Tagged: College Tuition

 It used to be if you can't go to a four year school, go to community college.  Now, it's like what are you supposed to do if you can't go to community college?   

  Daniel Jean Baptiste, South Seattle Community College student 

Tuition will go up at the state's public two-year colleges by an average of 12 percent this fall.  For a full-time student, tuition will go from $3,542 to $4,000--a 13 percent increase.

The State Board for Community and Technical Colleges voted on the increase to help offset $110 million in state cuts to the community and technical colleges. 

Many students, already struggling to afford school, say it threatens to put higher education out of reach.

Despite signs that the state economy is improving, finding money to send children to college is still becoming more difficult.

More students received financial aid last year, but even more families aren't getting the help they need, according to a new report from the Washington Higher Education Coordinating Board.

The Regents of Washington State University have approved a sixteen percent increase in in-state undergraduate tuition on the same day that Gov. Chris Gregoire signed into law legislation giving Washington state’s four-year universities authority to set their own tuition.

Saying they felt they had no choice in current economic circumstances, the Regents on Monday approved the sixteen percent jump in in-state undergraduate tuition, effective for the coming fall semester. For in- state students, that means a tuition bill increase of just under $1300 for the year.

This fall, college students could face bigger tuition hikes than Washington has seen in nearly a decade. That’s after two years of double digit increases.

Under a bill signed by Governor Chris Gregoire, state colleges get to set their own rates. They’re also expected to help students who can’t afford to pay more.