Higher education has been on the defensive for the last couple of state budgets, and recent economic projections suggest we may be in for another battle when the legislature convenes in 2011—or sooner.
We hope the legislature is able to find a pot of gold to support funding for financial aid programs. That makes it possible for students to find the real treasure at the end of the rainbow: a great education. Photo: Whitman College.
Governor Gregoire’s office is now projecting a $3 billion budget deficit for the 2011-13 biennium, based on an updated revenue forecast issued yesterday. That forecast came in about $200 million less than expected, despite tax increases enacted to help patch a $2.8 billion shortfall this year.
The state has enough in reserve to limp through the rest of the current budget, unless Congress doesn’t come through with some help with Medicaid that budget writers were counting on but that appears increasingly in doubt. If the federal dollars don’t come through, the legislature would have to convene for another special session to make more cuts, or the governor could impose across-the-board reductions.
State economist Arun Raha is a pretty good comedian, and always delivers his almost-always-bad news with a dose of humor. “The good news is, things are getting worse slower,” he said yesterday, according to The Olympian.
Those interested in protecting funding for Washington student aid programs can help out by signing up to become an Independent Colleges of Washington Advocate today! Through this service, we’ll keep you up-to-date on what’s happening in Olympia, and let you know when an email, letter, or call to your legislature would be most effective in making the case for student aid. Over the last couple of years ICW Advocates have used the system to send more than 5,000 messages to the governor and legislators, and that’s a big part of the reason we’ve been able to largely protect financial aid funding despite the budget shortfalls.
Won’t you join us today? It takes just minutes, the messages are occasional, and the system makes it easy for you to make your voice heard. Help us provide choice, opportunity, and success for Washington students!
