Legislative News
State Board-requested bills on College Bound Scholarship, high school completion tuition waivers heard in committee
Hearings continued into their fourth week, with House and Senate higher education committees hearing State Board-requested bills on expanding eligibility for the College Bound Scholarship and waiving tuition for students in high school completion courses. In the Senate, members of the Senate High...
Learning the ropes through real-world advocacy
Last week, I had the incredible opportunity to testify in support of SB 5007, a bill aimed at addressing chronic absenteeism in schools. Chronic absenteeism is an important issue that affects students for many reasons including transportation challenges, housing instability, family responsibiliti...
Senators hear Washington College Grant expansion bill, learn about financial aid support program
Community and technical colleges were well represented in Olympia this week, sharing the success of the system's financial aid outreach pilot program and supporting bills that would expand Washington College Grant eligibility and helping high school students who are chronically absent. Presidents...
My first testimony
When I first learned the first week of session I would be testifying for SB 5115, I didn't know what to expect. That’s the bill that would provide eligible students with grants to help with college tuition and fees as they complete community or volunteer service. As a legislative intern, I knew t...
Removing barriers to college through advocacy
High school is a pivotal time for planning your future, but for so many students, the path to higher education feels unclear and overwhelming. The process of filling out applications, completing the FAFSA, and searching for scholarship opportunities can be daunting.
Tribal elder waiver bill passes committee, prelaw associate degree requirement bill heard
The Legislature wrapped up its second week with most of its work focused on hearing bills in committees. For the community and technical college system, the Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee heard testimony Monday on a bill that would require colleges east of the Cascade...
Legislature convenes 2025 session facing $12 billion budget shortfall
With a new governor for the first time in 12 years and a $12 billion budget deficit, lawmakers returned to Olympia Monday facing big changes and difficult decisions. Outgoing Gov. Jay Inslee reflected on his time as governor in his final State of the State speech Tuesday, and incoming Gov. Bob Fe...
Diving into my first week of session
Hi everyone, my name is Isabella Flores, and I’m thrilled to be one of this year’s student legislative interns!
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