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Senate hears bill to establish Washington Guaranteed Admissions Program to notify qualifying high school students
Summary
Senate Bill 5308 (WAGAP) would require participating public four‑year campuses and tribal institutions to notify qualifying high school students of guaranteed admission criteria and establish data‑sharing to simplify notification; higher‑education leaders and school data cooperative supported the bill with implementation questions from OSPI.
Senate Bill 5308, the Washington Guaranteed Admissions Program (WAGAP), was presented to the Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development Committee for a public hearing. The bill would establish a guaranteed‑admissions program requiring participating regional universities, Evergreen State College, at least one campus of each state university and tribal institutions to participate beginning in academic year 2026–27, with an opt‑out provision if an institution documents how it is expanding access.
Senate staff explained WAGAP also requires the Council of Presidents to determine eligibility criteria and report to the Legislature, and it directs the Washington Student Achievement Council to collaborate with OSPI and other stakeholders to create a student notice on WAGAP and related programs (for distribution beginning in November of the upcoming school year). The Washington School Information Processing Cooperative (WSIPC) would enter into a data‑sharing agreement to collect and transmit data for grade 11–12 students who meet the program criteria; parents may opt out of notices.
The nut graf: Supporters said guaranteed‑admissions letters are an evidence‑based way to raise enrollment for students who qualify but may not apply; Idaho’s program (since 2015) was cited as peer evidence. The Council of Presidents and faculty representatives said making the program statewide and using WSIPC to streamline data transfer would expand participation and relieve burdens on school districts. WSIPC said pilots of digital transcript file sharing are underway and compatible with implementation.
Proponents included the Council of Presidents (Melissa Beard), faculty representatives (University of Washington faculty legislative representative Jake Vigdor), local advocates and school officials. Dan Glowitz (individual, Mercer Island) testified that simplifying the admissions process reduces anxiety and levels the playing field for families without private counseling resources. The WSIPC executive director Dana Anderson said the cooperative already serves 700,000 students and is piloting digital transcript sharing funded by the Gates Foundation.
The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) testified in support of the bill’s intent but raised implementation concerns. OSPI asked the Legislature to consider aligning the bill’s new notice with existing communication channels and to leverage current data‑sharing agreements to reduce redundancy and inefficiency.
Ending: Supporters urged the committee to advance WAGAP to expand college access and reduce application barriers; OSPI requested additional implementation coordination and alignment with existing systems. A fiscal note was requested but not available at the hearing.
