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Associated Students of the University of Washington |
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In Support Need Based Financial Aid WHEREAS in Fall 2007 the UW began to offer the Husky Promise to guarantee continue in it's mission of accessibility and affordability; and WHEREAS, The Husky Promise guarantees that full tuition will be covered by grants or scholarships for low- or lower middle-income students who are Washington residents [1]; and WHEREAS, “the UW offers more than $160 million in financial aid each year, with nearly half of all undergraduates receiving aid” and financial aid includes loans [1]; and WHEREAS, this means half of the undergraduates don’t get private loans or require any loans; and WHEREAS, to be eligible for the Husky Promise, a student must: 1Be a Washington state resident 2Be eligible for the Pell Grant or State Need Grant Program 3Submit the FAFSA by the UW’s priority filing date of Feb. 28 4Be pursuing a first bachelor’s degree. 5Maintain satisfactory academic progress while at the University 6Enroll full time (12 credits/quarter, 36 credits/year); and WHEREAS, currently, the State Need Grant program funds students with family incomes at or below 65 percent of the state median family income [1]; and WHEREAS, the Husky Promise pays for full tuition and standard fees through grants or scholarships for eligible students [1]; and WHEREAS, "Students who qualify for the Husky Promise can be assured that if tuition increases, the financial aid they receive will increase as well" [1]; and WHEREAS, it’s estimated that every year, 6,000 to 8,000 Washington high school students who are academically eligible to go to college don’t because of costs [2]; and WHEREAS, on December 30th 2008, the Tacoma News Tribune reported that the governor had a proposal to "cut state financial aid to the poor, which would make fewer students eligible" [3]; and WHEREAS, one of the goals of the governor’s budget is to “Maintain affordability for lower-income students by increasing financial aid grants to reflect higher tuition rates” [4]; and WHEREAS, During the 2001 recession, higher education took a 7.8 percent hit in the 2001-2003 biennial budget [4]. BE IT RESOLVED BY THE ASSOCIATED STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON: THAT we oppose any proposals to cut state need based financial aid; and THAT we applaud the UW Administration for its vision in creating the Husky Promise and encourage them to continue the program in spite of the current economic situation. History of Legislation 02/3/2009: Submitted for consideration |
Legislation ID: Date Submitted: Sponsor: Cosponsor(s): |