Tuition

The WSA has always advocated for affordable tuition; the best form of financial aid is low tuition. The WSA has opposed relentless efforts to remove public accountability to the cost of college by releasing control of tuition setting to local boards of trustees or regents, which the WSA believes would lead to uncontrolled hikes in tuition. On many occasions, the WSA has influenced the Legislature to reduce administrative and legislative proposals for larger increases in tuition and more long-lasting tuition increases. In the 2007 legislative session, the WSA helped cap tuition increases at 7% for what was thought to be the next decade. Recently, in the 2009 session, the Legislature proposed removing the cap permanently in light of the economic crisis. The WSA fought back and limited increases beyond 7% for the next two years, additionally, WSA continues to advocate for the removal of the increases beyond 7% at the end of the two-year period.

Financial Aid

The WSA has consistently advocated for financial aid support by the state and federal government that keeps pace with tuition increases. The WSA succeeded in the getting Graduate Fellowship Program created and funded, fought merit-based requirements for State Need Grant eligibility, and helped create the collegiate license plate scholarship funds.

Student Fees

In the mid-1990’s the WSA was the principal advocate for the legal requirement that students must have majority representation in the assessment and distribution of student fees, thus creating modern "Student Activities Fee Committees." In the 2009 legislative session the WSA won another victory for student control of fees by allowing students the to reduce, increase, or create voluntary fees by a majority vote of the student body.

Child Care

The WSA has fought for affordable childcare on campuses since the 1980’s and has won incremental victories, such as establishing a competitive grant to help support the creation or expansion of campus childcare programs. Even with this grant each student at a WSA member campus pays an average of $30 for every $1 that the state contributes to campus childcare centers. The WSA recently succeeded in promoting legislation that redesigned the program into a matching grant to stabilize funding for campus childcare facilities and operations and has been working to expand the State’s matching funds.

Textbooks & Course Materials

The WSA has worked to curb the rising cost of textbooks, resulting in the passage of legislation in 2006, 2007, and 2009 through unbundling, disclosure, and cost-consideration requirements for bookstores, publishers, and faculty.

Campus Safety

The WSA led the charge to install "Blue Light" alarms on campuses for emergency situations and helped establish campus safety task forces to ensure the effectiveness of student safety programs. In 2001, the WSA was part of a successful effort to protect the Social Security Numbers of students, which administrations had used as student identification numbers. The WSA helped pass legislation that regulated the marketing of credit cards and related materials to students in a way that best protected the privacy of personal student information. In light of the tragedy at Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University the WSA sought increased funds for mental health counselors to help identify and support at-risk students.

Equitable Access

The WSA has worked to ensure that students who are the children of undocumented immigrants retain access to higher education and financial aid, and are not punished for the status of their parents. Furthermore, the WSA worked against Initiative 200, fought for increased access for under-represented populations in higher education institutions, and testified for enhanced recruitment and retention of minority faculty, staff, and students. Since 2007 the WSA has worked nationally with the United States Student Association to pass the DREAM Act, which would create a pathway to citizenship for those children of undocumented parents through a college education.

Student Representation

Sometimes obtaining a seat at the table is half the battle. The WSA and its predecessors fought for 17 years to obtain a position and voting rights for students on Boards of Regents and Trustees. The Legislature finally approved this measure in 1998, creating the governor-appointed "Student Regent/Trustee" position that is in place today. In the 2008 session the WSA began the next step in advocating for student representation for community and technical college students to have a voice and a vote on their Boards of Trustees. The WSA has also successfully advocated for a student member on the Higher Education Coordinating Board (HECB) - appointed by the Governor. Student participation and input in a number of task forces, blue ribbon committees, and other work groups has also often been driven by the WSA.

Living Standards

Healthcare, campus safety, and consumer privacy have all been positively impacted by WSA diligence. The WSA is responsible for the meningitis notification legislation, instating a minimum wage for students, and expanding teaching assistant (TA) and resident advisor (RA) health benefit coverage to graduate and professional students.  The WSA also supported legislation allowing competition between campus food services and vendors.

Capital Projects

The WSA has advocated on a biennial basis for the efficient use of existing campus buildings and for prioritization of new projects based on student needs. Furthermore, the WSA has been vocal about which projects are the highest priorities for the quality of education of Washington students.

Transportation

Contracts with transit systems for bus passes, circulator bus routes on campuses, routes between areas of concentrated student housing and campuses, student discounts, and improved parking are all subjects influenced to the benefit of students by the WSA.