Oregon Public Broadcasting

Washington Governor Chris Gregoire is floating the idea of a tuition surcharge to offset cuts to the state’s 4-year universities.

The Democratic Governor wouldn’t say how much the surcharge would be. But her staff said it’s looking at scenarios that range from three to seven percent.

Gregoire says she wants to avoid a reduction in subsidized enrollment slots because of budget cuts.

Chris Gregoire: “I do not want to close the door to students at this critical time, I want to keep those doors open and with the new Pell grants and with the new tax credit that is available to families, I think there’s a formula that makes that all work so that there’s no greater burden on the students and their families that can’t afford it.”

State universities would have the option of assessing the tuition surcharge. It would be temporary – sunsetting after two-years. It would also be in lieu of allowing universities to increase tuition beyond the seven percent statutory limit.

Gregoire also hopes to hold the line on cuts to K-12 education by using federal stimulus dollars.