Stephanie Iris Schendel
Cost of tuition at Washington’s public universities and colleges will continue to rise and due to the unpredictability of these increases, legislators are proposing changes to the future pay-out method of the state’s prepaid college-savings program.
The Guaranteed Education Tuition (GET) Program was created to make saving for college more affordable and accessible to Washington’s families, said Betty Lochner, the director of the GET Program. The sustainability of program however depends on predictable increases of tuition prices.
“The concern about GET is really a reflection of what is going to happen to tuition predictability over the long-term,” Don Bennett, the executive director of the Higher Education Coordinating Board said.
Because the price of tuition remains unpredictable, there is legislative concern of creating a liability for future purchasers, Bennett said.
When a person buys a year of tuition with the current GET Program, they are guaranteed to receive a future pay-out that covers tuition and mandatory student fees at whichever Washington’s most-expensive public university will be at that time.
“In the way the state is moving currently they want to have much higher tuition for University of Washington (UW) and Washington State University (WSU) than the other schools,” Lochner said. “They want to de-link that (price) from the GET Program so it is not paying out at the highest tuition.”
Chio Flores, the director of financial aid and scholarships at WSU said she can understand why the state of Washington is taking the precautionary method of trying to change the pay-out of the program.
“The reality is that tuition always increases and it has always increased,” Flores said. “The types of increases that we have been seeing in the past ten years however, have been much more significant and remarkable (than before).”
The recent financial crisis caused even higher spikes in tuition than usual, she said, including the 14 percent rise to WSU’s tuition two years ago.
Another significant increase in WSU’s tuition is likely to happen again, she said.
“The amount in the past has been dictated by the state,” Flores said. “It has been capped at no more than a 7 percent increase and it takes legislative action to remove that cap.”
Currently, there is proposed legislation to remove that cap for the next two years, which would allow up to an additional 11 percent hike to tuition, she said.
Increase in the cost of higher education is not unique to Washington, Lochner said. Prepaid college programs similar to Washington’s GET Program in other states have faced the same problem.
“Texas probably is the most recent one that has restructured their program to a different pay-out,” Lochner said. “They are getting about 25 percent of the new enrollment than they got from the old program. For example, we get about 10,000 new enrollments a year that would take it down to 2,500.”
If legislation regarding the GET Program passes, it would change the pay-out method to be a “weighted average” of tuition growth of all public institutions of higher education, including community colleges, Lochner said.
“Because the community college system has so many students, about 125,000, it would weigh that top (tuition increase) way down,” she said.
The changes to the program will make it more difficult and complicated for families to plan for college, she said, especially for more expensive universities like WSU and UW.
“Our job is to run the program the best way we can and implement any changes,” Lochner said. “We don’t necessarily agree with those changes.”
She also said people who are already in the program and enrolled through March 31 of this year will not be affected by the change.
Sources
Don Bennett
360.753.7831
donb@hecb.wa.gov
Chio Flores
509.335.9720
cflores@wsu.edu
Betty Everitt Lochner
BettyL@HECB.WA.GOV
360-753-7871 (office)
Outline
Lede: Uncertainty about the future price of tuition impacts Washington’s prepaid college tuition program
First Section:
Why Washington needs to change the pay-out method
Introduce all three sources
Second section:
History and future of rising tuition prices
Third section:
How rising tuition makes it nearly-impossible for a tuition based program to exist
What that means for families planning for college
How the program would be specifically change
Other state-based university saving programs
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Apparently I stink at basic math.
1. Last year, the school spent $8,300 for office equipment. This year, it will spend 5 percent less. How much will it spend this year?
$7,885
2. The spelling and grammar test was taken by 217 students. Thirty-seven failed. What percent passed?
83 percent passed.
3. We have a company. We make crap. Some people get paid more than others.
* The CEO earns $150,000 a year. She has a nice office and thinks big ideas.
* Two top managers earn $100,000 a year for attending meetings, writing memos, etc.
* The company has three security guards. They bust heads and carry Tasers. They earn $40,000 a year.
* Finally, we have designers/engineers. They do the actual work. We pay them $35,000 and put them in cubicles like zoo animals.
Mean salary? - $67,500
Median salary? - $40,000
Which is more accurate? - $40,000
4. Desperate for revenue, the government decides to increase the tax on beer. The tax on food is 5 percent. But if you buy beer, you pay an extra percent, or a total of 6 percent. Supporters of the tax say this is only a 1 percentage increase; critics say this is a 20 percent increase. Who is right?
1 percent increase in relation to the price of beer.
20 percent increase in relation to the tax on food.
5. a. The city’s budget was cut from $2 million to $1.5 million. What was the percent decrease?
25 percent decrease
b. The city’s budget increased from $1.5 million to $2 million. What was the percent increase?
33.3333 percent increase
6. Last year, your property tax bill was $1,152. This year, it rose to $1,275. What’s the percent increase?
10.6 percent
7. We want to look at home sales in October.
* House 1 costs $225,000.
* House 2 costs $207,000.
* House 3 costs $129,000.
* House 4 costs $192,000.
* House 5 costs $3.2 million.
What’s the mean price? What’s the median?
Median: $207,000
Mean: $790,600
8. You and your four roommates have ordered a 16-slice pizza. Because you skipped lunch, it is agreed that you should have a 1/4 share of the total. The roommates divide the remainder equally. How much does each one get?
3 slices each
9. Let’s say someone wants to establish a University District. To gain support, he/she needs to establish that safety is a problem in the area. Assume the following:
* Pullman had 183 assaults last year. Spokane had 502.
* Spokane has 200,000 people. Pullman has 25,000.
Is the average person more likely to be assaulted in Spokane or Pullman? What's the per capita assault rate in each city?
10. House prices increased 40 percent this year to a median price of $210,000. What was the median house price last year?
(Credit: Poynter Institute)
$7,885
2. The spelling and grammar test was taken by 217 students. Thirty-seven failed. What percent passed?
83 percent passed.
3. We have a company. We make crap. Some people get paid more than others.
* The CEO earns $150,000 a year. She has a nice office and thinks big ideas.
* Two top managers earn $100,000 a year for attending meetings, writing memos, etc.
* The company has three security guards. They bust heads and carry Tasers. They earn $40,000 a year.
* Finally, we have designers/engineers. They do the actual work. We pay them $35,000 and put them in cubicles like zoo animals.
Mean salary? - $67,500
Median salary? - $40,000
Which is more accurate? - $40,000
4. Desperate for revenue, the government decides to increase the tax on beer. The tax on food is 5 percent. But if you buy beer, you pay an extra percent, or a total of 6 percent. Supporters of the tax say this is only a 1 percentage increase; critics say this is a 20 percent increase. Who is right?
1 percent increase in relation to the price of beer.
20 percent increase in relation to the tax on food.
5. a. The city’s budget was cut from $2 million to $1.5 million. What was the percent decrease?
25 percent decrease
b. The city’s budget increased from $1.5 million to $2 million. What was the percent increase?
33.3333 percent increase
6. Last year, your property tax bill was $1,152. This year, it rose to $1,275. What’s the percent increase?
10.6 percent
7. We want to look at home sales in October.
* House 1 costs $225,000.
* House 2 costs $207,000.
* House 3 costs $129,000.
* House 4 costs $192,000.
* House 5 costs $3.2 million.
What’s the mean price? What’s the median?
Median: $207,000
Mean: $790,600
8. You and your four roommates have ordered a 16-slice pizza. Because you skipped lunch, it is agreed that you should have a 1/4 share of the total. The roommates divide the remainder equally. How much does each one get?
3 slices each
9. Let’s say someone wants to establish a University District. To gain support, he/she needs to establish that safety is a problem in the area. Assume the following:
* Pullman had 183 assaults last year. Spokane had 502.
* Spokane has 200,000 people. Pullman has 25,000.
Is the average person more likely to be assaulted in Spokane or Pullman? What's the per capita assault rate in each city?
10. House prices increased 40 percent this year to a median price of $210,000. What was the median house price last year?
(Credit: Poynter Institute)
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Edit Your Peers
1. In the past the government was able to control public messages to Arab countries now, however, social media cannot be regulated.
2. Tunisia was the first nation to revolt against its government on Jan. 14.
3. Founding Dean of the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication and speaker Dr. Lawrence Pintak said the recorded beating of a man had taped illegal police activity.
4. Cell phone pictures of a Tunisian fruit vendor who lit himself on fire in protest of police seizing his fruit cart were broadcast online, which ignited conflict throughout Arab nations.
5. Rev. Jesse Jackson talked about lessons learned from the civil rights movement. If people became politically active, then they can change government policy.
6. The 18-day revolution in Egypt was not an expected event, the oppressed lower-class Arabs had been preparing for years, Pintak said.
7. The Arab government pulled the plug on the Internet in January.
8. “I loved the 90s,” Smith said. The 1990s resulted in more technological innovations that any decade in the 20th Century, she said.
1. In the past the government was able to control public messages to Arab countries now, however, social media cannot be regulated.
2. Tunisia was the first nation to revolt against its government on Jan. 14.
3. Founding Dean of the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication and speaker Dr. Lawrence Pintak said the recorded beating of a man had taped illegal police activity.
4. Cell phone pictures of a Tunisian fruit vendor who lit himself on fire in protest of police seizing his fruit cart were broadcast online, which ignited conflict throughout Arab nations.
5. Rev. Jesse Jackson talked about lessons learned from the civil rights movement. If people became politically active, then they can change government policy.
6. The 18-day revolution in Egypt was not an expected event, the oppressed lower-class Arabs had been preparing for years, Pintak said.
7. The Arab government pulled the plug on the Internet in January.
8. “I loved the 90s,” Smith said. The 1990s resulted in more technological innovations that any decade in the 20th Century, she said.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
5621
SB 5621 - DIGEST
Allows students, having attained the age of fourteen as
of the date of the election, to vote in school board elections
for the district in which they are enrolled and in good
standing.
Senator White
No fiscal note
Allows students, having attained the age of fourteen as
of the date of the election, to vote in school board elections
for the district in which they are enrolled and in good
standing.
Senator White
No fiscal note
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
HB 5749
1. guarantees tuition prices for future college students
2. 119,000
3. Students will pay S&A fees at the time of enrollment
HB 1325
1. Representatives Hunt, Dammeier, Darneille, Liias, Carlyle, Roberts, Jinkins, Orwall, Kenney, Hasegawa, McCoy, Fitzgibbon, Tharinger
2. Reorganizes school districts
3. about 150 school districts
4. Save money
5. $1,079,210
HB 1116
1. Contracting state liquor stores
2. Representatives Alexander, Dammeier.
3. Public Hearing on Feb. 7
4. NONE
2. 119,000
3. Students will pay S&A fees at the time of enrollment
HB 1325
1. Representatives Hunt, Dammeier, Darneille, Liias, Carlyle, Roberts, Jinkins, Orwall, Kenney, Hasegawa, McCoy, Fitzgibbon, Tharinger
2. Reorganizes school districts
3. about 150 school districts
4. Save money
5. $1,079,210
HB 1116
1. Contracting state liquor stores
2. Representatives Alexander, Dammeier.
3. Public Hearing on Feb. 7
4. NONE
Politics: You are the editor response
If I were to publish a story about this issue I would have the focus of the article be on the senator's response to the accusations, not necessarily the accusations of the blogger. I would primarily focus on how the senator responded, whether the senator plans on suing, and then explain what the blogger said and the blogger's credibility.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)