News - Local News

POSTED: Friday, Apr. 03, 2009

WWU funding woes could mean big tuition jumps, more time to graduate

BELLINGHAM - The proposed state House and Senate budgets call for reducing Western Washington University's state allocation by 25 percent, almost twice what Western Washington University leaders had expected.

Reductions of that level would likely result in the elimination of about 250 jobs, and students would probably need an additional year to graduate, according to data from the University Planning and Budgeting Office.

"This was really quite shocking," WWU president Bruce Shepard told the board of trustees during a meeting Thursday, April 2. "Universities can't just suck it up for a couple years and come back the way we were."

The two proposed budgets include federal stimulus funding and they call for tuition increases, making the net reduction about $21 million in the course of the 2009-11 biennium, or about 8 percent of the operating budget.

"If the state does this, it's going to be a difficult situation for much longer after (the recession) is over," said board member John Warner.

The two proposed budgets vary in key areas:

The Senate's two-year budget raises tuition by 7 percent each year, includes $8.8 million in stimulus funding and reduces the state allocation by about $38 million.

The House's budget raises tuition by 10 percent each year, includes $5.9 million in stimulus funding and reduces the state allocation by about $39 million.

Shepard said during the meeting that even though the Legislature calls for increasing tuition for all students, WWU will raise tuition only for undergraduate state residents. Graduate and out-of-state students already pay more to attend WWU than the national average tuition of state schools its size.

University officials have been planning for budget cuts since Gov. Chris Gregoire released her proposed budget in December. At the time, WWU expected to reduce the budget by about 5 percent, but planned for more if needed.

The House and Senate plans call for cuts beyond those included in the WWU budgeting process, but Shepard said deans and vice presidents have been looking for additional cuts.

Members of college boards across the state have been lobbying the Legislature to give each institution the flexibility to raise tuition by more than 7 percent a year. Many of WWU's board members would like to increase tuition by 14 percent each year, or about $600, to help offset the state funding cut.

If WWU's tuition is raised that much, the budget would be back to about what the governor proposed.

"If we can get back to the position of the governor's budget, we'll weather this," Shepard said.

University officials won't know exact dollar amounts or what programs and staff will be affected until the state budget is finalized.