OLYMPIA — The state House Thursday gave a unanimous thumbs-up to Rep. Carol Gregory’s bill that would make it easier for children of military personnel who are killed, go missing, or become disabled, to attend college in Washington. Gregory’s HB 1644 revamps current state law to align with a related federal statute, allowing students up to 31 years old to take advantage of a state tuition waiver while receiving a monthly stipend from the federal government.
“These are young people whose lives have been upended, and often changed forever, by the fate of a parent who put their life on the line to protect us,” said Gregory (D-30th district, Federal Way). “This bill is a small but important way for us, as a state, to say ‘thank you’ for their parent’s sacrifice, and for their own.”
Current state law provides tuition waivers for qualifying students between the ages of 18 and 26. Federal law provides a living stipend to these students while they are attending college, but for a wider age range – 17 to 31. The state’s narrower age rules can make continuing in higher education difficult if not impossible for many students. Without the tuition waiver, they leave school, and by doing so lose their eligibility for the federal stipend of $1100 a month. HB 1644 bumps up the state’s maximum age from 26 to 31.
After Thursday’s unanimous vote, Gregory says she’s hoping for a similar endorsement by the Senate and a quick signature by Gov. Jay Inslee.