Wash. Ofcials Debate Tuition Based on Income

Washington Sen. Jim Horn proposed the bill last Wednesday.

N.C. Senate President Pro Tem Marc Basnight, D-Dare, one of the state's most influential politicians, recently asked his legislative staff to examine the logistics of implementing a similar income-based tuition scale for the UNC system.

Under Horn's plan, resident undergraduate tuition fees at Washington public universities for the 2002-03 school year would be determined by multiplying a base tuition by a factor dependent on family income.

Horn said the new plan would benefit middle-income families.

"The middle income group is getting squeezed," he said. "Higher-income families can afford to pay the full cost of education, and low-income families are getting grants. The middle income is a forgotten group."

Horn said that under the present system, a family with an annual income of $28,000 receives 100 percent assistance while one with an annual income of $38,000 receives zero percent.

But Horn said he does not expect the bill to pass this year. He added that he is hopeful it will pass in the next session.

"(The bill) will start conversation and dialogue," Horn said. "I want to get the idea out there. People say it is certainly thinking outside the box. I am interested to get a reaction. That was the purpose of putting it out this year."

But Washington Sen. Ken Jacobsen said he does not agree with the proposed bill.

"I don't think it is a good idea," Jacobsen said. "It will be difficult to administer."

Jacobsen instead advocated increased financial aid for students. "(Financial aid) all has the same price tag, but there is a tuition discount," he said. "Financial aid is good. We need more."

Jacobsen added that while he thinks the bill is a novel idea, he does not foresee it passing. "It is not done anywhere in the United States," he said. "I don't think it is likely to pass."

Warren Buck, chancellor of University of Washington-Bothell, said he does not know if the legislation is a good idea.

"(The administration) is not sure," he said. "There is a pitfall. How do we distinguish between students coming from wealthy families and families that are poor?"

Buck added that he is concerned about the proposed bill's ability to cover all necessary fees. "We still have to pay for education," he said. "If a student is wealthy and has to pay for education, that is fine. But how do we assure a poor student will be admitted and that we can afford to pay for the education? We are trying to look at all different angles."

Buck also said there is a need to find new funding methods in Washington.

"We need to find other sources of funding ... to meet needs so that we do not pass on the complete bill to the students," he said. "With the baby boom there will be more and more students. Economic downturn causes more to go to school.

"We need to keep pace of the cost."

The State & National Editor can be reached at stntdesk@unc.edu.