Let us raise tuition, UW tells Legislature

University of Washington administrators are demanding the state Legislature either hand over more money — or let the UW raise tuition itself.

In a budget request approved by the UW Board of Regents on Thursday, the university asks for a 20 percent increase in state funding. Failing that, the UW wants to start a six-year pilot program in which it would set in-state, undergraduate tuition.

The state controls resident undergraduate tuition rates at all six state universities, although UW President Mark Emmert has been pushing for greater university autonomy. This marks the first time he will formally take that battle to the Legislature.

This fall, UW tuition and fees for state residents come to nearly $6,000 per year. Emmert has previously talked about raising resident tuition up to 50 percent over several years and increasing financial aid for poorer students.

The UW claims it gets about $4,000 less per student from the state than comparable institutions in other states.

"The university cannot maintain its excellence and serve the educational needs of our state's citizens funded at such a competitive disadvantage," Emmert said in a release. "We need to work with the elected leadership in Olympia and together find a way to close what is a significant and ultimately unsustainable funding gap."

Under the two-year budget request that begins in 2007, the UW would add 870 students at its three campuses in Seattle, Bothell and Tacoma, at a cost of $22 million.

The largest part of the request is $60 million to increase faculty and staff salaries by 5 percent for each of the two years. Also included is $2 million to improve the undergraduate experience for students, and $5.8 million to improve information security and internal audits.

Under the request, the annual operating budget provided by the state would increase to $450 million by 2009. In addition, $105 million annually would be used for capital projects, such as new buildings.

Nick Perry: 206-515-5639 or nperry@seattletimes.com