See How Lawmakers Are Supporting Washington Students in the 2024 Legislative Session

Upcoming LEVinar: 2024 Legislative Session Recap - What Washington Students Got and Next Steps

To wrap up the 2024 Legislative Session, League of Education Voters Interim Co-CEO / Director of Policy and Research Jacob Vela, government relations consultant Carey Morris, and LEV partners will provide an overview of what happened in Olympia, along with status updates on LEV’s 2024 Legislative Platform:

• Create safe and inclusive learning environments
• Provide comprehensive supports for wellness and inclusion at school
• Support students receiving special education services
• Establish equitable funding structures

In this free webinar on Thursday, March 14 at 12:30 pm, they will also answer your questions and let you know what we can do to prepare for the upcoming session in 2025.

2024 Supplemental Budget Proposal Side-By-Side

The Washington state House and Senate have released their 2024 supplemental budget proposals. The 2024 supplemental budget makes adjustments to the 2023-25 biennial budget and impacts funding for the remainder of the biennium, which ends in June of 2025. Read how the House and Senate's proposals compare with the Governor's proposal.

A Look at Proposals for Education Funding in 2024

LEV stands by the idea that education funding equity boils down to a straightforward principle: all students should get what they need, when they need it. In this blog post, we share the different funding approaches that the Washington state Legislature has coalesced around this year with a focus on whether they build student-centered equity or strengthen existing inequities in how we fund schools.

Upcoming LEVinar: How Our Institutions are Accommodating and Navigating the Delay in Higher Education Financial Aid for 2024

Many higher education schools rely on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, to help them determine how much of their institutional money to give out in the form of grants that students will not have to repay. Unfortunately, the troubled federal rollout of the new FAFSA form — and the revision of the formula for determining who gets federal financial aid — means that any attempt to offer a price quote to current or recently admitted students may be just a rough estimate.

In our free webinar on Thursday, March 28 at 12:30 pm, we will discuss steps that Washington state institutions are taking to help students cope with the financial aid delays and how students and families can navigate the current situation.

Confirmed Panelists:

• Ruben Flores, Executive Director at the Council of Presidents
• Dr. Terri Standish-Kuon, President & CEO at Independent Colleges of Washington
• Becky Thompson, Director of Student Financial Assistance at the Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC)
• Dr. Joyce D. Hammer, Deputy Executive Director for Education at the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges

LEVinar Recording: How to Expand Access to Higher Education Through the College Promise Model

Washington is one of the top ten states for career opportunities that require education beyond high school. But only 40 percent of Washington students are currently projected to earn a postsecondary credential. How can we help more students obtain the education they need?

In this webinar, we discuss how we can prioritize limited state resources to expand access to higher education, how the College Promise model works, and what House Bill 2309 establishing the Washington 13 free guarantee would do.

Panelists:

• Clara Stickney, a junior at Hanford High School in the Richland School District and a member of the Association of Washington Student Leaders (AWSL)
• Washington state Representative Steve Bergquist (D-11)
• Lauren Mendez, Chief Executive Officer at the Washington School Counselor Association
• Ben Mitchell, Director of Advocacy & Policy at the Foundation for Tacoma Students