Overview:
During the 2025 session, Legislative Pages (students ages 14-16) had the opportunity to interview legislators from both the Majority party and the Minority party about issues of interest. In this lesson, students will learn about where the Majority Party, currently the Democrats, and the Minority Party, currently the Republicans, stand on three important policies regarding college affordability in Washington State.
- Improving College Affordability (2025) Senate Page, Emily Alexander, asks Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee Chair: T’wina Noblest, (D) 28th District, and Ranking Committee Member, Judy Warnick, (R) 13th District, “…many students in Washington state are struggling with the rising cost of higher education in more than just overall inflation rates but also relative to current income average and financial availability, leading to increased student loan debt and limited access to affordable higher education options. What specific policies or initiatives are you currently supporting to make higher education more accessible and affordable for students in Washington with decreased amounts of long term setbacks like student loans?
- Tuition Free Community College (2025) House Page, Evan Boer, asks Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee Chair: T’wina Noblest, (D) 28th District, and Ranking Committee Member, Judy Warnick, (R) 13th District, “…some states like California, Connecticut, and Michigan have programs for tuition-free community college. I was wondering if a program like that would be feasible for Washington state, and if it would also be fiscally feasible?
- Impacts of Current Budget Shortfall (2025) Senate Page, Brayden Riccelli, asks Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee Chair: T’wina Noblest, (D) 28th District, and Ranking Committee Member, Judy Warnick, (R) 13th District, “There has been a lot of reporting on how our state is in a budget crisis. How does this shortfall affect higher education policies?”
Essential Questions:
- How do the beliefs of those in the majority party differ from those in the minority party?
- To what extent does the State Legislature help students pay for college?
- How does the budget affect college affordability in Washington?
Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee:
The Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development Committee considers issues relating to:
- The state’s public and private colleges and universities
- Apprenticeship and workforce programs
- Governance and coordination of higher education
- Higher education faculty, not including collective bargaining issues
- Financial aid
- Tuition
Higher Education