Tag Archives: higher education

Legislature OKs Holy bill aiming to help high-school students attend college

The Legislature has approved a bipartisan bill from 6^th District Sen. Jeff Holy that would help students decide about attending a university or college.

The Senate today voted 47-0 to concur (agree) with changes made by the House of Representatives to Senate Bill 6053, which aims to remove a barrier to higher-education opportunities by providing students with information about postsecondary educational and financial-aid possibilities. The House passed SB 6053 on an 85-11 vote last week.

“This bill will help high-school students as they try to figure out exactly where they are going to go for postsecondary education,” said Holy, the Republican leader on the Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee.

Under the proposal, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction must share directory data of high-school students with the Washington Student Achievement Council and public higher-education institutions within the state. WSAC and public higher-education institutions may use that directory information to contact students to inform them about financial-aid opportunities and higher-education opportunities.

“The benefit to the student is that WSAC will help them determine exactly what financial aid is available, and then the colleges will let them know whether they qualify to attend,” said Holy, R-Cheney.

The proposal would require WSAC to enter into data-sharing agreements with the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction so high-school students have access to information about postsecondary educational and financial-aid opportunities available in Washington.

“Attending a college or university typically is very expensive. Many students need financial aid to pay for their higher education but aren’t aware what kinds of financial aid are available,” said Holy, R-Cheney. “This bill would help students by making it easier for the Washington Student Achievement Council to provide financial aid information to them.”

SB 6053 now moves to Gov. Jay Inslee for final consideration.

Senate panel to hold work session on future of UW, WSU athletic programs

The Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee will hold a work session Wednesday on the future of the University of Washington and Washington State University athletic programs as a result of the changes from this past year’s Pac-12 Conference realignment.

Sen. Jeff Holy, R-Cheney and the Republican leader on the panel, said committee staff will give a presentation that covers the timeline of the Pac-12 Conference, litigation pertaining to the conference and a very high-level look at the UW and WSU athletic budgets.

The committee will then be joined by representatives from the UW and WSU athletic departments. Those officials have been told to be prepared to discuss the future of their athletic programs, Holy noted.

The work session will take place at the start of the committee meeting, which begins at 8 a.m. on Wednesday in Senate Hearing Room 2 of the John A. Cherberg Building.

Senate passes Holy bill aimed at helping high-school students attend college

A bipartisan bill from 6^th District Sen. Jeff Holy that would help students decide about attending a university or college is moving through the Legislature.

The Senate yesterday voted 48-1 to pass Senate Bill 6053, which aims to remove a barrier to higher-education opportunities by providing students with information about postsecondary educational and financial-aid possibilities.

“This is a really good bill,” said Holy, the Republican leader on the Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee. “We’re moving forward on the idea that high-school students need to figure out exactly where they’re going to go for postsecondary education. Under this proposal, OSPI must share directory data of high school students with WSAC and higher education institutions within the state. WSAC and the higher ed institutions may only use that directory information to contact students to inform them about financial aid opportunities and higher ed opportunities. The benefit to the student is that WSAC will help them determine exactly what financial aid is available, and then the colleges will let them know which schools they qualify to attend.”

The proposal would require the WSAC to enter into data-sharing agreements with the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction so high-school students have access to information about postsecondary educational and financial-aid opportunities available in Washington.

SB 6053 now moves to the House of Representatives for consideration.

Senate committee passes Holy bill to address nurse shortage

A bipartisan bill sponsored by 6^th District Sen. Jeff Holy that would help address Washington’s nursing shortage was approved today by the Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee.

Senate Bill 5582 aims to increase the number of nurses in the state by reducing barriers and expanding educational opportunities in that field.

“As is the case in many other states, Washington has a serious nursing shortage,” said Holy, the ranking Republican on the Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee. “The state Employment Security Department recently reported nursing is the occupation most in demand by employers in our state. The nurse shortage is a problem not only for hospitals but also nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. This bill is a good way to encourage more people to go into nursing.”

SB 5582 would give the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges until December 2024 to develop a plan to train more nurses. The plan must prioritize expanding or creating programs that increase capacity to train nurses at the Bachelor of Nursing level, expand training opportunities for rural and underserved students, and are in partnership with public four-year universities. The bill also would direct the SBCTC to develop an online curriculum to earn a licensed practical nurse (LPN) credential.

Holy’s proposal also would create a pilot project that brings high-school students in training to become certified nursing assistants together with understaffed rural hospitals, to help address workforce shortages while promoting nursing careers in rural hospitals.

“The nursing shortage is especially being felt in rural communities in our state,” said Holy, R-Cheney. “The lack of nurses in rural hospitals is forcing patients to drive long distances to see a nurse and receive treatment. If this bill becomes law, it can help ensure there will be enough nurses in rural hospitals.”

SB 5582 now goes to the Senate Ways and Means Committee for further consideration.