Senators heard testimony and stakeholder statements in support of Senate Bill 5164, a proposal to expand a financial‑aid completion pilot into a statewide program that places outreach specialists in every Educational Service District to help high‑school students complete FAFSA and WASFA forms and navigate postsecondary enrollment.

Senator Tawana Nobles, prime sponsor of SB 5164, said the bill would "provide students with the tools, guidance, and support needed to pursue their educational goals" by expanding a pilot that helped students fill out federal and state financial‑aid forms and by creating a training program for educators.

Kelly Gunn, committee staff, briefed the bill and said the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges would employ outreach specialists through a public or community‑based entity. Under the proposal, specialists would be staffed at a ratio of one specialist per 600 high‑school students, coordinate with school staff, and focus on schools with lower FAFSA completion rates and higher shares of students qualifying for free or reduced‑price lunch. The bill requires annual reports beginning January 15, 2026, and an ERDC evaluation by December 1, 2027.

Witnesses from Olympic College, the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, the Foundation for Tacoma Students and multiple nonprofits described the pilot’s benefits. Lisonbee Roeder, associate dean for K‑12 partnerships at Olympic College, said embedded specialists provided high‑touch case management, improved collaboration between higher education and K‑12, and reached students who needed multiple one‑on‑one contacts to complete applications.

Ben Mitchell of the Foundation for Tacoma Students urged the panel to expand the program so that state financial‑aid investments reach more students. Sam Harriott, government relations liaison for the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, said the pilot increased completion rates in its first full year, and that specialists have become trusted messengers for students and families.

Several organizations — Washington STEM, Washington School Counselor Association, United Faculty of Washington State, Bellevue College and others — spoke in support. Washington School Counselor Association cautioned the committee that counselors already face high caseloads (the association cited a statewide average counselor‑to‑student ratio of 373:1) and said any expansion should ensure adequate funding for school‑based counselor positions so specialists augment counseling rather than replace it.

Senators asked about measurable outcomes. Presenters said the pilot showed strong increases in filing and outreach but that full longitudinal tracking of persistence and completion will require improved data sharing and the expanded DSA and ERDC reporting called for in the bill. Committee members also discussed apprenticeship pathways and whether the bill’s language should explicitly include them; building‑trades witnesses asked the committee to ensure apprenticeships are treated as a recognized postsecondary pathway.

A fiscal note was requested but not available at the hearing. Supporters asked the Legislature to fund program expansion, training, and the data infrastructure needed to measure outcomes. The committee did not take a vote at the hearing.