OLYMPIA – House committees have passed two bills from Rep. Derek Stanford (D – Bothell) that would make college more affordable for veterans and active duty servicemen and women.
“Too often our veterans face a tough battle after they return home,” Stanford said. “By making a college education more affordable and more available for the men and women who serve our country, we can do our part in serving them and helping them build a future for themselves and their families.”
House Bill 1887, which was passed out of the House Community Development and Housing & Tribal Affairs Committee today, would establish the Washington Student Veterans Program (WSVP) under the authority of the state Department of Veterans’ Affairs. The WSVP would provide grants to public colleges and universities to help them achieve certification as Veteran Supportive Campuses. Last summer, this certification went through an overhaul and the requirements were significantly increased. The grants can be used to provide student services, academic advising, or other purposes that fulfill the college’s mission to support veterans.
House Bill 1706, which was passed out of the House Higher Education Committee on Friday, would allow universities, community and technical colleges to waive building fees and activity fees for military service members receiving tuition assistance from the U.S. Department of Defense Tuition Assistance Program. This program provides tuition assistance for service members to pursue a secondary education, but due to a recent change at the federal level, the program no longer covers certain fees. These fees, like the building fees to use a university’s gym, library or computer lab, can be a significant financial setback for service members. Stanford’s bill would allow higher education institutions to waive these fees.
“This is about making sure our service members don’t fall through the cracks,” Stanford said. “We can give more flexibility to our colleges and universities to pick up the slack where the federal program falls short.”