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Home / Washington Business - May/June 2005 / Points of View: Affordable College is the Key to Washington’s Prosperity |
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Points of View: Affordable College is the Key to Washington’s Prosperity |
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Written On: May/June 2005 |
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Written By: By Rep. Phyllis Gutiérrez Kenney - Chair, House Higher Education Committee |
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Rep. Phyllis Gutiérrez Kenney, D-Seattle, a member of the House since 1997, chairs the House Higher Education Committee.
If you live in Washington you have plenty of reasons to feel proud. From apples to jets, software to universities, our products and our top-notch schools place us in an enviable spot nationally and globally. We’ve come a long way, but we know there’s still much to do. This is especially true when it comes to our higher education system.
House Democrats have consistently pushed sensible legislation aimed at improving our state’s colleges and universities. This includes extending opportunities for Washingtonians to go to school and earn degrees. But each year we also face the question of whether we should raise tuition to help balance the budget for higher education.
Ten years ago, tuition revenue represented 20 percent of our college and university incomes; the remaining 80 percent was supported from the state’s general fund. Now tuition makes up nearly one-third of the institutions’ budgets. Every year, we ask students to pay a greater share of the cost of their education.
Some say that tuition should increase because upper-middle-class families can afford it. Their argument is that state financial aid would also be increased to help those who cannot afford the higher tuition. I believe this is a risky proposition. It’s too easy to raise tuition but then not provide the money necessary for financial aid to keep pace.
Instead, I believe the goal is to strive toward providing a world-class education at the lowest cost. This is only possible by adequately funding higher education, not by increasing tuition.
As the chair of the House Higher Education Committee, it’s my job to help make the promise of higher education available to all who seek it. As part of that responsibility, I feel the Legislature must work to hold down tuition for the more than 350,000 students attending Washington’s public colleges and universities.
While Washington’s tuition is lower than national averages and peer institutions, it’s higher than other western states. The University of Washington, for instance, is 9.5 percent below the national average, almost 21 percent below its peer institutions such as Ohio State University and UCLA, but 24 percent higher than other western states. These figures mean very little when you have to choose between paying your mortgage or your kid’s tuition.
Historically, financial aid has been provided somewhat commensurate with the increase in tuition to help low-income students attend college. But in the last two decades we’ve witnessed a trend in tuition hikes that has forced students and their families to find alternate ways to make ends meet. In 1985 resident undergraduate tuition at research universities was $1,158; today it is $4,758. In many cases, the results of these hikes are disenfranchised students who are not wealthy enough to cover them, nor are poor enough to qualify for financial aid. Balancing the budget on the backs of these students is not a solution.
I am particularly concerned about this group because we have no answers for them. What good is working toward high school graduation if you can’t find the means to go to college? We’re required by our constitution to make education our paramount duty; it’s time to take that responsibility seriously.
Supporting higher education is a wise investment, since most graduates remain in the state after earning their degrees and contribute to its vitality and economic growth. Our public colleges and universities are driving economic forces; they enrich business, provide stable employment, generate tax revenue, and stimulate investment.
I’m proud of the quality education offered at our colleges and universities. Let’s work together to assure a funding system to keep our institutions on the top of the list for excellence and access.
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