As with every sector of the economy, Washington’s colleges and universities are facing an uncharted landscape. As many students reconsider their college plans, administrators and legislators must prepare for cultivating workers who can thrive in a recovering economy.
In Washington, that includes consideration of the Washington College Grant. The program, approved a year ago when the economy was blooming, pays all or some tuition bills for low- to middle-income students, and for adults returning to college.
A student from a family of four with an income of $53,000 a year qualifies for full tuition aid. The amount of aid decreases as a family’s income increases; a student from a family of four that makes $97,000 a year, the highest income level that qualifies, could receive aid equivalent to 10 percent the cost of tuition. The program is funded in large part by a new business tax, which will take a hit during the economic shutdown.
With the economy in tatters and with state revenue uncertain for the foreseeable future, the program warrants scrutiny. In April, Gov. Jay Inslee used a line-item veto to slash $445 million from this year’s supplemental budget, which was passed by the Legislature before the impact of the pandemic was evident. Those cuts portend the future of state budgets; no expenditures are sacrosanct.
Yet while state officials must consider all options for meeting their mandate of a balanced budget, they should work to keep promises and to continue investments in the state’s future.
David Schumacher, director of the state Office of Financial Management, noted that the Washington College Grant becomes an entitlement on July 1, “so that means any student that shows up and qualifies gets the payment, no matter what. Because it’s an entitlement, that means it’s a promise.” State Rep. Drew Hansen, D-Bainbridge, echoed that sentiment: “We made a commitment as a state, and it was a major priority of the governor, that college would be free for families earning $50,000 a year or less.”
Legislators are expected to be called into a special session this year to assess the damage wrought by the pandemic. While cuts will be necessary, maintaining higher education should be a priority.
All of this arrives at what already was an uncertain time for colleges and universities. Under pressure late last year from the U.S. Department of Justice, the National Association for College Admission Counseling changed its code of ethics. Colleges are now allowed to offer increased incentives — such as tuition discounts or free parking spaces — to recruit incoming freshman or even students enrolled in other colleges.
The competition to attract students is greater than ever; so is the pressure on schools already facing reduced enrollment. As one expert told The Washington Post, “If you don’t have people in your dorms, eating your food, you’re losing money.”
The process of figuring out whether to attend college, where to attend, and how to pay for it is complex. From the state’s perspective, that process must be viewed as an investment.
For decades, Washington’s economy has reaped the benefits of innovative industries and of workers who drive that innovation. Every state will suffer from the impact of the coronavirus; those that prepare for the future will reap a windfall for the next 20, 30, 40 years and beyond.
Lawmakers, indeed, should weigh the cost and benefits of the Washington College Grant. But cultivating higher education must remain a priority.
