As centers of education, research, and innovation, public colleges and universities spur economic development throughout the state. They help train and educate our ever-growing workforce, ensuring our state remians competitive in the global economy.
Access to higher education is also a key contributor to family economic security and upward mobility. Since 1980, median family incomes have risen steadily for adults with four-year or graduate degrees, but have stagnated or declined for those with lower levels of education. Children from lower income families who do earn a college degree are particularly likely to make higher incomes as adults.
Yet over the past two decades, Washington state’s financial support for higher education has not kept pace with population growth and rising costs.
To ensure a strong foundation for Washington, we must increase public investment in higher education. Doing so will require identifying new sources of public revenue, but will result in a stronger state economy -- supported by a highly trained and educated workforce.
07.27.2009
| With public funding for state higher education at a 30-year low,
Losing by Degrees calls on state leaders to identify new sources of
public revenue to increase public investment in higher education in
order to build a more competitive economy.
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work is licensed under a Creative
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from the Economic Opportunity Institute. Liquid layout
thanks to Matthew James Taylor.
