The authority for this chapter is chapter 28B.80 RCW which authorizes the higher education coordinating board to adopt rules relating to the administration of programs assigned to the board, and chapter 28A.625 RCW, which assigns to the board the administration of the academic grants awarded through the Washington award for excellence in education (Christa McAuliffe) academic grant award program. The 1991 legislation corrected inequities inherent in the related preceding tuition waiver program by creating an academic cash grant in lieu of a tuition and fee waiver. Not all institutions awarded the waiver; thus, some recipients received a benefit while others did not. Legislation enacted in 1994 created the recognition award to replace all other award options available under this program for recipients of the Washington award for excellence in education named by the office of the superintendent of public instruction after January 1, 1994. For academic grant recipients named by the office of the superintendent of public instruction prior to January 1, 1994, the 1994 legislation further provides for the conversion of the academic grant benefit to the recognition award, at the discretion of the recipient and contingent upon funds availability. These regulations are intended not only to implement the new legislative changes but also to provide continued benefits to those previously granted the award.