The Washington House released its proposed budget. Like the Governor and the Senate, it has chosen to treat low-income Washington residents who choose a private college differently than students who choose a public college — a more expensive option to the state. This makes no sense! Washington’s student aid policy structure is grounded in student choice — empowering students to choose the college that’s best for them and then following them with the aid they’re eligible for. In these difficult budgetary times, a more progressive policy choice would be to continue to empower students — and to acknowledge the tuition increase all students experience. With the enrollment pressure at the state colleges, it would be wise to try to expand enrollment options by encouraging students to choose the option that is less expensive to the state.
The budget provision to freeze aid for students choosing an unsubsidized college will cost the state more in the long run.
For students, every bit of aid makes a difference in their enrollment choices. This policy will cut the aid to private-college students by more than $1,400 over two years. Some of these students will choose a state college — putting even more pressure on enrollment. To save that $1,400 in aid increases, the state would pay $33,000 for that student to attend a state-subsidized college for those two years. If you multiply that by four to six years you’ve saved perhaps $4,000 for the four year education at a private college only to pay $66,000 – $100,000 for the four to six years to complete a degree in the state system. (Even the budget writers say it will take even longer to graduate from a state college because the budget cuts will make it harder to get classes. ) This policy choice doesn’t make long-term sense. Take Action!
