UW proposes tuition increases

The UW has submitted a proposal to the State Legislature that would permit the Board of Regents to increase tuition for in-state undergraduate students up to $50 a quarter for six consecutive quarters during the 1999-2001 biennium.
Under the UW’s proposal, tuition would rise from its current level of $1,036 a quarter to $1,336 by spring quarter 2001.

Tuition and fees at the UW currently are about 16 percent below the average of the UW’s comparison institutions. Based upon historical trends, they would still be about 5 percent below these institutions at the conclusion of the coming biennium.

The tuition increases are being proposed because of the growing gap between the UW and comparable institutions in funding per student and in salaries, said UW President Richard L. McCormick. UW faculty salaries are more than 14 percent behind peer institutions. This does not include the cost of living in Seattle, McCormick noted. When the cost of living, which includes the taxes, transportation, housing and insurance, is considered, UW faculty salaries are nearly 26 percent behind comparable institutions.

Similar salary gaps exist for professional staff, librarians, and classified staff. The University is seeking salary increases of 4.5 percent per year for all employees.

The faculty salary gap is resulting in dramatic increases in the number of competitive offers for faculty, from 94 to 300 over the past six years, McCormick said. “As the salary gap has grown, the UW’s ability to attract and retain the best faculty has been imperiled. Students ultimately will feel the consequences, as departing faculty take with them research projects, state-of-the-art equipment, and even other faculty and graduate assistants. The overall quality of education will be diminished.”

Funding per student, including state appropriations, tuition and fees is $14,604 at the UW, but the average funding at peer institutions is $16,721.

“We must begin to turn the corner in this biennium, and begin to close the gap in salaries and funding per student,” McCormick said. “Sustaining the excellence of the University of Washington requires funding from two sources: state appropriations and tuition. We recognize that students have borne an increasing share of the cost of education, and that the University’s long-term funding needs cannot be met simply by continuing to raise tuition. Ultimately, the responsibility for maintaining the quality of the UW rests with the state. We already have submitted to the governor’s office our proposed operating budget for the University, which would increase state funding in order to maintain the quality of this institution. The UW’s budget and tuition proposals should be viewed together and not in isolation from one another. They are both components of our plan to address the funding problems of this university.” ¶