Legislative Overview
Our state colleges have been a national model for access, efficiency, and student success. We want to continue to offer excellence for our students.
We’re part of the social safety net. Access and affordability for our students contributes to the health and financial security of our state. Community colleges save Washington state $50 million annually due to the improved health, and lower crime, welfare, and unemployment rates of our graduates.
We ask for your support of these priorities to support students in your community and bolster our state.
Worker Retraining: Fund Additional FTE Students Permanently
Last year, the legislature provided one-time funding for an additional 3,784 workforce training FTE students. However, we served 2,754 more students than that — unfunded.
- Edmonds CC produced 400 workforce FTE students in 2010, more than any other state community or technical college and provided $645,000 in financial aid to workforce training students in 2010.
- 42% of middle-skills jobs in our state will require at least one year of college by 2017.
- High-skill wage earners who completed worker retraining recovered 88% of their previous wages; for middle/low-skill workers wage recovery was more than 100%.
Modern, Efficient Technology: House Bill 1909
Our 25-year-old legacy computer system stands in the way of efficiencies in financial aid, admissions, and other business operations. House Bill 1909 funds a transition to a modern system. It moves up to 3% of tuition revenues into a new innovation account.
Give Community Colleges Flexibility
Allow us to manage our resources wisely and equitably for students and communities across the state. Melt the freezes and promote regulatory reform so that we can remain responsive to our constituents.
Distribute Cuts Equitably
A community college must increase tuition 2.5% to recover a 1% budget cut, while universities can recover cuts at a 1-1 ratio. That’s because we’ve strived to keep tuition low while some of our programs such as nursing and manufacturing training are expensive to operate.
Edmonds Community College contributes:
- $2.5 million annually in savings on social benefits
- $2.40 in return on investment for every tax dollar invested
- $164 million in regional tax benefits via higher wages earned by our graduates
- 22.5% return on investment for students due to higher lifetime earnings
- $227 million annually to the Snohomish County economy
