This bill amends existing law by changing parts of RCW 28B.92.030 and reenacting and amending RCW 28B.118.010. It raises the formula-based maximum Washington college grant and Washington college bound scholarship for students attending private four-year not-for-profit institutions in Washington from the previously referenced 50 percent to 90 percent of a referenced average of awards at public regional universities and the state college, effective for the college grant in 2026-27 and for the college bound scholarship in 2027-28. The bill also establishes base maximum grant amounts for the 2019-20 academic year for multiple institution categories (for example, private four-year not-for-profit $9,739; private two-year not-for-profit $3,694; private four-year for-profit $8,517; private two-year for-profit $2,823; Western Governors University–Washington $5,619) and ties annual increases to a defined “tuition growth factor.” It amends award amounts for apprenticeship programs and sets a specific $4,650 scholarship amount for Western Governors University–Washington beginning in 2027-28. The bill makes procedural and eligibility changes to the Washington college bound scholarship program: the Office of Student Financial Assistance must design the scholarship to align with the Washington college grant program, a student’s right to receive the scholarship vests upon enrollment under the rules in effect at that time, and eligible students are to be automatically enrolled by the office with required notifications to students, parents/guardians, schools, and child welfare agencies. It adds or clarifies eligibility rules including an academic requirement (students first enrolling in postsecondary education beginning in 2023-24 must graduate high school with at least a “C” average for direct admission consideration), a family income cap of 65 percent of state median family income at graduation, residency requirements per RCW 28B.15.012, prohibition on felony convictions for eligibility, and a special affidavit requirement for certain resident students about intent to apply for permanent residency. For awards to students at public twoand four-year institutions, the bill specifies the award equals tuition and required fees less state-funded grant/scholarship/waiver assistance plus $500 for books and materials. Several provisions are time-limited, with different rules applicable through 2025-26 and changes beginning in 2026-27 and 2027-28. The bill also addresses program administration: institutions must award students all needand merit-based aid for which they qualify, the college bound scholarship is intended to replace unmet need, loans, and optionally work-study before reducing other grants, and recipients have a property right in awards while the state retains legal ownership of “tuition units,” which must be held separately from other tuition units under chapter 28B.95 RCW. Scholarship tuition units must be used within six years or revert to the Washington college bound scholarship account; unused portions revert if a recipient terminates enrollment during an academic year. Eligible students must enroll no later than the fall term one academic year after high school graduation, and college bound scholarship eligibility may not extend beyond six years or 150 percent of program length. Some text and provisions are missing from the extracted material (the source ends mid-sentence in one subsection and does not include full rules, definitions, redemption mechanics for tuition units, or other referenced administrative rules), so the summary reflects only the changes and details explicitly shown in the extracted facts.

If enacted, more Washington students attending private four‑year nonprofit colleges would likely receive much larger state grants starting in 2026-27 because the maximum award for those schools is raised to 90 percent of the average grant at the public regional universities and the state college; the Washington College Bound Scholarship for students at those private four‑year schools follows the same 90 percent rule beginning 2027-28. The bill also sets 2019-20 base award levels and ties future increases to a defined tuition growth factor, fixes a $4,650 scholarship amount for Western Governors University–Washington in 2027-28, and keeps limits on how long awards can be used, when students must enroll, and income, residency, GPA, and criminal history conditions that determine who qualifies. The Office of Student Financial Assistance will have new operational duties to automatically enroll eligible students, notify families, and coordinate data with schools and the Department of Children, Youth, and Families, while colleges must package other need‑ and merit‑based aid according to the new ordering rules (the scholarship is intended to replace unmet need, loans, and optional work‑study before reducing other grants). These changes likely increase state spending for aid to private nonprofit undergraduates and shift administrative and compliance work onto the financial aid offices of the state and institutions; exact budgetary impacts and some implementation details are not provided in the extracted text.