Monthly Archives: March 2011

U.S. Senate Does Not Pass Either Budget Bill

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Yesterday, the U.S. Senate voted 44 to 56  against H.R. 1, a seven-month fiscal year (FY) 2011 spending bill passed by the House on Feb. 19. 

H.R. 1 would have cut 2011-12 Pell Grant awards by $845 — more than 15 percent — and would have eliminated funding for the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG).

The Senate also voted 42 to 58 to defeat a Democratic alternative FY2011 spending bill that would have trimmed an additional $6.5 billion from current spending levels, but would not have cut funding for Pell or FSEOG. Sixty votes were needed to pass either measure.

The Senate’s inability to pass either spending bill means lawmakers will have to yet again restart negotiations to craft a FY2011 spending package that will garner sufficient support in the House and Senate.

The federal government is currently being funded by a two-week continuing resolution (CR) that will expire on March 18. Because it is unlikely that Republicans and Democrats will be able to agree on a spending package before the current CR expires, Republican leaders in the House began planning another short-term CR to give more time to debate a long-term CR. Early reports indicate that House Republicans will propose $2 billion in cuts for every week the short-term CR covers.

Washington Policy Committees Hear Impact of Potential Budget Reductions in Higher Education

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The Washington House and Senate policy committees on higher education heard from institutions and students about the consequences that lie ahead if state funding is reduced.

In December the Governor released a proposed operating budget for the four-year, public baccalaureate institutions that if implemented will have reduced state funding by 50% for these institutions in the last three years.

In February the four-year, public baccalaureate institutions were asked to provide potential impacts if state funding was reduced beyond the Governor’s proposed budget by an additional 15% and 30%.  It is the potential consequences of the loss of state funding at these levels that prompted the work sessions this morning in the House and this afternoon in the Senate.

Mike Reilly – Executive Director, Council of Presidents – presented an overview of the impact of the proposed budget models on the four-year, public baccalaureate sector.

According to the Council of Presidents,  the loss of state funding under consideration would drastically alter higher education in Washington sector-wide.

  • Reduced access for resident undergraduates (up to 3,000 slots under the Governor’s cut level alone and up to 10,000 at the higher reduction levels)
  • Fewer slots in STEM and other high-demand degree programs
  • Increased time to degree (each additional term costs students $6,000-$8,000)
  • Large increases in tuition
  • Loss of thousands of jobs, less student support

The Evergreen State College was represented by Ken Tabbutt, Interim Provost and Julie Garver, Director of Government Relations. Tabbutt expressed what is at stake not only for the state but for Evergreen students and for the College’s local and regional economies.

Committee Hears Bill that Would Provide Greater Stability for Some Financial Aid Programs

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This week committees in both chambers held public hearings and work sessions in preparation for the next legislative deadline (March 25 for policy bills) and the development of the biennial budgets.

This afternoon the House Ways & Means Committee held a public hearing on a bill that would provide greater stability for Washington citizens who are eligible for the College Bound Scholarship Program and the State Need Grant.

Senate Bill 5304 would require the Caseload Forecast Council to forecast the anticipated number of students eligible for the State Need Grant and the College Bound Scholarship programs who are also expected to attend an institution of higher education. These forecasts would be submitted to the Governor and the members of the legislative fiscal committees to  facilitate budget development.

The Washington Caseload Forecast Council is responsible for developing forecasts for the changing caseloads in state entitlement programs. Currently, the caseload forecast includes the demand for services in health and human services, K-12 education, and corrections.

The Evergreen State College testified in support of SB 5304.

Legislature Passes Another Major Deadline

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Monday March 7 marked a major deadline for bills to pass out of the chamber where they originated to remain under consideration this session. The exceptions to this cutoff are bills that have been or will be designated NTIB or “necessary to implement the budget”.

A handful of bills that would impact higher education were moved forward in the process and many more were left on the calendar.

For the next few weeks, House and Senate policy committees will take public testimony on bills that have already met the major hurdle of passing the chamber where they started. 

The next major deadline is March 25 when policy bills must be passed out of committee. It will be busy between now and then as legislators try to address remaining concerns about bills, change legislation to fit their vision of what constitutes a “good” bill, or put bills aside for this session.

Committees Hit Ground Running Hearing Bills from the Opposite Chamber

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The Legislature wasted no time engaging in public hearings and work sessions on bills from the opposite chamber.

Yesterday marked the passage of another major deadline for the legislative session. All bills must have moved from their chamber of origin to the opposite chamber. Bills deemed necessary to implement the budget are omitted from this deadline.

One day after this deadline, committees in both chambers were back at work holding public hearings and work sessions to continue to move bills through the process.

The Senate Higher Education Committee held a public hearing on referred House bills. Among the legislation the committee heard today was a bill (SHB 1822) to establish the first online university in Washington with the Western Governors University.  

The bill came to the Senate after passing the House 70-26. The Council of Presidents (COP) testified with concerns regarding the potential impact on state financial aid programs.

COP suggested language be amended to SHB 1822 that would require the Higher Education Coordinating Board to obtain the approval of the Legislature before allowing students at Western Governors University-Washington to utilize state need grant dollars. Similar language was amended to the Senate version of the bill (SB 5136) in the Ways & Means Committee.  Senate Bill 5136 did not pass the Senate by the March 7 deadline.

The Committee also held public hearings on a range of other bills including legislation that would create consistency in student financial aid programs and add a student representative to community and technical college boards.

U.S. Senate Releases Budget Proposal for Current Fiscal Year

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Today the U.S. Senate released their proposed budget bill to fund the federal government through the end of the current fiscal year.

The proposed budget bill would fully fund the Pell Grant program to maintain the $5,550 maximum award for the 2011-12 award year and maintain funding for the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG). The bill, however, would eliminate funding for the Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership (LEAP).

The Senate’s propoasl would reduce federal spending by $50 billion, including $6.5 billion in new cuts that were suggested by the White House in the Administration’s 2012 budget request.

The House’s budget bill (H.R. 1) , which passed on February 19, cuts discretionary-funded maximum awards for the Pell Grant from $4,860 to $4,105.  The bill also provides no funding for the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) and the Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership (LEAP). Both programs provide financial grants to students who qualify for financial aid. Finally, the bill reduces President Obama’s proposed FY11 budget request by $100 billion.

The Senate is expected to vote on their proposed budget bill and the House’s bill this week. It is unlikely that the Senate will pass H.R. 1.

If the Senate fails to pass either H.R. 1 or its own budget bill, both chambers would have to return to the drawing board and would likely require additional time to reach an agreement on spending levels for the remainder of FY2011.

Last week the U.S. House and Senate passed a short-term (two week) budget bill that will fund the federal government through March 18. The latest continuing resolution was passed in order to allow more time to debate a long-term agreement for the remainder of the current fiscal year. Despite this intention, some speculate that a second short-term continuing resolution will be needed before a final agreement is reached.

2011 Legislative Session: Week 9

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With floor action scheduled to end at 5:00 pm on Monday March 7 the majority of next week’s schedule will be a mix of work sessions and committee hearings on bills that have passed the March 7 deadline.

Several bills remain in Rules and on the floor calendar in both chambers which means committee agendas are expected to change frequently between now and next Tuesday.

At this time next week’s schedule includes a work session in each chamber’s higher education policy committee regarding the policy impacts of budget cuts on baccalaureate institutions. In addition, a handful of bills have been scheduled for public hearings. Please see the links below for a list of all the hearings that might be of interest.

Senate and House Work Long Hours to Move Bills as March 7 Deadline Nears

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The House and Senate kept a steady pace today and will work through the weekend to meet the March 7 deadline to pass legislation from the chamber where bills were first introduced.

The Evergreen State College is continuing to track approximately 100 bills, these bills and others can be found at the Legislature’s website.

Several bills that would impact higher education are moving through the process including legislation that would reform the Guaranteed Education Tuition program, require forecast caseloads for the State Need Grant and the Washington College Bound Scholarship Program, and academic prior learning.

Higher Education Removed from Governor’s Consolidation Plans

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Last week in the Washington Senate, the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee passed legislation to implement the Governor’s proposed Department of Education (SB 5639).

The Committee amended the legislation to remove all higher education state level entities (i.e. the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges and the Higher Education Coordinating Board) from the bill. The new language in the bill would provide the opportunity, after the P-12 transition to the Department is complete, for the Governor to assemble a new transition team to consider, and if appropriate, coordinate inclusion of state level higher education agencies in the new Department.

The new language continues to eliminate the Professional Educators Standards Board (PESB), which  transfers the powers of the Board and its duties/employees to the new Department of Education. PESB is responsible for policy and oversight of Washington State’s system of educator preparation, certification, continuing education and assignment.

Despite the removal of higher education from the Governor’s proposal, discussions and legislation continue to move forward on proposals that would restructure higher education in Washington at the state level. 

Senate Bill 5182, which is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee, would eliminate the Higher Education Coordinating Board (HECB) and create the Office of Student Financial Assistance and the Council of Higher Education. The Office of  Student Financial Assistance would absorb the HECB’s current work on student aid and the GET program. The Council of Higher Education would house many of the coordinating functions that are currently the responsibility of the HECB.

The Council would be responsible for developing performance-based measures and goals for the public, baccalaureate instituitions and oversee a work group focused on strategic planning and statewide policies.

In the House conversations continue with regard to restructuring higher education in Washington.  This week the House passed House Bill 1849 which establishes the Washington State Education Council.

The Council is charged with recommending policies, strategies, and a governance structure to make the public education system student-focused and able to provide seamless sevice delivery across all sectors. Higher Education would be represented thourhg a four faculty representatives from the public baccalaureate institution and two representatives from the four-year baccalaureates submitted by the Council of Presidents. In addition representatives would be appointed from the community and technical colleges and the private sector.  

None of these proposals include or are likely to include the elimination of the Board of Trustees and Regents that govern Washington’s public, baccalaureate institutions.

President Signs Stopgap Bill; Negotiations Begin Again

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Yesterday President Obama signed a two-week continuing resolution that reduces current federal spending by $4 billion and effectively eliminates the Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership (LEAP) program.

The bill does not impact the current maximum Pell Grant.

With this  final hurdle for a short-term, stopgap bill completed, Congress now will begin to negotiate another continuing resolution to provide funding for the remainder of the c urrrent fiscal year. 

Last week the U.S. House passed H.R. 1 which would reduce federal spending by $61 billion, including reductions to higher education.  The U.S. Senate however has indicated that it will not pass a budget bill containing such deep reductions.

The Senate is currently drafting its own budget bill that is likely to include approximately $25 billion in reductions mosttly from President Obama’s FY12 budget request.  It is unclear at this time whether or not the Senate version will include similar cuts to higher education, in particular reductions to the maximum Pell Grant and the elimination of funding for the Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity (FSEOG) program.