Governor Ferguson’s 2026 supplemental operating and capital budgets reflect the financial constraints that Washington state is facing.
For the UW, his 2026 supplemental operating budget proposes a 3%, or $15.8 million per year, cut to the University’s base state funding and a $3.5 million cut to the University’s administrative spending all beginning in Fiscal Year 27 (FY27). Other state agencies also face base state funding reductions of up to 5%.
The budget does provide $15 million in ongoing funding for the Frank Chopp Center for Behavioral Health and Learning (CBHL), partially fulfilling the University’s $18.34 million request to fully fund CBHL operations.
In the capital budget proposal, the University would not receive any Climate Commitment Account (CCA) funding for the requested Power Plan Electrification and Campus Hot Water Loop – Phase 1 project, which is an important component of the University’s decarbonization efforts and supports compliance with the Climate Commitment Act and Clean Building Performance Standards. The University originally requested $47.5 million for this project. However, the Governor only appropriated $67 million of the CCA in his proposal with the rest going to transportation and operating budget appropriations.
As a reminder, the Governor’s budget proposal is only the first of many steps in the state’s lengthy budget process. Lawmakers in the House and the Senate will have the opportunity to release their own budget proposals during legislative session beginning on January 12, 2026. During the 60-day session, lawmakers are tasked with amending the two-year state budget set in the 2025 legislative session and are primarily focusing on FY27.
For more information about the 2026 Governor’s supplemental operating and capital budgets, please visit UW’s Office of Finance, Planning & Budgeting website.