In the final days of the 2015 legislative session, Senate budget negotiators fought to include working-family tax relief in the form of a nationally unprecedented college tuition reduction.

The governor signed Senate Bill 5954, known as the College Affordability Program, which cuts tuition at state-run colleges and universities by up to 20 percent and caps tuition growth based on a percentage of the state’s median wage.

The legislation was co-sponsored by Sen. Barbara Bailey, R-Oak Harbor, chairwoman of the Senate Higher Education Committee.

“This is a historic moment for families and students in our state,” said Bailey, R-Oak Harbor, according to a press release.

Washington state college students currently graduate with an average of over $20,000 in student debt, according to the release.

Students will begin saving on college tuition this fall with a five percent reduction this year with additional savings in the 2016-17 school year.