S-3826.2
SENATE BILL 5999
State of Washington 68th Legislature 2024 Regular Session
By Senators Hansen, Nobles, Dhingra, Fortunato, Frame, Hasegawa,
Hunt, Keiser, Kuderer, Liias, Lovelett, Nguyen, Pedersen, Randall,
Saldaña, Salomon, Shewmake, Stanford, Trudeau, Valdez, Van De Wege,
and C. Wilson
Prefiled 01/05/24. Read first time 01/08/24. Referred to Committee
on Higher Education & Workforce Development.
1 AN ACT Relating to expanding financial aid eligibility; amending
2 RCW 28B.92.205; and adding a new section to chapter 28B.92 RCW.
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
4 Sec. 1. RCW 28B.92.205 and 2023 c 475 s 923 are each amended to
5 read as follows:
6 (1) In addition to other eligibility requirements outlined in
7 this chapter, students who demonstrate financial need are eligible to
8 receive the Washington college grant.
9 (2) 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;
p. 1 SB 5999
 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, 2023-24, and 2024-25 academic years, students))
7 (a) Students with family incomes between zero and ((fifty-five))
8 70 percent of the state median family income, adjusted for family
9 size, shall receive the maximum Washington college grant as defined
10 in RCW 28B.92.030((. During the 2022-23, 2023-24, and 2024-25
11 academic years, students with family incomes between zero and sixty
12 percent of the state median family income, adjusted for family size,
13 shall receive the maximum Washington college grant.)); and
14 (b) Grants for students with incomes between ((fifty-six)) 71 and
15 ((one hundred)) 100 percent of the state median family income,
16 adjusted for family size, shall be prorated at the following
17 percentages of the maximum Washington college grant amount:
18 (((a) Seventy)) (i) 50 percent for students with family incomes
19 between ((fifty-six)) 71 and ((sixty)) 80 percent of the state median
20 family income((, except during the 2022-23, 2023-24, and 2024-25
21 academic years));
22 (((b) Sixty)) (ii) 25 percent for students with family incomes
23 between ((sixty-one)) 81 and ((sixty-five)) 90 percent of the state
24 median family income((, except during the 2023-24 and 2024-25
25 academic years when student grant award shall not be prorated and
26 students shall receive the maximum award;
27 (c) Fifty percent for students with family incomes between sixty-
28 six and seventy percent of the state median family income;
29 (d) Twenty-four and one-half percent for students with family
30 incomes between seventy-one and seventy-five percent of the state
31 median family income)); and
32 (((e) Ten)) (iii) 10 percent for students with family incomes
33 between ((seventy-six)) 91 and ((one hundred)) 100 percent of the
34 state median family income.
35 NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 28B.92
36 RCW to read as follows:
37 (1) As part of the Washington college grant program, all
38 Washington college grant recipients who qualify for the maximum
39 Washington college grant, but who are not recipients of the college
p. 2 SB 5999
 1 bound scholarship program under chapter 28B.118 RCW are entitled to
2 also receive an annual bridge grant of $500.
3 (2) The office shall award bridge grants to eligible students
4 beginning with the 2024-25 academic year.
5 (3) To receive the full bridge grant for which the student
6 qualifies, the student needs to be enrolled in an institution of
7 higher education on at least a half-time basis. Students enrolled
8 less than half-time must receive a prorated bridge grant.
9 (4) The bridge grant must be applied to a student's financial aid
10 package after all other gift aid has been awarded to the student.
11 (5) As used in this section, "bridge grant" means an annual
12 stipend provided in addition to the Washington college grant to
13 provide supplementary financial support to low-income students to
14 cover higher education expenses beyond tuition and fees, such as
15 books, lab fees, supplies, technology, transportation, housing, and
16 child care.
--- END ---
p. 3 SB 5999


Statutes affected:
Original Bill: 28B.92.205