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Committee considers expanding college‑bound scholarship to high school equivalency recipients
Summary
Senate Bill 5,543 would allow students who hold a high school equivalency certificate to qualify for the College Bound Scholarship. Sponsors said the change reduces barriers for those who earned equivalency credentials; state board witnesses said the change aligns with scholarship intent and fiscal impacts have been adjusted.
Senate Bill 5,543 would expand eligibility for Washington’s College Bound Scholarship to students who have earned a high school equivalency certificate so they can qualify equivalently to students who graduated high school with required GPAs.
Saranda Ross, counsel to the committee, explained the scholarship’s current eligibility rules and that the bill would let students with an equivalency certificate qualify for the award. The scholarship pays tuition and fees minus other state grants, provides $500 for books and materials, and has residency and income thresholds as part of existing law.
Senator Matt Boehnke, sponsor, framed the bill as a “binky bill” — a small but meaningful change — and argued it reduces barriers for people who earned a GED or equivalent later in life. “We should give another opportunity…to say, hey, you have a right to get your GED and still have an opportunity for success,” Boehnke said.
Troy Geraci of the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges testified in support and said the board supports placing equivalency holders on equal status with other scholarship recipients. He added that the original fiscal note had been adjusted and that the previously estimated $40,000 impact had been zeroed out.
Testimony emphasized equity for residents who obtain equivalency credentials and the intent to connect more Washington residents to postsecondary pathways and the workforce. The committee paused the hearing; no committee vote occurred during the session.
Witnesses from community colleges and system leadership described implementation details and the board’s support for parity among credential paths.
