FINAL BILL REPORT

                 EHB 1501

                         C 250 L 93

                     Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Notifying students at public institutions of higher education of the amount their education is supported by the state.

By Representatives Silver, Jacobsen, Ballasiotes, Brumsickle, Carlson, Mielke, Talcott, Dyer, Cooke, Hansen, Jones, Quall, Padden and Wood.

House Committee on Higher Education

Senate Committee on Higher Education

Background:  In Washington State, tuition is established in statute as a fixed percentage of educational costs.  The percentage, which has remained unchanged for a decade, varies according to type of student and type of institution attended.

The educational cost formula used to calculate tuition does not include all state appropriations for higher education.  The formula does include 100 percent of state general fund and local fund expenditures for instruction and proportional amounts for support programs.  Support programs include libraries, student services, institutional and primary support, and plant operations and maintenance.

For the 1991-93 Biennium, the amount of tuition that students are paying equals about 18.3 percent of the state general fund appropriations for higher education.  Many students and their parents do not know how much the state is supporting each student's education.

Summary:  Beginning on July 30, 1993, the Higher Education Coordinating Board will annually develop and distribute information on the amount of state support received by students at public and private colleges, universities, and proprietary schools.  The types of expenditures that may be reported include expenditures included in the cost formula, revenue forgiven from waived tuition and fees, state-funded financial aid awarded to students at public institutions, and certain appropriated amounts not reflected in the educational cost formula.

At least annually, beginning with the fall 1993 academic term, public colleges and universities will provide students in each tuition category with information on the approximate amount of state support they receive.  Each private institution will inform its students about the amount of state funded financial aid that is provided to students at that institution.  Each institution may use any format appropriate for students, including posters, handouts and information in registration packets.

Votes on Final Passage:

House  93 2

Senate 46 0 (Senate amended)

House  97 0 (House concurred)

Effective:  July 25, 1993