Today (March 13), the House and Senate passed a supplemental budget that makes several small, but important investments in higher education. Notably, the compromise supplemental budget preserved funding provided last year to UW. Preserving this funding allows the University to freeze resident undergraduate tuition another year.
Read an overview brief from UW’s Office of Planning & Budgeting on the supplemental budget.
Specific highlights from the 2014 60-day session, during which the Legislature took action on UW’s top budget and policy priorities, include:
Budget
$1 million for the Institute for Protein Design (UW’s top budget priority)
$5 million for the REAL Hope/DREAM Act
$11 million in Life Science Discovery Fund (LSDF) active grants protected
$400,000 for UW Tacoma Law School planning
Policy
The House and Senate passed HB 2163, which concerns higher education efficiencies. The bill was UW’s top policy priority, and saves the University approximately $700,000 per year.
While $11 million in active grants from the Life Sciences Discovery Fund to the UW were protected, unfortunately, the compromise budget eliminates future funding for the LSDF.
Stay tuned for more news from Olympia, as the supplemental budget and bills that have passed the Legislature now head to the Governor for his consideration.