HECB budget recommendations aim to preserve progress in higher ed

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: NOVEMBER 21, 2008

     OLYMPIA—Preserving recent progress in higher education funding and providing modest budget increases going forward are vital investments needed to spur the state’s recovery from the current economic downturn, members of the Higher Education Coordinating Board (HECB) said at their regularly scheduled meeting today.

     Higher education represents one of the most powerful tools at the state’s disposal to help us grow our way out of the current economic downturn, meet critical workforce needs and spur innovation for future growth, Ann Daley, executive director of the HECB, told Board members.

     The Board approved an operating budget request for the state’s higher education system that would maintain the base carry-forward budgets of its two- and four-year institutions. The Board also recommended modest new investments to ensure a ‘safety-net’ for student access and progress toward key master plan goals.

     Board member Gene Colin of Seattle said the state should consider the Hippocratic Oath when making its higher education funding decisions for the coming biennium: “Do No Harm.”

     “It’s terribly important that legislators understand clearly the importance of higher education to the state of Washington, to its citizens and to its economic future,” said Board member Charley Bingham of Pierce County. “We say we are a globally competitive state, so we had better start graduating more globally educated people.”

     The Board’s operating budget request of $4.162 billion represents an increase of $139 million over a maintenance-level budget request.   

     To place this in perspective, the funding for all state postsecondary institutions is $3.650 billion for the 2007-2009 biennium. To provide the same level of service for the 2009-2011 biennium would cost $4.023 billion. This maintenance-level budget figure factors inflation and other cost increases that occur beyond the control of the institutions.

     Board members noted the actual maintenance level number may be smaller because of supplemental budget cuts this year. The exact amount of this reduction will not be known until next week.

     The proposed budget increase of $139 million beyond maintenance level would focus on meeting two additional sets of critical needs:

1. Economic safety-net needs. The request proposes funding limited community and technical college enrollments and a modest increase in the State Need Grant eligibility to 75 percent of median family income (MFI). This request would help the community and technical colleges meet increased demand for education due to the current economic downturn.
2. High-yield Strategic Master Plan investments necessary to move the state’s higher education system forward in future funding cycles – investments that will begin to raise the level of educational attainment in the state and build greater competitiveness and prosperity.

     Key proposals for funding include development of an online statewide Academic Guidance and Planning System that would speed degree progress by providing a centralized source of information on college transfer, course prerequisites and other information for students, counselors and faculty. 

     The Board also approved capital budget requests of $1.02 billion for the 2009-2011 biennium, an amount similar to that budgeted for the current biennium. About 57 percent of the capital funds being recommended would go to preserve existing facilities, while the remainder would be targeted for growth (29 percent) and research (14 percent).

     Capital budget requests were prioritized according to a new evaluation process conducted this year by the Office of Financial Management. A capacity study for the state’s higher education institutions—conducted to help the state implement goals of the Strategic Master Plan—recommended preservation of existing facilities, branch campus expansion and additional growth in the community and technical college sector.

     A breakdown of new operating funding requests is included below. In making the recommendation to increase funding by $139 million, the HECB trimmed more than $450 million from institutional operating requests submitted earlier this year.

Meeting Critical Economic Safety Net Needs - $36.786 million

• SBCTC limited community and technical college enrollments

• State Need Grant expanded eligibility to 75 percent of MFI

Make College Affordable and Easy to Access - $31.644 million - Provide direct support to keep students in school and address significant unmet demand for access in under-served regions such as Kitsap County.

• Opportunity Grants

• Technology for Student Achievement

• Affordable Tuition

• Planning funds for the Kitsap Region Higher Education Centers

Raise the Level of Educational Attainment – $31.814 million - Support increased retention and success efforts, improved outreach and recruitment, improve K-12 education, and increase high-demand enrollment.

Student Success and Retention: $13.68 million

• Student Achievement Initiative

• Student Recruitment and Retention

• Waiver Authority

Higher Expectations for K-12 Students: $2.52 million

• Transition Math Project

• Alternative Teacher Education

• Teach Washington

High Demand Programs: $25.61 million

• Increase access and degrees in areas of critical state need at the UW

• Provide for enrollment in STEM/Health Science at all WSU campuses

• High demand programs at Western Washington University

Promote Economic Growth and Innovation - $22.946 million

• WSU Emerging Issues in Agriculture and School for Global Animal Health

• UW College of the Environment, Biomedical Research

• CWU Innovation park and renewable energy

• WWU – Waterfront Partnership (partial funding)

The complete Board packet showing all recommendations in detail is available on the HECB Web site at www.hecb.wa.gov.

For more information contact: Gary Larson

E-mail: garyl@hecb.wa.gov

Phone: 360-704-4169  

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