Tuition at Washington’s 29 community colleges will take a hefty leap in the fall.
The state Board for Community and Technical Colleges voted June 26 to raise tuition an average of 7 percent statewide.
For the typical full-time student taking 15 credits, tuition will increase from $661 to $714 a quarter, or about $53. For the year, that student will be paying an additional $159. Last year, tuition increased by about $240 annually.
“That’s significant money for a lot of the students,” said Charlie Earl, president of Everett Community College.
Earl won’t get any argument from Aaron Burke, 18, who recently graduated from Arlington High School and plans to study computer science. He’s working a minimum-wage job on campus to pay part of the cost. He also has a small scholarship and hopes to get a little help from his parents.
“I’m kind of concerned because it just keeps rising and rising,” he said.
The state board struggled with raising tuition again but felt it had no choice, said Lorna Sutton, a spokeswoman for the state board. It needed to offset state budget cuts.
“The main question was about the cumulative impact of all of the recent tuition increases,” Sutton said.
Judy Yu, spokesperson for Shoreline Community College, said she believes the increase will affect everyone, including students and staff.
“It’s going to be a difficult situation for all of us, and this will definitely have a negative impact on students,” Yu said.
The Legislature last month gave the state board the authority to increase in-state student tuition by an average of 7 percent for next year. Another 7 percent increase can be passed on for the 2004-05 school year.
The state board sets tuition for the state’s community colleges, although some local fees vary.
The cost of a community college education is gradually being taken more and more out of the students’ wallets. In 1981, student tuition covered 23 percent of the cost of their education. Today, students pay more than a third of the cost.
“We are concerned about it, but we do understand the Legislature’s action,” Earl said. “We hope that in the future the state can develop a better option to fund higher education in this state.”
“Community college education is still a bargain,” said Jack Oharah, president of Edmonds Community College. “While I hate to see it raised, we have got to be able to maintain access and quality. Without the ability to do that, we would be shutting a lot of people out of the system.”
At Edmonds Community College, where about 25 percent of the students rely on scholarships and loans, financial aid offices are expecting a run on applications.
About 2,500 students at EdCC received some type of assistance through scholarships and loans this year, up 12 percent from the year before. Completed financial aid applications for the new school year have risen by 27 percent from last year.
Charlotte Thomas, 48, president of the EdCC student body, hears from students, herself included, looking for second jobs to pay for school and their day-to-day living expenses. Thomas is a former Seattle police officer who is retraining for a technology career.
For students who pay their own way, “It’s one of those hand-to-mouth type deals,” she said.
Everett resident Aaron LeClair, 28, who is being laid off from an aerospace job, may not feel the tuition squeeze. He is thankful for the state retraining money he is receiving to attend Everett Community College.
“I just hope it lasts,” he said.
Enterprise writer Shanti Hahler contributed to this story.
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