UW: Open for Business
Inside Story

Our Cost of Doing Business: Tuition

By President Mark Emmert

Tuition at the University of Washington historically has been relatively low. This year it's $$6,800. In fact, Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine has again rated the UW one of the nation’s top 10 best values in higher education.

The UW is a large, complex enterprise that does a host of things: undergraduate and graduate education, research, patient care, continuing education, intercollegiate athletics, arts—and more.

It funds these activities from a multitude of sources, including:

• State appropriations from taxpayers
• Tuition and fees paid by students and their families
• Patient fees
• Ticket and merchandise sales
• Federally funded and industry-sponsored research grant
• Philanthropy from donors

Some of these funds, like research grants and philanthropic gifts, are designated for specific purposes. Some of our programs are responsible for generating all of their own operating funds, such as the medical centers, the residence hall system, and intercollegiate athletics.

But the core activity of the university—educating students—is funded primarily from two sources: state appropriations and tuition.

Closing the Funding Gap

It costs a lot of money to provide a high-quality education at a university today. The University spends on average about $11,200 to educate an undergraduate student. When I attended the UW in the early 1970s, the state paid 75 percent and students 25 percent of the cost; today, the state pays about 43 percent, and students and their families pay the rest. When we compare what the UW has available to spend educating students with that of our peers, our amount is about $4,000 less per student than the average of our peers.

To offer a competitive education, we must close that gap. Our state government is committed to doing so, but that will take a number of years. Frankly, I wish we could secure all the necessary funding from the state now. But that is unrealistic, especially in light of the current economic environment. So, in the meantime, we must make the hard choice and raise tuition to ensure that our students continue to receive a high-quality education.

Keeping Education Valuable and Affordable

I understand the challenge tuition increases pose for students and their families. Despite these increases, many families, fortunately, can afford to pay $6,800 for a world-class education at one of America’s leading universities. But we do not want to become a university that is accessible only to those who can afford it. That is why last year we announced the Husky Promise, which guarantees that Washington students from low- and lower-middle-income families can attend the UW and pay no tuition at all. And that is a promise we intend to keep. Currently, about 20 percent of our undergraduates—5,500 students—benefit from the Husky Promise. Both the total number of students and the overall percentage covered by the Husky Promise are among the highest in the country when compared to similar programs at comparable institutions.

What students and families pay for their education is one of the most important investments they will ever make in themselves. We owe it to our students to ensure that when they do invest in themselves—and in us—they get the best educational experience we can provide.