The Washington State Legislature passed its supplemental budget, without restoring funding for the Washington College Grant and College Bound Scholarship programs to prior levels, resulting in sustained reductions to state student financial aid. The decision maintains the significant cuts made to state aid programs last year. This change affects Washington students at the University of Puget Sound and many others across the state who rely on this funding to help pay for college.
Lawmakers had the opportunity during the 2026 legislative session to reverse the cuts initially implemented in 2025 via Senate Bill 5785, which was sponsored by Puget Sound alumna Sen. T’wina Nobles ’06, MAT’07. Despite weeks of debate, advocacy visits in Olympia, bipartisan support, thousands of public comments urging restoration, including testimonies from two Puget Sound students, the final budget did not include renewed funding. Puget Sound joins other private, not-for-profit institutions in the state and members of the Independent Colleges of Washington (ICW) in expressing serious concern over the outcome.
“These cuts unfairly withdraw promised support from Washington students simply because they have selected a private not-for-profit university for their education,” President Isiaah Crawford said. “Financing a college education is challenging for many students and families, and those eligible for the Washington College grant may see a lower grant level than in previous years.”
The decision to uphold the cuts comes even as the Workforce Education Investment Account (WEIA) — the fund specifically established to support these programs — continues to grow. ICW reports that forecasted revenue for the account rose by 11%, or $171.91 million, in February compared to earlier estimates. The funding reduction represents less than 0.1% of the state-funded operating budget, an amount that advocates argue would be recouped through the future taxes and contributions of the college graduates these programs help create.
According to ICW, the sustained cuts will affect approximately 7,000 students statewide, with reductions in state student aid reaching up to 50%. The impact is felt more heavily by students from historically marginalized communities. Statewide, 67% of those affected are students of color, 65% are female, and 62% are first-generation college students.
At the University of Puget Sound, 214 of undergraduate students receive funding through Washington State financial aid programs and will be affected by these reductions. The impact on individual students can be significant, particularly for those with high financial need.
Thus far, the university has been able to offset the current cuts to Washington state aid programs with increases in institutional need-based aid for affected students. However, the scale of the ongoing challenge is significant. For the 2025-26 academic year alone, Puget Sound students are receiving a combined total of more than $1.76 million from the Washington College Grant and College Bound Scholarship. With a projected 50% reduction in Washington College Grant funding by the 2027-28 academic year, the magnitude of these cuts and their negative impact on students is very apparent.
While the university is actively evaluating further strategies and funding options to mitigate the impact of future proposed cuts, the specific details of those plans are not yet finalized. It is clear that even by maximizing institutional resources and relying on the generosity of donors, philanthropic support alone cannot fully offset a cut of this magnitude.
“We remain committed to making a Puget Sound education attainable for every admitted student, especially our fellow Washingtonians,” Crawford said. “The University will do everything it can to help navigate this new financial aid challenge and support students so they can persist in their education and stay on track to graduate.”
While the legislative session has concluded for the year, advocacy for equitable student aid continues. Students, faculty, staff, and supporters are encouraged to stay informed and engaged through the Independent Colleges of Washington's “Save Student Aid” campaign at savestudentaid.org.
Students with questions about their individual financial aid packages are urged to contact Student Financial Services at pugetsound.edu/sfs directly for personalized support and guidance.
