum
2 award, but who are not recipients of the college bound scholarship
3 program under chapter 28B.118 RCW, the bridge grant shall be $1,000.
4 (b) For Washington college grant recipients who receive a maximum
5 award, but who are also recipients of the college bound scholarship
6 program under chapter 28B.118 RCW, the bridge grant shall be $500.
7 (3) To receive the full bridge grant for which the student
8 qualifies, the student needs to be enrolled in an institution of
9 higher education on at least a half-time basis. Students enrolled
10 less than half-time shall receive a prorated bridge grant.
11 (4) The bridge grant shall be applied to a student's financial
12 aid package after all other gift aid has been awarded to the student.
13 (5) As used in this section, "bridge grant" means an annual
14 stipend provided in addition to the Washington college grant to
15 provide supplementary financial support to low-income students to
16 cover higher education expenses beyond tuition and fees, such as
17 books, lab fees, supplies, technology, transportation, housing, and
18 child care.
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Statutes affected:
Original Bill: 28B.92.205
Substitute Bill: 28B.92.205