Past editorial boards have written in support of the investment made by our state in higher education, and more recently we’ve expressed optimism in an Olympic College Foundation project to guarantee college tuition for any local student.

Now comes an idea at the state level cut from the same philosophy, which would solidify an existing state program to further ensure that Washington students are able to afford the post-secondary education — whether university, trades or certification program — that is necessary for success.

We reference a bill, HB 1340, that hasn’t passed out of a committee or been up for a vote, sponsored in part by the 23rd District's Rep. Drew Hansen, a fierce advocate for local education and chairman of the Legislature's College and Workforce Development Committee.

The legislation would create the Washington Promise Scholarship, which would essentially replace the old state need grants that provided financial aid to students from families making 70 percent or less of the state’s median income. The problem, according to Hansen, is that a quarter of applicants who qualified for the state need grants wouldn't receive any help. If we're going to live up to a societal goal of getting young people the professional training they need — not to mention training that local industries say they need in new grads — this is a barrier that should be simple to take down. It's not the dramatic claim for "free college" that you hear bandied about in national political debates — but it actually may be better.

See, in our view the Washington Promise would fit nicely into a framework that's being created with many different sources to craft an atmosphere where students, particularly low-income students, aren't intimidated by the cost of college. A plank in this process is underway locally through the OC Promise, an effort to create a privately financed scholarship fund that would bridge the gap left after federal financial aid for any local high school graduate. The beauty of the OC Promise is that it's a trend — the more areas that have a local supplement like that means the less state resource will be needed to make the Washington Promise sustainable and available. And in a time of budget surpluses, even new money put toward this kind of investment is well spent.

To make this more clear, a family of four with an income of about $62,000 would qualify for this scholarship, provided the student has also applied for federal aid, is a state resident, a high school graduate, enrolled and in good standing in a university, community college, technical or certification program.

It's been demonstrated that our state, even with a strong economy, still has a serious need for trained workers. Plenty of evidence makes it clear that post-secondary education is vital to a successful and stable career. Our community benefits from having more educated workers — you can bet employers like the shipyard are pleased by OC's new mechanical engineering partnership with WSU, just to name one, because they are hiring all of them.

No single entity is going to make post-secondary education costs go away entirely, no matter what the politicians may tell you. But a combination of existing federal aid, new programs and partnerships, and increased or specific scholarships mean we're bending the trend line and making the opportunity more of a reality for all. The Washington Promise Scholarship adds a critical tool to keep the dream alive for students who may have been left out in the past, and it would be a great move for our state’s future.