The Washington State Senate rushed through the passage of E2SHB 1795, the “Higher Education Opportunity Act,” readying the bill for Governor’s signature into law. This bill represents a significant and historic policy shift, granting local undergraduate tuition-setting authority to institutions.
The shifting of tuition-setting authority from the Legislature to universities’ Boards of Regents and Trustees eliminates the mechanism for student input in the process. Legislative authority has an inherent mechanism for student input through the electoral process and the responsibility for legislators to listen and respond to their constituents. However, governor-appointed Trustees do not carry these same obligations. This bill will severely limit students’ ability to have a voice in the process.
A joint GPSS-ASUW proposal outlined three concrete mechanisms to protect the student voice in the process. However, the Senate avoided having a conversation with the No. 1 stakeholder, students.
”This bill, absent crucial amendments to ensure student voice and opportunity, signifies the end of opportunity for students,” said GPSS President Sarah Reyneveld. “GPSS is concerned that the bill passed without an opportunity for students to weigh in on the proposal in the Senate and with virtually no additional provisions to ensure student input in the tuition-setting process.”
The proposal included the following elements:
- Limit the eight-year sunset clause to four years.
- Mandate that institutions create budget advisory committees made up of students that report directly to the provost of each respective four-year state institution.
- Mandate public comments periods at board meetings.
“The House ignored our concerns. And when the Senate ducked debate on potential amendments, we were not given the opportunity to pursue our proposal,” said Ben Henry, GPSS Vice President and legislative liaison.
The bill, expected to be signed into law by Gov. Chris Gregoire, is, in essence, a historic policy shift after decades of student opposition to local tuition control. ASUW and GPSS hopes to pursue this proposal with the UW administration, and then to propose a bill next legislative session.
“Higher education and, specifically, students, now stand to be the biggest losers of this legislative session,” Henry said. “We have lost on institutional funding and on financial aid. Now, students are relinquishing the ability to have a voice in the tuition-setting process. The Legislature is making a clear and calculated statement that students of higher education are not a priority in this state.”
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The Daily: University to have control of tuition for extended period of time
Seattle Times: Gregoire says she'll sign bill letting schools set tuition
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