Our Shared Future at Risk
Documents to help you understand the UW's mission
Making higher education a priority in the state of Washington
UW is continuing its legacy of accessible and affordable education
• 80% of all undergraduates are Washington residents.
• 30% of all undergraduates are first in their family to attend college.
What happened to the “public” in public higher education?
• In the past three years, the UW’s state funding has been cut 50% — over $200 million.
• In 1990, the state provided nearly 80% of the funds to educate UW students, and students funded the remaining 20% through tuition and fees.
• Today, the state funds only about 30% of the cost and UW students fund 70%.
• Costs at the UW aren’t going up—the cost of educating a student at the UW has remained constant for the last 20 years.
20 years of decreasing state funding has led to an increased reliance on tuition
UW still provides a quality education at an affordable cost
UW reduces costs through efficiency
• About 150 campus units are increasing their efficiency through the Lean philosophy, which is based on empowering staff to find ways to eliminate redundancy and waste.
• $30 million saved to date.
• UW Information Technology is saving more than $3 million annually through:
– New software agreements.
– Utilizing “the cloud.”
– Strategic purchasing of hardware.
Tuition increases allowed the UW to:
• Significantly increase financial aid by 45%.
– In 2011, about 8,500 students were covered under Husky Promise. That is roughly 25% of all students.
– Provide 45% more financial aid for low- and middle-income students.
• Reinvest in writing and learning centers and high-demand courses.
• Maintain access for undergraduate resident students (currently at 80%).
What’s next?
• The State of Washington must make higher education a real priority in the next state budget.
– Prioritize current investments in education.
– Invest in students not bureaucracy by providing the University with greater flexibility over certain administrative functions.
• Invest in students, not bureaucracy.
– Provide the UW with more operational flexibility to better serve our students.
– Relieve the UW from certain regulatory burdens involving investments, personnel, procurement and public works to increase our efficiency in running the University’s business.
