BILL REQ. #:  H-4424.1 

Read first time 03/03/14.   

     WHEREAS, Increasing educational attainment is vital to the well-being of Washingtonians and critical to the health of the state's economy; and
     WHEREAS, Education opens doors to gainful employment, higher wages, increased job benefits, improved physical health, and increased civic engagement; and
     WHEREAS, Educated workers who are capable of competing for high-demand jobs in today's global economy sustain existing employers and attract new businesses; and
     WHEREAS, Individuals with competitive higher education credentials directly contribute to the state's economic growth and vitality; and
     WHEREAS, Workforce and labor market projections estimate that by 2020 the vast majority of jobs in Washington will require at least a high school diploma or equivalent and seventy percent of those jobs will also require some postsecondary education; and
     WHEREAS, Current levels of educational attainment are inadequate to address the educational needs of the state with eighty-nine percent of Washington adults ages twenty-five to forty-four in possession of a high school diploma or equivalent and less than fifty percent of Washington adults ages twenty-five to forty-four with a postsecondary credential; and
     WHEREAS, Following the prolonged impact of a major economic recession, the state's higher education system must now prepare to expand degree and certificate programs to meet the state's needs; and
     WHEREAS, A new strategy for achieving system growth, high quality, and increased efficiency in higher education is needed to meet the higher education attainment goals recommended by the student achievement council; and
     WHEREAS, Seventy-four percent of families in Washington have incomes below the level considered able to afford the cost of attending a community college, and seventy-eight to eighty-two percent of families have incomes below the level considered able to afford one student attending a regional university or research university, respectively; and
     WHEREAS, As the state reduced its support for institutions of higher education, the cost of tuition has risen to be over twenty percent of median household income for the state at its research institutions, which is an obstacle to access; and
     WHEREAS, It is vital for the student achievement council to adopt a goal of what constitutes affordable tuition, recognizing that tuition is often only half the cost of attending an institution of higher education; and
     WHEREAS, The primary mission of the student achievement council is to propose to the governor and the legislature goals for increasing educational attainment in Washington, including recommending the resources necessary to achieve the goals and monitoring progress toward meeting the goals; and
     WHEREAS, A fundamental principle of the state is that the cost of tuition, where an individual resides in the state, and economic, racial, or other status of an individual, should not be a barrier for any resident to obtain a postsecondary certificate or degree from an institution of higher education; and
     WHEREAS, The student achievement council recommends statewide educational attainment goals required to meet the societal and economic needs of the future in the higher education ten-year roadmap in RCW 28B.77.003 and 28B.77.020;
     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, By the House of Representatives of the state of Washington, the Senate concurring, That the following statewide educational attainment goals are approved:
     (1) All adults in Washington ages twenty-five to forty-four will have a high school diploma or equivalent by 2023;
     (2) At least seventy percent of Washington adults ages twenty-five to forty-four will have a postsecondary credential by 2023; and
     (3) The cost of tuition, where an individual resides in the state, economic status, race or ethnicity, or other status of an individual, shall not be a barrier for any resident to obtain a postsecondary certificate or degree from an institution of higher education; and
     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That by December 1, 2014, the student achievement council is encouraged to develop and adopt strategies that will enable the state to achieve each of the goals and report back to the governor and the legislature with specific recommendations for those strategies that require legislation or specific appropriations, including timelines and benchmarks towards achieving each goal; and
     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the council is encouraged to include this information in the strategic action plan required in RCW 28B.77.020.