Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - December 8, 1998
Contact:  Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136

Governor makes higher education Washington's Promise

OLYMPIA — Gov. Gary Locke's budget proposal for Washington State colleges and universities will increase enrollment by nearly 10,000 students in the next biennium and make a college education a reality for students who work hard to get good grades.

The two-year budget plan adds $136 million for higher-education programs to meet the growing demand for college degrees that have become a necessity for people who want a good job.

Locke said he will put before the 1999 Legislature a scholarship program that will help low- and middle-income families afford the rising costs of higher education for their children. Washington's Promise Scholarships will provide a two-year scholarship – a total of $3,000 – for about 7,200 high school students starting with this year's senior class.

"Going to college is part of the American Dream," Locke said. "But today, a college education is a necessity for anyone seeking a satisfying career and good pay. Washington's Promise Scholarships will make the dream of a college education a reality for high school students who meet rigorous state standards for learning."

The governor's budget proposal for the state's community colleges and four-year colleges and universities are in line with many recommendations forwarded by the Governor's 2020 Commission on the Future of Post-Secondary Education. In October, the blue ribbon panel of business, education, industry, and government leaders presented a plan to turn Washington into a "a state of learning" by the year 2020.

The governor said his 1999-01 budget proposal for colleges and universities carries on his commitment to keep education his highest priority, advance student achievement and hold higher-education institutions accountable for results. The success of the state's Workfirst welfare reform program has produced more than $190 million in savings that can be redirected to help build a "world-class education system for the 21st century," he said. The governor's higher-education plan for the 1999-01 Biennium:

* Expands access by increasing enrollment and providing more education opportunities closer to where busy residents live and work.

* Rises to the challenge of meeting business and industry demands for a workforce with the skills and knowledge necessary to fill tomorrow's jobs.

* Provides predictable and affordable tuition for in-state undergraduates, while allowing state colleges and four-year institutions greater autonomy in setting tuition rates for out-of-state, graduate and professional-level students.

Locke proposes to expand enrollment by 9,785 full-time equivalent students at state colleges and universities – 1,700 more than is needed to maintain current per-capita enrollment levels. Under the governor's plan, state higher-education institutions will be encouraged to compete for the additional 1,700 positions for students preparing for careers in high-demand fields.

By creating partnerships among higher-education institutions, including the community and technical colleges, the governor's budget proposal provides more opportunities to put higher education within reach of more people. Capacity at popular branch campuses is increased with a $174 million capital-budget plan for construction at the five branch campuses.

Use of technology to serve students "on line" would be expanded through the creation of the Washington Online College, which would allow more people to take college and university courses for credit via the Internet.

The emphasis that another $13 million in new funding places on workforce training means that about 55,000 students in training programs throughout the community college system will learn skills truly in demand.

As rapid growth of the information-technology industry leaves thousands of jobs unfilled, new funding for technology workforce training at state colleges and universities will triple the number of students earning technology degrees, Locke said.

Among 2020 Commission proposals adopted in the governor's budget plan is the recommendation to give state colleges and universities flexibility in setting tuition, which traditionally has been done by the Legislature.

The governor's proposal gives the state's four-year institutions and the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges the authority to increase tuition, but limits their discretion to 5 percent per year for in-state undergraduates. The institutions would have more flexibility in setting tuition for non-resident students and those at graduate and professional levels. Revenue from tuition increases could be used for faculty salary, recruitment and retention, as well as reducing inequities involving full and part-time faculty, technology equipment, and staff training.

The $136 million in enhancements that Locke announced for college and university programs do not include the governor's proposal for general increases for higher-education faculty and staff. Details of the compensation package will be released when the governor presents his full budget proposal for the next biennium next week.

However, the enhancements do include $4 million to attract and keep top faculty at the four-year institutions, as well as $4 million to close the gap between salary levels of part-time and full-time faculty at community colleges. In both cases, the schools will be required to match the state funding with local tuition funds.

Locke said education reform in the K-12 system is yielding success because basic standards have been established for student achievement. His budget proposal for higher education contains funding to design a similar approach to establish clear markers for student achievement in state colleges and universities.

"Now that we have set standards for learning in K-12 schools," Locke said, "it's time we ensure our higher-education institutions are producing students who are achieving the higher levels of learning we expect from a college education."

The governor said his proposal for Washington's Promise Scholarships supports his effort to make student achievement the goal at all levels of the state's education system. The $20 million program will allow many more families afford a college education, which has become essential in preparing for careers that are satisfying and pay well.

"As Washington watches its reforms in K-12 schools improve student achievement, it also will find a new generation of high school students who have met the challenge and measured up to rigorous standards for learning," Locke said. "As our high school students work hard and do well in school, they want to know a college education will be available to them."

Washington's Promise Scholarships will:

* Award scholarships to students who pass in all subject areas of the state's 10th grade test. Because the 10th grade tests will not be fully implemented until the 2000-01 school year, scholarships initially will be provided for the top 15 percent of graduating classes from 1999 to 2002.

* Provide scholarships of about $3,000 each – enough to pay tuition for two years at a community college. The scholarships also can be applied to tuition at public and private four-year colleges and universities within the state. The scholarships will be available to about 7,200 students in the next biennium. About 60,000 seniors graduate from the state's public high schools each year.

* Grant scholarships to students in families earning up to 135 percent of the state median family income – about $69,000 annually for a family of four. In addition, students in low-income families who qualify for state need and federal Pell grants for post-secondary education can also receive a Washington's Promise Scholarship

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