SB 5275 Washington Senate · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Modifying funding and award levels for the passport to careers program and eligibility for the Washington college grant.

SB 5275 modifies how funds for two student aid programs are managed. It requires the Passport to Careers program (for job-training scholarships) and the Washington College Grant to be funded through a dedicated state financial aid account, ensuring these funds remain available year-to-year without expiring. The bill clarifies that money for these programs must be deposited into this account and can only be used for their intended purposes, with no changes to the actual grant amounts or eligibility rules. This policy change ensures consistent funding for students seeking career training or college education through these specific programs.

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 12, 2026 Last action Jan 12, 2026

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What changed between versions

Bill → Substitute Bill · 6 edits

MODERATE

This bill was renumbered and its title was simplified to focus solely on funding the Passport to Careers program, removing previous language about automatically qualifying students for the Washington College Grant. The substantive changes include updating the program's start date to the 2025-26 academic year, clarifying that the scholarship amount is capped at $5,000 annually, and establishing that recipients cannot use both the college and apprenticeship programs at the same time.

Scope change

The bill's scope was narrowed from modifying both the Passport to Careers and Washington College Grant programs to exclusively modifying the Passport to Careers program and its funding.

TITLE

The bill title was changed to remove references to the Washington College Grant, reflecting a shift in focus.

TIMELINE

The start date for Passport to Careers funding was updated to the 2025-26 academic year.

FISCAL

The annual scholarship amount for the Passport to College Promise program is explicitly set at $5,000, subject to a cap based on the student's financial need.

REQUIREMENT

A new restriction was added stating that students cannot receive awards from both the Passport to College Promise and Passport to Apprenticeship Opportunities programs concurrently.

ELIGIBILITY

Language linking Passport to Careers eligibility to automatic qualification for the Washington College Grant was removed.

SCOPE

The act to be enacted was shortened to only mention modifying funding for the Passport to Careers program, removing references to amending other RCW sections related to the Washington College Grant.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Jan 12, 2026

Introduced

By resolution, reintroduced and retained in present status.

upper

Feb 11, 2025

Committee

Referred to Ways & Means.

upper

Feb 10, 2025

Committee

And refer to Ways & Means.

upper

Feb 10, 2025

Upper · Passed

Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Higher Education & Workforce Development at 10:30 AM.

upper

Jan 23, 2025

Upper · Passed

Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Higher Education & Workforce Development at 1:30 PM.

upper

1 primary · 6 co-sponsors