OLYMPIA – High school seniors looking to bolster their application packages at state universities, or just interested in cutting down on the cost of their first year’s tuition, have a new advocate in Olympia.
Freshman legislator, Rep. Kristine Lytton (D – Anacortes ), wants to create what she calls the Launch Year program, allowing students to earn a year’s worth of higher ed credits while still in high school. Her proposal would also direct community and technical colleges and four-year institutions to coordinate and publish qualifying class lists and credits towards a degree.
“My hope is to open the door to higher education – whether that’s a vocational trade or a four-year university – to kids who want to pursue it but might not have the means to get there,” said Rep. Lytton, a former Anacortes school board member. “In these tough economic times, when students need all the training they can get to compete for scarce jobs, this is a smart way we can help them without adding to the state’s budget problems.”
The proposal, requested by Governor Gregoire as part of her education package, will have a public hearing in the House Higher Education committee on February 10. She hopes current high school students will make their voice heard at the capital that day, letting legislators know that, with tuition likely to increase this year, they need any opportunity they can get to gain access to, and pay for higher education.
“We’ve learned that, while many high school seniors are already taking advanced courses and earning college credits, many students are taking less than a full load of classes. I don’t want to see any student waste the opportunity to advance, simply because they get discouraged or overwhelmed by the application process, or by a school’s confusing system of earning credits towards a degree.”
Click here for more information on HB 1808
###