(1) "Institution of higher education" or "institution" shall mean:

(a) Any public university, college, community college, or technical college operated by the state of Washington or any political subdivision thereof; or any other university, college, school, or institute in the state of Washington offering instruction beyond the high school level which is a member institution of the northwest association of schools and colleges; and providing such institution agrees to participate in the program in accordance with all applicable rules and regulations. Any institution, branch, extension, or facility operating within the state of Washington which is affiliated with an institution operating in another state must be a separately accredited member institution of the northwest association of schools and colleges or another regional accrediting association.

(b) Any other university, college, school, or institute located in another state offering instruction beyond the high school level which is a member institution of a regional accrediting association or otherwise approved by the board in accordance with WAC 250-78-050 (6)(a) or (b); or

(c) Any other university, college, school, or institute located in another country outside of the United States of America offering instruction beyond the high school level which in the judgment of the board meets academic standards comparable to those established by a regional accrediting association.

(2) "Academic grant" shall mean the monetary award which shall be used to take courses at an institution of higher education. The academic grant shall be used to pay for actual costs incurred for tuition and fees only, up to the maximum value of the award as defined in WAC 250-78-050. The academic grant award option is available only to individuals named by the office of the superintendent of public instruction as recipients of the Washington award for excellence in education prior to January 1, 1994.

(3) "Board" means the higher education coordinating board. When a duty or responsibility of the board is referenced in these regulations, the authority needed to discharge that responsibility lies with the executive director or his or her designee.

(4) "Recipient" means an individual who has been designated to receive the Washington award for excellence in education by the superintendent of public instruction prior to January 1, 1994 and who has elected to receive his or her award in the form of the academic grant, or an individual or school board designated by the office of the superintendent of public instruction after January 1, 1994 to receive the recognition award.

(5) "Academic year" shall mean two semesters or three quarters of full-time graduate coursework.

(6) "Stipend" shall mean an amount not to exceed one thousand dollars, payable only to cover costs incurred in taking courses for which a tuition and fee waiver was authorized under preexisting law (RCW 28A.625.020 (3)(a)). Award recipients named after May 17, 1991 shall be entitled to receive a stipend for costs incurred in taking courses covered by the academic grant only if funds are specifically appropriated for stipends under this program.

(7) "Recognition award" shall mean the cash award provided to teachers, classified employees, principals, administrators, school district superintendents, and school boards named by the office of the superintendent of public instruction as recipients of the Washington award for excellence in education after January 1, 1994. An academic grant recipient named prior to January 1, 1994 may receive the recognition award by electing to convert the remaining value of his or her academic grant and related stipend benefit, if any, to the recognition award according to rules defined under WAC 250-78-050.