Washington colleges, universities brace for big budget hit

By The Associated Press

SEATTLE — Washington’s public colleges and universities are preparing for large budget cuts because of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.

The Seattle Times reports the state is expected to slash funding, since higher education dollars aren’t protected by the state constitution in the same way K-12 dollars are.

With the coronavirus pandemic expanding this spring, universities lost hundreds of millions in residence hall rents, meal plans, parking fees and sports tickets when schools closed their campuses. At community colleges, many hands-on vocational programs were canceled.

When — or if — students return, campus life will likely be different, with many lectures taught online and dorm rooms reconfigured to keep people apart.

“I’m a little worried people don’t understand quite how bad this is going to be,” said Western Washington University English professor Bill Lyne, president of United Faculty of Washington State, a faculty union for four Washington public schools.

Higher education can be cut because it’s considered discretionary. While Washington’s Constitution enshrines education as the state’s paramount duty, few believe that includes learning beyond 12th grade.

In the current fiscal year, the state appropriated $2.2 billion for higher education, including $377 million in student financial aid. Colleges and universities collected $1.5 billion in tuition and fees.

During the 2008 recession, higher education institutions were among the hardest-hit state agencies. State funding per student declined by about 35 percent in Washington between 2007 and 2012. Only five other states cut higher-education funding by a higher percentage than Washington during the recession years.

Colleges and universities laid off workers, eliminated academic programs, restricted admissions, increased class sizes, decreased the number of advisers, and froze faculty recruitments and salaries.

Legislators are expected to return to the Capitol this summer for a special session to help fix the impending budget crisis, and it’s possible they could amend a law capping tuition. But leaders acknowledge it’s going to be hard to raise tuition much anyway, because so many families are dealing with dire financial problems too.

Earlier this month, state Budget Director David Schumacher asked many state agencies to show how they might cut 15 percent of their state budget appropriations. Exercises like this one show “how damaging things get if you’re doing it with all cuts,” he said.

If such a cut came to pass, “it will be devastating,” UW President Ana Mari Cauce told the UW Regents during a meeting this month. “It will hurt students, it will lead to an absolutely diminished recovery for the entire state. We will do everything in our power for that not to happen.”

More in News

Jon Picker, airport and marina manager for the Port of Port Angeles, describes runway sections for William R. Fairchild International Airport on a diagram of the terminal area. (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News)
Fairchild upgrades completed

Ribbon cutting is planned for Dec. 12

Clallam County eyes changes to park fees

Public hearing on adjustments set Dec. 12

Rich Foutch of Active Construction, Inc., in Tacoma paints a line on the roadway at the new roundabout at Kearney Street and state Highway 20 for the placement of temporary stripes in a pedestrian crosswalk on Monday in Port Townsend. The temperatures have to be in the mid-50s to install permanent striping, he said. (Steve Mullensky/for Peninsula Daily News)
Roundabout striping

Rich Foutch of Active Construction, Inc., in Tacoma paints a line on… Continue reading

Proposal to rename Sequim road put on hold

Rotary, city to consider other options to honor local Olympian

Researcher: Managed forests needed to fight climate change

Wood products can replace existing fossil fuel-based materials

Jefferson County updates fee schedules

Environmental Public Health up 6 percent

The downtown Port Angeles Christmas tree is surrounded by people during a lighting ceremony on Saturday at First and Lincoln streets. The 30-foot tree will stand at the Conrad Dyar Memorial Fountain plaza through the holidays. (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News)
Lit up for the holidays

The downtown Port Angeles Christmas tree is surrounded by people during a… Continue reading

tsr
Community Aid seeks support for Toys for Sequim Kids

Nonprofit helps hundreds of children with Christmas presents

Planned electrical outage in Forks on Thursday

A planned power outage in Forks will affect electric service… Continue reading

Nordland man dies of injuries from Nov. 14 wreck

A second person involved in a two-car collision on Nov.… Continue reading

Santa Claus, portrayed by Stephen Rosales of Sequim, waves to the crowd after his arrival by vintage fire truck at Centennial Place in downtown Sequim on Saturday, part of the city’s Hometown Holidays celebration. Santa, accompanied by Irrigation Festival royalty, greeted children next to the city’s Christmas tree in an event that also featured music by the Sequim City Band and a lighted tractor parade. (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News)
Holiday tradition

Santa Claus, portrayed by Stephen Rosales of Sequim, waves to the crowd… Continue reading

District 3 chief pick bows out

Fire officials could resume search in ’24