Bill would put FAFSA/WASFA status into students' high‑school plans; agency warns implementation lacks funding
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Summary
WASAC staff told the advisory board that Senate Bill 5841 would require FAFSA/WASFA completion indicators in high‑school-and‑beyond plans and that portal changes and data‑sharing with OSPI are needed. A WASAC fiscal note of a little over $100,000 for FY27 was not funded; staff plan to seek funding next year.
Joel Anderson, associate director of legislative and external affairs at the Washington Student Achievement Council (WASAC), briefed the advisory board on legislation passed this session that affects campaign implementation.
"We did see Senate Bill 5841 from Senator Behnke passing the House toward the end of this session, and it's currently awaiting Governor Ferguson's signature," Anderson said. He described the bill as requiring that WASAC financial‑aid completion data be imported into students' high‑school‑and‑beyond plans so students and advisors can see whether FAFSA or WASFA has been filed.
Anderson said implementing the bill will require two technical changes: updating WASAC's FAFSA portal to include WASFA completion data and establishing data‑sharing pathways between WASAC and OSPI so the completion indicator can be populated into the high‑school planning tool.
On costs, Anderson said WASAC submitted a fiscal note of a little over $100,000 for fiscal year 2027 to cover implementation work, but that funding was not included in the legislature's 2026 supplemental operating budget. "As of right now, we will likely submit a decision package next year for the 2027 supplemental budget to try and recoup those costs," he said.
Board members pressed for clarity about the relationship between district DSAs (data‑sharing agreements) and the bill's implementation; Anderson and other staff said those flow and access questions will be determined during implementation planning.
If the governor signs the bill, WASAC staff said they will return to the advisory board with implementation plans and timelines once funding and technical details are clearer.