The Washington advanced college tuition payment program is an essential state governmental function. Contracts with eligible participants shall be contractual obligations legally binding on the state as set forth in this chapter. If, and only if, the moneys in the account are projected to be insufficient to cover the state’s contracted expenses for a given biennium, then the legislature shall appropriate to the account the amount necessary to cover such expenses.

The tuition and fees charged by an eligible institution of higher education to an eligible beneficiary for a current enrollment shall be paid by the account to the extent the beneficiary has remaining unused tuition units for the appropriate school.