WA HB2070

Western Washington University has received the lowest per-student state funding among Washington public universities for much of the last three decades, requiring students to bear greater education costs than peers at other institutions

Beginning with the 2029-2031 biennium, the legislature must appropriate funds to WWU to achieve funding parity with other regional universities and the state college

The funding formula divides carryforward level funding by full-time equivalent students for each regional university; if WWU has the lowest ratio, it receives an appropriation equal to the difference between its ratio and the next lowest institution

Washington faces a postsecondary attainment crisis with less than half of high school seniors pursuing higher education, while 70% of family-wage jobs require a bachelor's degree

The state will need nearly 300,000 additional workers with bachelor's degrees over the next decade