PORT ANGELES — Washington is one of the most generous states in the country when it comes to providing financial support to those who want to pursue their educations past high school.
A new state law set to go into effect Wednesday will extend that support by making higher education even more accessible to students from low-income households.
“The whole goal here is to get more people into education training that works for them, works for the state’s economy, works for employers,” said Michael Meotti, executive director of the Washington Achievement Council, the state agency which oversees higher education.
Approved by the Legislature last spring and signed by Gov. Jay Inslee in March, House Bill 2214 enables students in 10th through 12th grades whose families receive state or federal food program benefits to automatically qualify for the Washington College Grant, the state’s largest financial aid program.
Under the new law, eligible students also can bypass filing a Federal Application for Federal Student Aid form, the application that must be completed for students to be considered for federal student aid and which often is a barrier to applying.
The WA Grant can be used for many different kinds of post-high school education: two- and four-year degrees from colleges and universities, apprenticeships, and job training and certificate programs.
It also is available to students who don’t qualify for federal aid, such as those who are undocumented. Unlike a student loan, the WA Grant does not need to be paid back.
Students in the Port Angeles School District are introduced to pathways for higher learning in the eighth grade, but holding their interest over the next four years can sometimes be a challenge, Superintendent Marty Brewer said.
The new law could have a significant impact on students in the district, 67 percent of whom receive free or reduced lunches, he said.
“This is great for those students and families that will qualify,” he said.
Developing a message about how options for post-secondary education have increased will be critical moving forward, Brewer said.
“There’s a narrative in our state and community questioning the value in getting the post-secondary four-year degree,” Brewer said. “We’re seeing a lot of students go down the trade avenue, which you didn’t always see in the old system.”
It’s also important to recognize the many challenges families who relied on assistance like Basic Food and WIC as well, he said.
“The families that are on free and reduced lunches are often working paycheck to paycheck and aren’t necessarily paying attention to a post-secondary education for their children,” Brewer said. “Concerns that are six years out, eight years out, 10 years out, may not be their priority.”
Meotti said engaging with students about their interests and linking those with career goals is key.
“This is about earlier awareness, because our belief is that we have a significant number of students — and parents — who seem to give up around the ninth and 10th grade,” Meotti said.
Recent high school graduates are not the only ones who can apply for a WA Grant. Adults and displaced workers also are eligible.
The expansion of the law could have a significant impact on the Port Angeles School District, Brewer said.
In 2022-2023, Washington was ranked No. 1 among the 50 states by providing $2,263 in need-based aid per year per undergraduate student. Almost 20 percent of the state’s higher education budget is dedicated to grants — eighth-highest in the country
And yet, too many students don’t take advantage of the support for which they qualify. According to the Washington Education Research & Data Center, fewer than half of recent of high school students in the state enrolled in post-secondary education within a year of graduation.
Meotti said families shouldn’t assume they earn too much money to be eligible for state aid. Students in a four-person household making less than $5,100 a month, for example, can qualify for a State Need Grant.
Information about the Washington Student Achievement Council, WA Grant and other programs can be found at wsac.wa.gov. Questions about school-based financial aid resources can be directed to a middle or high school guidance counselor.
________
Reporter Paula Hunt can be reached by email at paula.hunt@peninsuladailynews.com.
