Working late into the night the Senate Ways & Means Committee moved a proposed operating and capital budget to the Senate floor.  Over sixty amendments were offered between the two budgets.

Ten amendments related to higher education were proposed. The following were amended to the budget:

• The Joint Higher Education Committee must complete a thorough and holistic review of state financial aid programs. The scope of the work shall include completing an inventory of all state’s access, affordability, and merit programs; identifying which programs serve which populations; identifying gaps and duplications in service; and compiling any necessary research on existing programs. A final report is due to the Governor and appropriate Legislative committees by January 15 2015 and will include any recommendations for any improvements to state financial aid programs that will: (a) increase access to and affordability of, higher education in Washington for all students, (b) improve simplicity and transparency of the financial aid assistance available to students, and (c) efficiently utilize state resources in a manner that achieves serving more students.
• Restores the Governor’s proposed 2014 supplemental budgeted FTE enrollment levels for the State Board of Community and Technical Colleges.
• Clarifies language with regard to funding and FTE levels contracted with Central Washington University, Western Washington University, and the University of Washington -Bothell as they relate to the University Center of North Puget Sound.
• States that it is the intent of the Legislature to reconsider grant awards for students at private four-year institutions i the 2015-17 biennium.
• Provides $410,000 for the mathematics engineering science achievement community college program.

The budgets now move to the Senate floor for consideration.