It is the policy of the state of Washington that the essential requirements level budget calculation for institutions of higher education include enrollment levels necessary to maintain, by educational sector, the participation rate funded in the 1993 fiscal year. The participation rate shall be based on the state's estimated population ages seventeen and above by appropriate age groups.
Findings—1993 sp.s. c 15: "The legislature finds that the proportion of the state budget dedicated to postsecondary educational programs has decreased for two decades. At the same time, major technological, economic, and demographic changes have exacerbated the need for improved training and education to maintain a high quality, competitive workforce, and a well-educated populace to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century. Therefore, the legislature finds that there is increasing need for postsecondary educational opportunities for citizens of the state of Washington.
The legislature declares that the policy of the state of Washington shall be to improve the access to, and the quality of, this state's postsecondary educational system. The budgetary policy of the state of Washington shall be to provide a level of protection and commitment to the state's postsecondary educational system commensurate with the responsibility of this state to the educational and professional improvement of its citizens and workforce." [
1993 sp.s. c 15 § 1.]