Some of the students who attended the Independent Colleges of Washington scholarship luncheon Aug. 13 have a message for everyone who helps support student financial aid in its many forms! Photo: ICW.

It’s hard to believe that college campuses are already beginning to bustle with activity. Freshmen are moving in, orientations start next week, and classes begin on five Independent Colleges of Washington member campuses before the calendar flips over to September.

Many of those students will only be going to college thanks to your help! Generous donors to ICW contributed more than $1 million again last year to support scholarships and other assistance for students. Legislators reaffirmed their support for student aid programs despite terrible budget challenges, though increasing weakness in state revenues may force some reductions in aid soon. Washington taxpayers get a bargain from the state’s private, nonprofit colleges and universities, which confer nearly a quarter of the baccalaureate and higher degrees awarded in the state each year while receiving less than two percent of the higher education budget, which goes to students in the form of financial aid.

Independent colleges contribute academically rigorous liberal arts education to the rich tapestry of choices available to the state’s students, providing opportunities for scholarship that lead to successful careers, fruitful lives, and engaged and informed citizenship.

Last week we had a scholarship luncheon in Seattle to bring together some of the students who benefit from ICW scholarships and the donors who make it happen. It’s rewarding and satisfying to see how big a difference a scholarship can make in a young person’s life, and the plans, hopes, and dreams that are made possible with a little financial assistance. They, and we, thank all who help make it happen.

The U.S. News & World Report rankings of the nation’s best colleges are out today. The rankings are an item of constant debate. We wonder if they really mean anything, if they try to measure the right things, if it’s actually possible to quantify some of those things, and whether students really take the rankings much into account when they’re trying to decide where to go to college.

Love them or hate them, though, most of us can’t avoid looking.

So yes, we looked, and found three Independent Colleges of Washington member institutions among the top 10 regional colleges in the West, and five in the top 15. Two others were ranked within the top tier in that category.

Gonzaga University rates best in the state at number 4, Seattle University is sixth, and Whitworth University ninth. Both ICW members in the national liberal arts college category ranked well, with Whitman College at 38 and University of Puget Sound at 81. In addition, five of our 10 members made the top nine in best value among regional colleges in the West. (Did you guess that Harvard and Williams would top their respective lists… again?)

We’re not sure what it means that PLU (13) is one “notch” higher than Seattle Pacific University (14), but it is good to see so many of our colleges rated so well by this tool, for whatever it’s worth.

Many of our member colleges elect not to even acknowledge the rankings. Of those that do, here’s what they’re saying today:

• Gonzaga University
• Seattle University
• Walla Walla University
• Whitman College
• Whitworth University

The Washington Higher Education Coordinating Board conducted a nationwide search for a new executive director, and found its man just down the hall. The board has hired Don Bennett, who has been the interim ED since April, to the position.

Don Bennett is the new executive director of the Higher Education Coordinating Board.

Bennett has been with the HEC Board for nearly 3½ years. He started in March of 2007 as deputy director, and was promoted to executive deputy director last year. He’s been serving as interim executive director since Ann Daley retired at the end of March.

Greg Scheiderer, vice president of Independent Colleges of Washington, has known Bennett for many years. They worked together on the staff of the Washington State Senate in the early 1990s.

Jesús Hernández, board chair, said Bennett is the right person to lead the HEC Board as it continues to confront a critical set of complex strategic challenges facing the state’s postsecondary education system.

“Don Bennett’s deep knowledge of budget and finance, his long history working with education policy issues in Washington, his experience directing HECB operations, and his understanding of the state’s higher education institutions and the political process constitute a unique skill set for this position,” said Hernández in a news release.

The HEC Board provides strategic planning, coordination, monitoring, and policy analysis for higher education in Washington, and administers state and federal financial aid and other education services. It is charged by state law with representing the “broad public interest above the interests of the individual colleges and universities.”

Congratulations, Don! There are challenging times ahead for higher education in Washington. We look forward to working with you and the rest of the HEC Board staff to give students every opportunity to get a good college education.

Washington Governor Chris Gregoire today sharpened her budget ax in the wake of yesterday’s news that state revenue collections were lower than expected over the last month, and the increasing likelihood that the official revenue forecast in September will bring more bad news.

Gov. Gregoire

The governor is asking state agency directors to be ready to cut their budgets by between four percent and seven percent, depending on how the September forecast looks, to get ready to make $500 million in strategic cuts in a supplemental budget very early during the 2011 legislative session, and to start thinking about how they would cut their budgets by up to 10 percent for the 2011-13 biennial budget the legislature will write next year.

To say that Washington budget news continues to be dismal is an understatement. Joy over recent news that Congress will come through with some anticipated money to help pay for teachers and Medicare was short-lived.

What this will mean for higher education and student financial aid programs is anybody’s guess at this point. Very little of the talk at the governor’s news conference today was about higher ed, save for some immediate cuts in a welfare-to-work program that will mean fewer job training opportunities for participants. The Higher Education Coordinating Board may well be asked to simply cut all aid programs by a certain amount. The more strategic thinking would come through work on the supplemental budget.

The governor did not share any specific advice she may have received from her committee on the transformation of the budget or from a special task force convened to re-think higher education funding, though she did use a specific example of the kind of question she wants to ask, with regard to the welfare-to-work program, and that is whether the private sector—churches, foundations, nonprofits—can shoulder some of the work now being done by the state.

Will the governor and legislature continue to support financial aid, given its clear, positive effect on students and their efforts to get an education and become strong contributors to Washington’s economic recovery?

It’s going to be another interesting year.

UPDATE: Friday morning the HEC Board sent out a note saying that student aid, specifically the State Need Grant program, will probably take cuts. “We don’t know the exact amount of the impact to State Need Grant but it will be in the millions,” said the note. This will be a big challenge for students returning to college in the fall expecting a grant. They may receive less, or possibly none at all.

For more information:

• TVW blog post from the governor’s news conference, with actual video below
• Article from The Olympian on the budget situation
• Governor’s news release on the steps she’s taking today

Catching up on reading after being out of the office at a workshop, I spotted this article published last week by the Chronicle of Higher Education. The 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico invested $10.3 billion in student financial aid for 2008-09, an increase of about 2.7 percent over the previous year, according to a report from the National Association of State Student Grant and Aid Programs. The increase was modest compared to one of about 6.6 percent the previous year, and the report cautioned that rocky budget times for the states threaten to eat into that in the future.

It’s funny how long it takes to gather this data and crunch the numbers. These 2008-09 figures are out as we’re about to embark on the 2010-11 academic year, and budgeteers in Washington state already are thinking hard about the 2011-13 biennial budget.

Washington scored as one of the top 10 states for providing need-based aid.

We’ve done incredibly well in helping low-income students pay for college. Since the 2003-05 biennium the state financial aid budget has grown by 62 percent, to $513.2 million—and that’s after a cut of about four percent earlier this year that came mainly out of State Work Study and other smaller aid programs. We have given larger grants to more students. Despite the legislature’s generosity, it hasn’t been enough. About 15,000 students who were eligible for a State Need Grant—because their families earn less, often way less, than $52,000—did not receive grants because the program ran out of cash. Independent colleges, too, have boosted their student aid budgets by 10 percent in each of the last two years, but there’s still unmet need.

The article is correct in warning about possible reductions in the future. Washington faces a projected $3 billion shortfall for next biennium, and may even have to make some budget cuts before the summer is out if anticipated federal dollars to help with Medicare fail to materialize. Student aid was on the cutting block last winter, and could well be again.

More resources

• Table on state aid programs
• National Association of State Student Grant and Aid Programs
• Full 2008-09 report

Finances will be a little tighter this fall for some students who rely on work-study jobs to help pay for their college education. According to a story posted today on the U.S. News website, the number of federally funded work-study jobs will drop by about 162,000, to a total of 768,000 for the upcoming academic year.

Our friends at Student Workers Solidarity, organized by a group of students from Seattle Pacific University, played a key role in protecting Washington state financial aid programs this year. Will they have to march on Olympia again in 2011?

The story quotes a U.S. Department of Education official as saying the reduction merely reflects a return to the “historical norm” for work study, which was boosted last year by federal stimulus funds. Maybe so, but it’s still a hit for those 162,000 students who will have to figure out some other way to earn money for college.

Here in Washington this amounts to a double whammy on students, as funding for the State Work Study program also was reduced for this fall by about 30 percent. That’s not necessarily a 30 percent reduction in jobs, as part of the savings is being achieved by asking the employers to pay more, and booting nonresident students out of  the program. Part of the rationale for that was that nonresidents could still get federal work study—less likely now, given today’s news.

This on the heels of news that 15,000 students eligible for the State Need Grant program did not receive grants last year, despite generous funding from the legislature. Need is simply out-pacing available cash.

There’s some good news. Private colleges continue to invest more money in institutional financial aid, and the net cost of attending independent institutions has actually dropped in recent years. Here at Independent Colleges of Washington we again topped $1 million in fundraising for scholarships in our just-completed fiscal year.

There are a number of ways that you can help protect financial aid programs and help bring opportunity, choice, and success for college students:

• Follow the work of the Governor’s Committee on Transforming Washington’s Budget. Attend one of its hearings or write in and let them know that student aid is important and effective.
• Sign up to become an ICW Advocate on our grassroots Legislative Action Center. We’ll keep you posted about the progress of financial aid issues and let you know when your letters or phone calls will be most effective. With a projected budget deficit of $3 billion for the next biennium, financial aid programs could again be on the chopping block.
• Keep an eye on this blog, our SaveStudentAid.org website, and our friends at Student Workers Solidarity for the latest news on student aid issues.
• Contribute to scholarships through Independent Colleges of Washington. It’s an easy, one-click process!

Help us keep high-quality, academically rigorous independent higher education possible for all students, regardless of their financial resources.

Dr. Thayne McCulloh has been elected president of Gonzaga University by the board of trustees. GU photo by Jennifer Raudebaugh.

The Gonzaga University Board of Trustees today elected Dr. Thayne M. McCulloh as Gonzaga’s 26th president, succeeding Rev. Robert J. Spitzer, S.J. McCulloh has served as interim president since Rev. Spitzer’s departure in July 2009.

“Over the past two years we have looked at a number of potential candidates,” said John Luger, chair of the Board of Trustees. “What we have in Thayne McCulloh is an exceptionally talented individual who has the background, the vision and the leadership skills to lead Gonzaga to a very bright future, and how fortunate we are to have this leader in our own community. His work in championing the mission of Gonzaga, and his work this past year as interim president, has given us every confidence that he will be Gonzaga’s next great leader.”

To read more about the decision, visit Gonzaga’s news site.

Coverage from the Spokesman-Review in Spokane.

The Board of Directors of Independent Colleges of Washington welcomes five new members as we kick off a new fiscal year. Two of our 10 member institutions have new presidents, who are ex officio members of the board, and three other new board members were elected.

Linneweh

We have written about the new presidents already. Beck Taylor was selected as president at Whitworth University in April and began his duties July 1. Dr. Taylor has already started his own blog! Heritage University selected Dr. John Bassett as its next president back in November, and he takes up his new duties next week. In addition to being at the helm at Heritage, Bassett is the board chair for the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, the unified national voice of independent higher education.

O'Halloran

Three elected directors join the board this month. Franz Lazarus is senior vice president for global operations at Costco Wholesale. Richard W. Linneweh, Jr., is president and CEO of Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital. John O’Halloran is chairman and CEO of Rainier Funds at Rainier Investment Management.

Departing the board are two retiring college presidents, Sister Kathleen Ross of Heritage and Dr. Bill Robinson of Whitworth; and five elected members who have completed two three-year terms, the limit under our by-laws: Paul Cantor of Whittier Trust, Rick Gross of Boeing, Chris Heman of U.S. Bank, Doug Schutt of Costco, and attorney Steve Seward.

Thanks to our departing board members for your service, and welcome to our new colleagues as we work to provide opportunity, choice, and success for students.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! Generous donors to Independent Colleges of Washington this year again gave more than $1 million to provide opportunity, choice, and success for our students through scholarships and other support.

Board member Steve Seward kicked in the final donation that got us to the million dollar mark. It came on his last "official" day on the ICW board. Seward served two three-year terms helping ICW create opportunity, choice, and success for students. Well done, Steve!

It was close. As the clock ticked down on our fiscal year yesterday, the tally came in: We were at $999,890.27, a mere $109.73 short of a nice even million.

We put out the call through email, Twitter, and Facebook to see if someone out there would put us over the top. A very few minutes went by before we heard a whoop from the office of Anne Cassidy, our development director. ICW board member Steve Seward had kicked in precisely $109.73 to put us at the million dollar mark. A few other donations came in, and when the bell rang at the end of the day we had:

$1,000,040.

Thank you so much to all of our donors on behalf of our students!

Seward’s contribution was especially appreciated, as he has now completed his board service with us after two three-year terms. His tenure ended at about the time he made that final donation. Thanks, Steve! Henceforth we’ll be calling you the million dollar man.

Scholarship support is so critical for so many students. Scholarships, state and federal aid, and institutional grants and other forms of aid all help keep the dream of an outstanding, academically rigorous independent higher education alive for all capable students, regardless of their family’s resources.

Published tuition and fees at private, nonprofit colleges and universities is increasing an average of 4.5 percent for the 2010-11 academic year, while private colleges are increasing institutional student aid by an average of 6.8 percent, according to the final results of a membership survey conducted by the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU).

When you add it all up, net tuition and fees at private nonprofit colleges and universities has been going down in recent years. Colleges offset modest increases in tuition with generous investment in institutional student aid to make college possible for all qualified students.

Here in Washington our figures are even a bit better than the national averages. Tuition at Independent Colleges of Washington institutions will rise by an average of about 4.3 percent this fall, while institutional student aid budgets will be up by more than 10 percent, to a total of more than $278 million.

This fall’s increase is on par with the 4.3 percent increase reported by NAICU for the 2009-10 academic year. The 2009-10 increase was the smallest since 1972-73, while this fall’s jump is the second lowest. During the 10 years prior to the recession, the average annual tuition increase at private, nonprofit colleges was 6 percent.

The 2010-11 increase in institutional student aid comes on top of a 9-percent increase in 2009-10. (This is the second year that NAICU has collected student aid figures from its member institutions as part of the annual tuition survey.)

“Our colleges are redoubling their efforts to keep out-of-pocket costs as low as possible for students and families, while maintaining the quality academics, personal touch, and high graduation rates that are the hallmarks of private, nonprofit higher education,” said NAICU President David L. Warren.

“The bottom line for consumers is that they should not rule out a private college just because of the price tag,” Warren said. “Generous student aid policies at private institutions reduce out-of-pocket costs significantly for most students.”

According to the College Board, average published tuition and fees at private colleges and universities in 2009-10 was $26,273. However, the College Board also reports that after grant aid from all sources and federal tax benefits, average net tuition and fees for full-time students drops to $11,870.

Because of large campus investments in grant and scholarship programs, and lower-than-usual tuition increases, out-of-pocket tuition expenses for students and families have grown at a slower rate than published tuition, or inflation, in recent years. According to the College Board, inflation-adjusted net tuition (tuition less all grant aid and federal higher education tax benefits) at private colleges actually fell by 8.6 percent from 2004-05 to 2009-10.

“The economic downturn has accelerated efforts by private colleges to think and act creatively to enhance their affordability and remain competitive in the marketplace,” Warren said.

“In addition to colleges that are boosting student aid and keeping their tuition increases to the smallest rates in decades, we’ve seen a number of institutions freeze tuition, launch three-year degree programs, and introduce other new measures this year,” said Warren.

Over the last two years, large endowment losses, a sustained drop in charitable giving, and a spike in student aid applications have stretched college budgets thin. Private colleges have used the savings generated from cuts in their administrative budgets to boost student aid and keep tuition increases at lower-than-usual levels.

NAICU’s annual survey collects percent increases, but not dollar amounts. Nearly 500 (497) institutions responded to the 2010-11 survey.

Despite the legislature’s extraordinary commitment to state student financial aid programs, about 16 percent of students eligible for the State Need Grant did not receive assistance under the program this year because funds ran out. Rapidly increasing demand for aid could cause even a bigger crunch for students next fall.

ICW sings the praises of student aid. Photo: Whitworth University.

Preliminary data compiled by the Washington Higher Education Coordinating Board found that about 74,000 students received the State Need Grant during this past academic year. However, an additional 15,000 students who qualified for grants did not receive them because the program ran out of money. There’s reason to expect even greater demand for aid as more students seek aid. From June of 2009 to May of 2010 the number of federal aid applications (FAFSA) submitted went up by 22 percent.

“The problem isn’t the state’s commitment to its largest financial aid programs—it’s the burgeoning growth in the number of students who are qualified and ready to go to college but whose personal financial resources are inadequate to cover the cost,” said John Klacik, HECB director of student financial assistance, in a news release.

We agree. In fact, the legislature recognizes the effectiveness and the importance of the State Need Grant program, and has actually increased funding for it during the last two years, despite daunting budgetary challenges. We salute them for that commitment. It’s a commitment Independent Colleges of Washington share. Over the last two years our member institutions have raised their budgets for institutional financial aid by about 10 percent each year. Next year they’ll give out more than $278 million to help students pay for a great, academically rigorous liberal arts education at an independent college. As an organization we will raise nearly $1 million more for scholarships and other financial support for students.

The pressure continues to mount. Already state analysts are predicting a $3 billion deficit for the 2011-13 budget the legislature will begin writing in January. Our ongoing mission is to convince them that student aid is a smart investment in Washington’s future. It’s an important way to create opportunity, choice, and success for students.

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!

It’s commencement weekend at Walla Walla University, Seattle University, and Seattle Pacific University. When the last diploma is handed out on Sunday almost 9,000 students will have graduated from Independent Colleges of Washington member institutions. Our 10 colleges and universities confer about a quarter of the baccalaureate and higher degrees earned in the state each year! And, by the way, they do it on less than two percent of the state budget, brought in as financial aid given to students.

Seattle University is the biggest in our membership, and will graduate more than 2,000 students on Sunday at Key Arena. In the morning undergraduates will hear a keynote speech from Bob Craves, co-founder and CEO of the College Success Foundation. In the afternoon grad students will listen to a speech from Cheryl Crazy Bull, president of Northwest Indian College. Mr. Craves is no stranger to ICW; in 2007 he was the recipient of our Stanly O. McNaughton Leadership Award, our highest honor and recognition for people who do marvelous service in support of independent higher education.

Sunday at Safeco Field more than 1,100 grads from Seattle Pacific University will receive their diplomas, including 810 undergrads, 300 master’s degrees, and 21 doctoral. The keynote speaker will be Dr. Richard J. Mouw, president of Fuller Theological Seminary.

Walla Walla University holds commencement on the Centennial Green on its campus in College Place, Washington, where 376 students–247 undergraduates, and 129 master’s–will receive their sheepskins. Dr. Eric Anderson, president of Southwestern Adventist University, will give the commencement address.

Independent Colleges of Washington are committed to high-quality, academically rigorous learning. Students, regardless of major, graduate with a solid grounding in the liberal arts, an education that stresses critical thinking, lifelong learning, ethics, leadership, and community service. They’re ready to tackle what the world throws at them!

Good luck to all!

We’re seeing and hearing more and more debate these days about whether going to college is worth the cost. It’s a fair enough question, and every student should do the calculus before enrolling. But prospective students and their families should consider all of the costs and benefits of a college degree, not the one-dimensional cost-versus-salary comparison that often seems to be the entirety of the discussion.

This Seattle University grad seems happy to receive her degree!

In the past few questioned the value of a college degree. “Skyrocketing cost” is typically given as the reason to re-think that truth. Here in the State of Washington tuition at public baccalaureate institutions has been increased by 14 percent in each of the last two years to help the institutions offset some of the drastic reductions the legislature made to state funding in the current budget. However, Washington’s private colleges raised tuition by just a little over four percent in that time, on average. The members of Independent Colleges of Washington have budgeted more than $278 million for institutional financial aid for next year. Combined with state and federal aid and private scholarships, the cost comes within the reach of most any family. In fact, nationally, inflation-adjusted net tuition at private colleges has actually dropped 8.6 percent over the last five years.

It’s unfortunate that, in the minds of many, a college education is no more than a financial transaction. Perhaps all of those get-a-good-job-get-a-good-education commercials that ran on TV during the ’50s and ’60s have contributed to the mindset. We often hear “not every job requires a bachelor’s degree” as a reason not to support higher education. But numerous studies have driven home the value of increased education, to the student and to society as a whole.

Rebecca Mead wrote a great piece on the college cost debate for the June 7, 2010 issue of The New Yorker. The whole thing is worth a read, but we especially like Mead’s conclusion:

If even a professionally oriented college degree is no longer a guarantee of easily found employment, an argument might be made in favor of a student’s pursuing an education that is less, rather than more, pragmatic. (More theology, less accounting.) That way, regardless of each graduate’s ultimate path, all might be qualified to be carriers of arts and letters, of which the nation can never have too many.

We often hear from employers that what they really need are more people with communication, problem solving, and critical thinking skills, just the sorts of talents honed in pursuit of a solid liberal arts education, regardless of major. Factor in the value of an educated life when you’re evaluating the ROI on that college degree.

President Barack Obama has set an ambitious goal that the United States be number one in the world in college completion by the year 2020. The National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU) and the Council of Independent Colleges have unveiled the framework by which we hope to collect, share, and illustrate private colleges and universities collective efforts to achieve that goal.

The “Building Blocks to 2020: Independent Colleges Answer the Call” was first announced by NAICU President David L. Warren at the NAICU annual meeting in February. The association recognizes that private, non-profit colleges already have the greatest success rate of all sectors in college persistence and completion. Nonetheless, NAICU believes we can and should do more.

Through the new Building Blocks to 2020 website, NAICU will be able to share success stories, show what works, and pass it on, so more students can succeed. Through the Building Blocks to 2020 YouTube channel, we are taking advantage of new media to illustrate in a more personal way just how our colleges and universities are reaching out and supporting students as they work toward degree completion.

The goal of making the United States first in the world in college completion by the year 2020 reflects a wide special interest by both major political parties and many foundations. Without the active support of NAICU members, America’s private colleges will be left out of this important national conversation.