Making the case to save the Opportunity Grant program

The Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development Committee heard testimony on the proposed substitute for SB 6592 sponsored by Sen. Andy Hill, R-Redmond.

The bill repeals obsolete scholarship programs, as well as the Foster Care Endowed Scholarship program, and the Opportunity Grant program, among others. It directs State Need Grant to be awarded to students prioritized by emancipated foster care, family income, place-bound, or previously Opportunity Grant eligible. Wrap-around student services would no longer be provided to Opportunity Grant students.

Scott Copeland, SBCTC policy associate for student services, and a number of students and staff testified Wednesday before the Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development Committee in opposition to the bill.

Copeland explained how the Opportunity Grant Program goes well beyond financial assistance, providing essential support services such as mentoring, advising, counseling, tutoring, and college success workshops or classes.

The goal of the program is to help low-income students reach the educational tipping point of 45 credits and a credential, which increases their chance of earning a family wage. A best practice of many Opportunity Grant programs is a single-point-of-entry contact who coordinates students’ financial and overall support services from entry to exit.

The additional wrap-around services are the difference that helps Opportunity Grant students achieve retention and completion rates of 80 percent and above.

More than 5,000 students may not have the opportunity to seek educational opportunities. The state would also lose a federal match of about $5 million funding from the USDA’s Basic Food, Employment and Training (BFET) program which uses Opportunity Grants to leverage funds for I-BEST students.

Jennifer Gillies, Grays Harbor College, Opportunity Grant coordinator, explained how she has worked with about 320 students, providing “intrusive advising” and acting as an advocate.

Gillies described the success of the the program reaching a demographic that has never been encouraged to enter and succeed in higher education. At the college’s 2010-11 student awards ceremony, five were Opportunity Grant students. As were three of the President’s Top 10 list, the Student of the Year award recipient for 2011.

She read a letter from her college’s Trustees Asssociation (TACTC) Transforming Lives award nominee, Jamis Roose, Grays Harbor College student and Opportunity Grant recipient, who said he had a difficult upbringing, shuffled between foster homes, and falling through the cracks at school. “School took a distant second to survival,” he said. “Grays Harbor staff members worked with me every step of the way. With their encouragement and guidance, they helped me keep the spark alive.”

Marcie Duverney, Clover Park Tech College student and mother of four, is a work-study student for the Opportunity Grants and BFET coordinator, as well as a recipient of both programs.

“It’s not just a grant. It’s the opportunity to connect to resources,” she said, describing her work in the office. “These students are from all walks of life.”

Sharon Freeman, Clover Park Technical College Opportunity Grant and BFET coordinator, has been with the program since it began and has seen it grow. “We serve students from ages 17 to 71, “she said. “The 71-year-old just completed her LPN and is working at Multicare.”

“One of the things I do well is leverage funds,” Freeman said. “From the Worker Retraining program, Bureau of Indian Affairs, financial aid, and more.”

Other Opportunity Grant students who were recognized by TACTC for Transforming Lives awards spoke: JungHee Cho, Pierce College Puyallup, and James McBride, Lower Columbia College

McBride, a US army veteran and single father of two, said, "Tthe Opportunity Grant is much more than the services or funding. We learned about resumes and cover letters, preparing for interviews."

Also testifying to save the Opportunity Grant program were:

Sonja Hallum, Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board policy analyst/legislative liaison; Chris Kopecke, North Seattle Community College student; John Bowers, North Seattle Community College director of workforce education; and Tony Lee, Solid Ground.

Rachelle Sharpe, HECB student financial assistance director, spoke on behalf of the bill in its entirety and said that while she supports the bill’s overall intent, it creates inefficiencies in the State Need Grant program by creating set-asides.

Watch the hearing on TVW.

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Student Achievement Council

The House Higher Education Committee heard testimony on E2SSB 6232 regarding higher education coordination, which would create the Student Achievement Council (Council).

The Council will connect the work of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI), the State Board of Education, the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC), the Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board (WTECB), and the four-year institutions of higher education, as well as the independent schools and colleges.

The proposed Council would be composed of nine voting members who include:

• four citizen members, appointed by the Governor with the consent of the Senate;
• one representative from the four-year institutions, selected by the institutions' presidents;
• one representative from the SBCTC, selected by the SBCTC;
• one representative of an independent, nonprofit institution, appointed by an association of independent nonprofit colleges and universities;
• the SPI, or SPI's designee; and
• one student, appointed by the Governor with the consent of the Senate.

Deb Merle, SBCTC deputy executive director of government relations, testified in favor of the reworked bill, stating there is a need for a council to oversee training, baccalaureate, and degree attainment. She cautioned the committee to consider the amount of it will take to get it launched, citing its many requirements on a very short timeline.

Also testifying were Leslie Goldstein, executive policy advisor of the Governor’s Executive Policy Office; Don Bennett, HECB executive director; Steve Lindstrom, Northwest Career Colleges Federation; Sonja Hallum, Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board policy analyst/legislative liaison; Paul Francis, Council of Presidents, and Ann Anderson, Central Washington University director of government relations on behalf of the Council of Presidents.

The bill is scheduled for executive session in the House Higher Education Committee on Monday at 1:30 p.m.

Watch the hearing on TVW.

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Helping students interrupted by military service to complete

Scott Copeland, SBCTC policy associate for student services, testified Wednesday before the Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development Committee in favor of HB 1221 sponsored by Rep. Fred Finn, D-Belfair, regarding the rights of certain higher education students involved in military service.

The bill permits a member of the Washington National Guard or any other military reserve component who is a student at an institution of higher education and who is ordered for a period of 30 days or less to either active or inactive state or federal service and who, misses course requirements to make up the course requirements without prejudice to the final course grade or evaluation.

Watch the hearing on TVW.

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State need grant for students enrolled less than half-time

Scott Copeland, SBCTC policy associate for student services, testified Wednesday before the Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development Committee in favor of SHB 1650 sponsored by Rep. Bob Hasegawa, D-Seattle.

The bill would change State Need Grant rules, making students attending less-than-half-time eligible. This policy provision sunsetted in June, but is currently in effect as part of the budget bill.

Copeland said about 85 percent of students who drop back to less than half-time status are in the community and technical college sector. Students usually drop back to five credits or less on a temporary basis (one or two quarters) for family or employment reasons.

Watch the hearing on TVW.

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Next week in Legislative News

You will find hearings being tracked for next week in the hearing schedule. Here are a few bills we expect to highlight in the February 24 edition:

Monday, February 20, 2012

1:30 p.m., House Higher Education Committee
Hearing Room C, John O’Brien Bldg.
Executive session:

• SSB 5217 – (Shin) Allowing appointment of student members on the boards of trustees of community colleges.
• SSB 5982 – (Kastama) Creating the joint center for aerospace technology innovation.
• SSB 6121 – (Frockt) Requiring the office of student financial assistance to provide a financial aid counseling curriculum for institutions of higher education.
• E2SSB 6232 – (Kilmer) Regarding higher education coordination.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

10 a.m., Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development
Hearing Room 3, John Cherberg Bldg.
Public Hearing:

• SHB 2259 – (Zeiger) Eliminating certain duplicative higher education reporting requirements
• SHB 2313 - (Zeiger) Concerning the meeting procedures of the boards of trustees and boards of regents of institutions of higher education. (Brown)
• SHB 2352 - (Reykdal) Concerning institutions of higher education services and activities fees.
• SHB 2483 - (Seaquist) Increasing educational attainment.
• 3SHB 2585 - (Springer) Creating efficiencies for institutions of higher education.
• 2SHB 2717 - (Seaquist) Creating innovations in higher education.

1:30 p.m., House Education Committee
Hearing Room C, John O’Brien Bldg.
Work Session:

1. Running Start Brief Program Update.
2. Research Study: Running Start Student Demographics.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

1:30 p.m., Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development
Hearing Room 3, John Cherberg Bldg.
Public Hearing:

• SHB 2503 – (Hansen) Requiring institutions of higher education that offer an early course registration period to provide early registration for eligible veterans and National Guard members.

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