This afternoon the House Ways & Means Committee held a work session on higher education funding.

Committee members received several presentations focused on the funding trends and impacts of the Governor’s proposed budget for the two-year and four-year public higher education sectors and state financial aid programs.

Mike Reilly, Council of Presidents, shared with legislators the impact of state funding trends and the Governor’s most recent budget proposal on the six, public baccalaureate institutions. 

Since the 2007-09 biennium state funding for Washington’s public baccalaureate institutions has been cut by nearly $500 million or 28%. Current state funding is at the same level as it was in the 1999-01 biennium.

The Governor’s proposed 2011-13 budget would cut an additional $380 million in state funds (a reduction of nearly 50% in state support since 2007-09) leaving state support of approximately $1 billion as part of a proposed $32.1 billion state budget.

The Committe also heard from the State Board of Community and Technical Colleges, the Higher Education Coordinating Board and higher education legislative fiscal and policy staff.

Legislators asked a variety of questions ranging from what is the elasticity of tuition at the institutions to how does a change in focus from enrollment (inputs) to degrees (outputs) impact quality and access.