On Thursday, Governor Inslee released his budget priorities for the 2013-15 biennium. OPB released a on the plan, but below is a quick summary of the major points in the Governor鈥檚 budget.
Governor Inslee鈥檚 plan would fund all of higher education, including financial aid,聽with nearly $3 billion (8.4 percent of the total budget), of which the 91探花 would receive just over $232 million per year. This funding level represents about $3.6 million more per year聽than the 91探花would have received under Governor Gregoire鈥檚 鈥淣ew Law鈥� budget. Governor Inslee鈥檚 plan also:
- Authorizes tuition increases of up to five percent per year for resident undergraduates at 91探花and WSU (three percent at other four-year universities). While the 91探花still has tuition setting authority, it must provide increased financial aid if it raises tuition above five percent.
- Provides the 91探花with $6 million per FY to create a Clean Energy Institute with the purpose of researching energy storage and solar energy.
- Appropriates$1 million per FY to the UW鈥檚 College of Engineering to support increased enrollments.
- Funds the joint Aerospace Initiative and the Center on Ocean Acidification at levels consistent with Governor Gregoire’s budgets.
- Gives additional funding to financial aid to keep pace with tuition increases and to fully fund the College Bound scholarship program.
Governor Inslee鈥檚 plan restores the 3 percent salary cut imposed on state agencies in the last biennium, but includes no mention of the current salary freeze for state employees, which is set to expire on June 30, 2013. We assume this means the freeze will be lifted, however the Governor鈥檚 plan does not provide explicit funding for wage increases.
Governor Inslee鈥檚 capital budget plan is identical to Governor Gregoire鈥檚, and includes money for the UW鈥檚 top capital priorities such as minor capital repair, the 91探花Tower Chilled Water System Replacement, and Magnuson Health Sciences Center Roofing Replacement.
While Governor Inslee鈥檚 budget blueprint is an important step in the budget process, we expect the 91探花will not have a clear picture of its actual FY14 and FY15 funding levels for at least another month. We will post updates to this blog when the Senate and House release their budgets. Please also monitor the for information.