Tag Archives: Budget

Senate Committee Advances Budget Proposals

Posted on by
Reply

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.

Washington House Releases Supplemental Budgets

Posted on by
Reply

This afternoon the Washington House released a proposed 2014 Supplemental Operating and Capital budget.

The House’s proposal would boost the state’s $33.6 billion dollar budget by approximately $170 million. The majority of the increase goes to maintaining current services. The major changes to maintenance level include mandatory caseload, utilization, and federal match rate adjustments in health care, staff mix and enrollment changes in K-12; College Bound Scholarship adjustments in higher education; caseload adjustments in TANF/WCCC;  Hospital Safety Net Assessment and Affordable Care Act Implementation adjustments; and self-insurance and workers compensation premium adjustments.

The budget also includes approximately $82 million in policy level increases. Among those changes included are $60 million for K-12 for materials, supplies, and operating costs; $18 million in community mental health funding increases; and $4 million in higher education increases in addition to $5 million to support the Real Hope Act.

Higher Education

The supplemental budget proposed by the House supports the investment made in higher education in the 2013-15 biennial budget.

The budget makes a handful of investments in higher education including $5 million to the State Need Grant in response to the Real Hope Act and $2 million to support the Institute of Protein Design at the University of Washington and matching funds to support a federal grant for the Jet Fuels Center of Excellence at Washington State University.

The budget also maintains the ability for public baccalaureate institutions to raise tuition beyond appropriated tuition levels for the 2014-15 academic year. The budget includes clarifying language that underscores the requirement that institutions that raise tuition beyond appropriated levels must mitigate the impact to students with additional financial aid.

Capital Budget

The House also proposed a supplemental capital budget for higher education. The House provided funding for a small number of projects across higher education. This includes authority for Evergreen to enter into a certificate of participation to purchase the existing facility in Tacoma for the College’s Tacoma program; $2 million to remove, clean and dispose of two underground diesel oil tanks at Central Washington University; and $5 million to renovate the Carver Academic Center at Western Washington University.

Senate Ways & Means Holds Hearing on Proposed Senate Operating and Capital Budgets

Posted on by
Reply

On Tuesday afternoon the Senate Ways & Means Committee held a public hearing on the Senate’s proposed 2014 supplemental operating and capital budgets. Evergreen, along with other higher education stakeholders, testified to the impact of the supplemental budgets on institutions and students.

The Committee is expected to hold an executive session on the budgets later today.

Operating Budget

Evergreen thanked the Senate for the investment in higher education in the biennial budget and shared with the Committee Evergreen’s commitment to not increase tuition in either academic year of the biennium.  In addition, the College shared its support for the investment in the College Bound program, the State Need Grant with the passage of the Real Hope Act, and the Opportunity Scholarship.

Evergreen shared concerns with the committee about the inclusion of policy language to collect and distribute information with regard to student earnings post-graduation.  Citing the importance of accurate and clear post-graduation success data, Evergreen testified with specific concerns about the validity and integrity of the data to be collected as proposed. Evergreen shared its support for a proposed amendment that was offered by the University of Washington when similar language was considered in the House Higher Education Committee.

Finally Evergreen shared the impact of budget reductions to the College in the biennial budget including reductions related to the absorption of IT savings and Lean Management efficiencies.

With regard to higher education, the supplemental budget proposed by the Senate supports the investment made in higher education in the 2013-15 biennial budget. The budget does extend the current tuition freeze to the second year of the biennium.

The budget makes a handful of investments in higher education including $5 million for the State Need Grant which was expanded under the Real Hope Act and $25 million to expand Opportunity Scholarships available and match the additional private contributions received. In addition the budget includes language for the Washington Student Achievement Council to conduct an assessment of the higher education needs of the city of Covington, the Washington State Auditor to conduct an audit of the use of dedicated local and operating fee accounts by Washington’s public higher education institutions and the Education Research and Data Center to collect and publish short-term and long-term earnings and employment data for completers of higher education degrees.

Capital Budget

Evergreen thanked the Senate for providing Evergreen with the authority to enter into a certificate of participation, through the Office of the State Treasurer, to purchase the building the College currently leases for the College’s Tacoma program.

Evergreen shared concerns with regard to a budget shift which moves $855,000 from General Obligation Bonds to Evergreen’s Capital Projects Account Fund.

With regard to higher education the Senate provided funding for a small number of projects across higher education. This includes authority for Evergreen to enter into a certificate of participation to purchase the existing facility in Tacoma for the College’s Tacoma program; $2 million to remove, clean and dispose of two underground diesel oil tanks at Central Washington University; and $50,000 to conduct a budget evaluation study  of the Carver academic building renovation with OFM and Western Washington University.

Senate Releases Supplemental Operating and Capital Budgets

Posted on by
Reply

This afternoon the Washington Senate released a proposed 2014 Supplemental Operating and Capital budget.

The Senate proposal would boost the state’s $33.6 billion dollar budget by approximately $95.7 million. Of the $95.7 million over half  ($52.1 million) is focused on net policy enhancements and increases including $5 million for the State Need Grant due to the passage of the Real Hope Act and $25 million for the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship Program. Much of the remainder ($43.5 million) is associated with maintenance level changes for caseload and other adjustments based on current law requirements including $12 million for higher than anticipated College Bound enrollments.

The Washington House is expected to release a proposed supplemental operating and capital budget later this week.

Higher Education

The supplemental budget proposed by the Senate supports the investment made in higher education in the 2013-15 biennial budget.

The budget makes a handful of investments in higher education including $5 million for the State Need Grant which was expanded under the Real Hope Act and $25 million to expand Opportunity Scholarships available and match the additional private contributions received. In addition the budget includes language for the Washington Student Achievement Council to conduct an assessment of the higher education needs of the city of Covington, the Washington State Auditor to conduct an audit of the use of dedicated local and operating fee accounts by Washington’s public higher education institutions and the Education Research and Data Center to collect and publish short-term and long-term earnings and employment data for completers of higher education degrees.

The budget also extends the tuition freeze for the first half of the biennium to the second year of the biennium.

Capital Budget

The Senate also proposed a supplemental capital budget for higher education. The Senate provided funding for a small number of projects across higher education. This includes authority for Evergreen to enter into a certificate of participation to purchase the existing facility in Tacoma for the College’s Tacoma program; $2 million to remove, clean and dispose of two underground diesel oil tanks at Central Washington University; and $50,000 to conduct a budget evaluation study  of the Carver academic building renovation with OFM and Western Washington University.

Institutions Present on Incentive Funding in the Senate

Posted on by
Reply

Performance funding also known as incentive funding was the focus of the Senate Higher Education Committee this afternoon. The Committee held a work session on efforts in the two-year and public, four-year sectors and a public hearing on legislation that would implement a framework for the public baccalaureate sector.

Work Session

This afternoon Evergreen presented before the Senate Higher Education Committee. In a focused presentation before the Committee, John Carmichael, Deputy to the President and member of the Technical Incentive Funding Model Task Force and Laura Coghlan, Director of Institutional Research and Assessment addressed the question posed by the Committee –  How will each institution respond to the goals identified in the public baccalaureate incentive funding model proposal?

In December the Office of Financial Management released a report from the Technical Incentive Funding  Model Task Force. The Task Force was established in the 2013-15 biennial budget to propose an incentive funding model for the four-year institutions of higher education.

The Task Force identified three statewide goals for the public baccalaureate institutions in the report: (1) Increase overall degree production, (2) Increase degree production in STEM/high demand areas, and (3) Increase degree production for students from underrepresented groups.

In the presentation Evergreen spoke to how the College and its mission would strive to play a role in moving the public baccalaureate sector forward within the context of these three goals.  Evergreen highlighted the College’s strengths recognizing that the institution make a strong contribution to the state in the areas of efficient degree production, STEM/High Demand degrees, and degree attainment for underrepresented students.

Within this context, Evergreen recognizes that the College could make additional contributions to the statewide goals identified in the report with additional resources.

In particular, Evergreen identified improvement in the areas of general degree production through investments in retention initiatives; STEM/High Demand degree production through investments in faculty and financial aid; and attainment of underrepresented students through investments in targeted outreach and support for underrepresented minority, non-traditional age, and veterans.

Public Hearing

The Committee also held a public hearing on legislation that would place into statute a performance funding framework for Washington’s public baccalaureate institutions.

Senate Bill 6042 would create an incentive funding structure to encourage student success in Washington’s public baccalaureate institutions and provide a funding enhancement of $25 million each fiscal year based on institutional performance towards three statewide goals: (1) the number of degrees produced, (2) number of high demand degrees produced, and (3) number of degrees awarded to underrepresented students.

The Council of Presidents testified in support of a performance funding framework and in the general framework put forward in the bill. However the Council indicated additional conversations were necessary about the specific implementation of the framework.

Evergreen Presents on Legislative Enhancement

Posted on by
Reply

This afternoon Evergreen presented before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Education regarding the legislative enhancement the College received for additional institutional support. In particular, Steve Trotter, Executive Director for Operational Budget and Planning and Julie Garver, Director for Governmental Relations presented on how much the College received and how the College has or plans to spend the funds in the 2013-15 biennium.

Evergreen received $2.899 million for additional institutional support above a fully funded maintenance level for the 2013-15 biennium. Recognizing reductions to support the Governor’s Lean Program and in the area of IT savings, the total funds available to the college was $2.861 million.

The funds appropriated to Evergreen increased state funding levels for the College and reduced the burden on students and families. The largest impact to students and families was the implementation of a tuition freeze for both academic years of the biennium. In addition Evergreen used these additional resource to enhance student, faculty and staff recruitment, retention and success initiatives  and to improve the institution’s basic IT and business services.

Evergreen was joined by colleagues from the other public baccalaureate institutions in presenting on this information.

Senate Committee Holds Public Hearing on Supplemental Budget

Posted on by
Reply

This afternoon the Senate Ways & Means Committee held a public hearing on Governor Inslee’s proposed 2014 supplemental budget.

Evergreen, along with other higher education stakeholders, testified to the impact of the supplemental budget on institutions and students.

Evergreen thanked the Legislature for the investment in higher education in the biennial budget and shared with the Committee Evergreen’s commitment to not increase tuition in either academic year of the biennium.  In addition, the College shared its support for the investment in the College Bound program and expressed concern that no investment was made to serve the 32,400 unserved, eligible students in the State Need Grant program.

In mid-December Governor Inslee released his proposed 2014 Supplemental Operating budget.

With regard to higher education, the supplemental budget proposed by Governor Inslee supports the investment made in higher education in the 2013-15 biennial budget and provides a good starting point for budget discussions for the 2015-17 biennium.

The budget makes a handful of investments in higher education including STEM programs for underrepresented students at the community and technical colleges ($410,000) and funds to meet the obligations for the College Bound Scholarship program ($7.2 million).  In addition the budget includes funds focused on advanced manufacturing programs and research at the University of Washington and Washington State University ($1 million).

The budget also maintains the ability for public baccalaureate institutions to raise tuition beyond appropriated tuition levels for the 2014-15 academic year. The budget includes clarifying language that underscores the requirement that institutions that raise tuition beyond appropriated levels must mitigate the impact to students with additional financial aid.

House Appropriations Holds Hearing on Supplemental Operating Budget

Posted on by
Reply

The first afternoon of the 2014 session the House Appropriations Committee held a public hearing on Governor Inslee’s proposed 2014 supplemental budget.

Evergreen, along with other higher education stakeholders, testified to the impact of the supplemental budget on institutions and students.

Evergreen thanked the Legislature for the investment in higher education in the biennial budget and shared with the Committee Evergreen’s commitment to not increase tuition in either academic year of the biennium.  In addition, the College shared its support for the investment in the College Bound program and expressed concern that no investment was made to serve the 32,400 unserved, eligible students in the State Need Grant program.

In mid-December Governor Inslee released his proposed 2014 Supplemental Operating budget.

Inslee’s proposal would boost the state’s $33.6 billion dollar budget by approximately $200 million. The majority of the increase goes to “mandatory costs” including increased enrollments in public schools and more inmates in prison. Approximately a quarter of the increase ($55 million) is focused on new programs including $3 million for teacher mentoring, $7 million to deal with prison capacity, and $13 million for technology upgrades.

With regard to higher education, the supplemental budget proposed by Governor Inslee supports the investment made in higher education in the 2013-15 biennial budget and provides a good starting point for budget discussions for the 2015-17 biennium.

The budget makes a handful of investments in higher education including STEM programs for underrepresented students at the community and technical colleges ($410,000) and funds to meet the obligations for the College Bound Scholarship program ($7.2 million).  In addition the budget includes funds focused on advanced manufacturing programs and research at the University of Washington and Washington State University ($1 million).

The budget also maintains the ability for public baccalaureate institutions to raise tuition beyond appropriated tuition levels for the 2014-15 academic year. The budget includes clarifying language that underscores the requirement that institutions that raise tuition beyond appropriated levels must mitigate the impact to students with additional financial aid.

The Senate Ways & Means Committee will hold a public hearing on the Governor’s proposed supplemental budget on Wednesday.

Governor Inslee Releases Supplemental Budgets

Posted on by
Reply

Today Governor Inslee released a proposed 2014 Supplemental Operating and Capital budget.

The Governor’s  proposal would boost the state’s $33.6 billion dollar budget by approximately $200 million. The majority of the increase goes to maintaining current services. The major changes to maintenance level include mandatory caseload and K-12 enrollment adjustments, College Bound Scholarship program adjustments, and funds to cover wildlife costs, prison capacity problems, and a legal settlement requiring the state to significantly expand mental health services for children.

The budget also makes a handful of investments across state programs.

Higher Education

The supplemental budget proposed by Governor Inslee supports the investment made in higher education in the 2013-15 biennial budget.

The budget makes a handful of investments in higher education including $7.2 million to accommodate higher costs for the College Bound Scholarship program and $1 million to support advanced manufacturing programs and research at the University of Washington and Washington State University.

The budget also maintains the ability for public baccalaureate institutions to raise tuition beyond appropriated tuition levels for the 2014-15 academic year. The budget includes clarifying language that underscores the requirement that institutions that raise tuition beyond appropriated levels must mitigate the impact to students with additional financial aid.

Capital Budget

The Governor also proposed a supplemental capital budget for higher education. The Governor provided funding for a small number of projects across higher education. This includes authority for Evergreen to enter into a certificate of participation to purchase the existing facility in Tacoma for the College’s Tacoma program; $2 million to remove, clean and dispose of two underground diesel oil tanks at Central Washington University; and $5 million to renovate the Carver Academic Center at Western Washington University.

Federal Budget Deal What It Means for Higher Education

Posted on by
Reply

The announcement last week that budget negotiators in D.C. had reached a budget deal is improved news for higher education compared to the series of cuts the sector has experienced in recent years.

The budget deal would alleviate reductions to research funding and campus-based student aid programs. While no specific funding levels are proposed for higher education, funding levels are increased for non-military spending which impacts higher education and research.

If passed by the Senate, the House has already passed the deal, budget writers would have $492 billion for non-military spending. This is approximately $23 billion more than would be available if the second round of automatic cuts (sequestration) were to occur in January, but still $14 billion below the original level of non-defense funding before the cuts were implemented.

Within these dollars policymakers would have the option to restore and even increase funding to campus-based financial aid programs and federal research agencies.

To pay for the reversal of sequestration cuts, policymakers identified various sources of revenue since raising taxes or making changes to entitlement programs were off the table. With regard to higher education, revenue would be generated by making changes to payments for loan servicers.

  • Default Reduction Program – This provision reduces the compensation that guaranty agencies receive for rehabilitating a loan from the Federal Family Education Loan Program beginning July 1, 2014. ($2 billion savings over 10 years).
  • Elimination of Non-Profit Servicing Contracts – This provision eliminates the mandatory spending for payments to non-profit student loan servicers and instead ensures they will be paid with discretionary funds in the same manner as other student loan services. ($3.1 billion savings)

Representatives of servicers and guaranty agencies expressed concerns about the proposed changes. They noted that cutting the default reduction fees would likely result in fewer loan rehabilitations but also negatively impact the ability of these agencies to provide access, financial literacy, and delinquency prevention services.

Congress must pass the new budget before January 15 to avert another government shutdown.