In a definitive move to safeguard the interests of students across the borders of physical campuses, Washington Governor Bob Ferguson has signed a new bill into law. As reported by House Democrats of Washington, this legislation mandates that online colleges and universities wanting to enroll students from Washington must comply with the same student consumer protections as the state's own post-secondary institutions.
It appears that previously, out-of-state virtual schools often considered Washington law did not to quite apply to them. This left numerous Washington residents vulnerable and without a line of defense against possible misinformation concerning academic programs, accreditation, job placements, and financial expectations. The newly signed House Bill 1279, championed by Rep. Gerry Pollet, seeks to correct this oversight. "Online universities, including many for-profits, who advertise and recruit heavily to entice Washington residents to enroll have sought to avoid any accountability to comply with Washington State's strong student consumer protections," Pollet told House Democrats of Washington.
The enactment of Bill 1279 brings with it implications that resonate beyond state lines. It propels forward the idea of equalizing the playing field for online educational institutions and their on-the-ground counterparts, fostering interstate cooperation in higher education with a more uniform set of rules.
Drawn from the US Department of Education findings early last year, some interstate agreements could possibly prevent states with stringent student consumer laws from investigating complaints against out-of-state online institutions. This law aims to rectify that imbalance, effectively bringing online schools under the jurisdiction of the Washington Student Achievement Council for accountability purposes. "House Bill 1279 sends a strong message that the board that oversees the interstate agreement for online higher education programs (called 'SARA') needs to be reformed to protect the students rather than shielding the for-profit and aggressive online education industry," Pollet asserted in communications with House Democrats of Washington.
In alignment with a collaborative stance taken during his term as Attorney General, Governor Ferguson has previously joined forces with other attorneys general advocating for enhanced consumer protections in the education sector. Their joint efforts highlighted investigations that uncovered substantial abuses within the for-profit college sector. With the formal approval of House Bill 1279, these new regulations are poised to come into effect three months post the conclusion of the 2025 legislative session, potentially setting a new standard for accountability in online higher education.
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