(1) "Academic year" means the regular nine-month, three-quarter, or two-semester period annually occurring between July 1st and June 30th.

(2) "Approved education program" means an education program in the state of Washington that focuses on knowledge and skills generally learned in preschool through twelfth grade. Approved education programs may include, but are not limited to:

(a) K-12 schools under Title 28A RCW; or

(b) Other educational sites in the state of Washington primarily supported with state or federal funding, as determined by the board.

(3) "Board" means the higher education coordinating board.

(4) "Classroom teaching service" means employment, as a classroom teacher holding a residency or professional certificate, in an approved education program on at least a half-time basis. This also includes comparable employment as a substitute teacher or in part-time teaching positions.

(5) "Conditional scholarship" means a loan made by the board that is forgiven in whole or in part if the participant renders service as a certificated classroom teacher in an approved education program in the state of Washington.

(6) "Continuous enrollment" means the period of time a participant is enrolled without stopping, except for the equivalent of one term per academic year, such as a summer term.

(7) "Continuous teaching service" means certificated classroom teaching service for at least the equivalent of forty full-time days in an academic year.

(8) "Educational plan" means a plan or schedule approved by the board that designates how many credits participants will complete each term to qualify for loan forgiveness or loan repayment benefits. The plan will include an anticipated completion date.

(9) "Eligible student" means a student:

(a) Registered at least half-time;

(b) Demonstrating high academic achievement;

(c) Who is a resident student as defined by RCW 28B.15.012 and 28B.15.013;

(d) With a declared intention to complete an approved preparation program that leads to residency teacher certification or is required for earning an additional endorsement; and

(e) Committed to certificated classroom teaching service in the state of Washington.

(10) "Eligible institution" means an institution with an approved "institutional agreement to participate in the Washington state-funded student financial aid programs" on file with the board. The institution must have a policy relating to the continuance of aid for students who enroll in, but do not complete, the number of credit or clock hours required to maintain satisfactory progress toward completion of his or her degree or program objective.

(11) "Equalization fee" means an additional amount charged to a conditional scholarship participant who fails to complete the required certificated classroom teaching service. This fee is added to make the cost of the program similar to the cost incurred by participants borrowing from the primary federal student loan program for undergraduate students.

(12) "Forgiven" or "to forgive" or "forgiveness" means to render service as a certificated classroom teacher in an approved education program in the state of Washington in lieu of monetary repayment.

(13) "Full-time student" or "full-time enrollment" means the minimum credits per term required by an institution for full-time enrollment status, or twelve credits per term, whichever is less. Half-time enrollment shall be half that amount.

(14) "Full-time year equivalent" means the period equivalent to one full-time academic year of certificated teaching service. For the purposes of service obligation accrual and loan forgiveness, a full-time year of certificated teaching service shall be at least one hundred eighty days. Service obligations for partial year program benefits will be prorated on this standard. Loan forgiveness and loan repayment benefits for partial teaching years will also be prorated on this standard.

(15) "Institution of higher education" or "institution" means a public or private college, community college or university which:

(a) Physically delivers classroom instruction within the state of Washington and whose program of study will advance students toward residency teacher certification requirements; and

(b) Is accredited by an accrediting association recognized as such by rule of the higher education coordinating board.

(16) "Loan repayment" means a federal student loan that is repaid in whole or in part if the participant renders service as a certificated classroom teacher in an approved education program in the state of Washington. The ratio of loan repayments to years of teaching service shall be the same as established for the conditional scholarship program.

(17) "Monetary repayment of a conditional scholarship" means that portion of the conditional scholarship that is not forgiven due to certificated classroom teaching service and is instead repaid by the participant according to the terms of the promissory note.

(18) "Participant" means an eligible student who has received a conditional scholarship award or loan repayment benefit under this chapter.

(19) "Program benefits" means the awarding of funds to conditional scholarship participants or the promise to repay federal student loans for loan repayment participants.

(20) "Residency teacher certification" means the certificate issued by the office of superintendent of public instruction authorizing an individual to teach in a specified subject in the state of Washington, without conditions such as additional training, supervision by another teacher or limitation on duration. The certificate is known as a "residency certificate."

Limited certificates, such as conditional, emergency, and substitute certificates, are excluded.

(21) "Satisfy" means to pay-in-full either through the rendering of certificated classroom teaching service or monetary repayment in fulfillment of the participant's contractual obligation.

(22) "Teacher shortage area" means a shortage of elementary or secondary school teachers in a specific subject area, discipline, classification, or geographic area, as determined by the office of superintendent of public instruction.

(23) "Teaching plan" means a plan or schedule approved by the board that designates the period of time over which a participant will provide teaching service in exchange for forgiveness of a conditional scholarship or receipt of loan repayment benefits. The plan will include an anticipated date by which all teaching service will be provided.

(24) "Tuition and fees" means the representative average tuition, service fees, and activity fees as determined by the board for the public research, regional, and community colleges.