Parent advocate, Heidi Bennett, testifying in favor of expanding the College Bound Scholarship.
Thursday, March 23 (Olympia) – Long-time parent advocate Heidi Bennett spoke to the Senate Higher Education Committee in favor of expanding eligibility for the College Bound scholarship in HB 1512. “I’m also a first generation college graduate who relied on state aid to help pay my way, so I know first-hand the importance of financial help to finish a degree,” stated Ms. Bennett.
Bennett also encouraged committee members to support the provision of the bill; which would prioritize College Bound students who are at an income-level of 65-70% family median income in the State Need Grant. She did proposed the Access and Affordability position at last year’s Legislative Assembly and has been working diligently for years on higher education issues.
Bennett ended her testimony with the following statement: “Scholarship programs like College Bound are a critical component to closing the opportunity gap, helping our low-income and most vulnerable students achieve their potential and fulfilling employers’ needs.”