WSU offered up testimony in the House Appropriations Committee this afternoon supporting the operating budget proposal introduced Friday. Video will be posted below when available.
The proposed House budget funds WSU’s $2.5 million request for start-up funding for a new medical school in Spokane.
It also funded three of four requested academic programs that would be brought to the Everett University Center. WSU is requesting $4.5 million to bring new programming in the first year of the two-year budget cycle. The House budget provides $1.8 million to bring WSU programs in software engineering, data analytics and agriculture beginning in the second year of the two-year budget cycle.
The House budget also provides $1 million to bring electrical engineering to Olympic College in Bremerton and fully funds compensation increases of 3 percent this year and 1.8 percent next year.
The proposal also freezes tuition for the next two years, provides $53 million to provide coverage to more State Need Grant recipients and $60 million to expand access to Opportunity Scholarships in some STEM fields.