This bill amends RCW 28B.92.205 and adds a new section to chapter 28B.92 RCW to create a new, annual $500 "bridge grant" for certain Washington college grant recipients. The bill defines "bridge grant" as a supplemental payment made in addition to the Washington college grant to help low-income students pay for higher education expenses beyond tuition and fees, including books, lab fees, supplies, technology, transportation, housing, and child care. The bridge grant is limited to students who receive the Washington college grant but are not recipients of the college bound scholarship under chapter 28B.118 RCW. Awards begin in the 2025-26 academic year. Full bridge grants require enrollment at least half-time; students enrolled less than half-time receive a prorated amount. The bridge grant must be applied to a student’s financial aid package only after all other gift aid has been awarded. The bill was read for the first time in the Senate on February 7, 2025. Legally, the measure both creates a new grant program and modifies existing statutory language about Washington college grant thresholds and proration, making a programmatic and procedural change to state financial aid law. The text refers to "the office" responsible for awarding bridge grants but does not identify which office, and broader eligibility rules for the Washington college grant are referenced but not included in the extracted facts.

Low-income students who already receive the Washington college grant but are not college bound scholarship recipients would start getting an extra $500 a year beginning in the 2025–26 academic year to help pay for books, supplies, technology, transportation, housing, and child care. The full $500 requires at least half-time enrollment and is prorated for lower enrollments; the bridge grant is added after all other gift aid, so affected students will likely see reduced out-of-pocket costs and possibly less need to borrow or work as much to cover non-tuition expenses. The agency responsible for awarding the bridge grants (not named in the provided text) will need to add the grant into its payment and eligibility processes and budget for the new payments, creating new administrative tasks and a recurring fiscal obligation for the state. It is unclear from the extracted facts which office will administer the grants, how many students will qualify, or how the program will be funded in total, and broader Washington college grant eligibility rules referenced are not included here.