Washington's consistent under-funding of its state colleges and universities will mean at least 4,300 fewer slots for new students this fall, and a new report predicts that those who are able to enroll will be mostly from higher-income families. The Economic Opportunity Institute (EOI) says public funding for state schools is at a 30-year low, and half of the financial aid being offered to students is in the form of loans.

Sandra Schroeder, president of AFT Washington, says college graduates tend to make more in the job market than those without degrees, but they face years of debt as they build careers and families.

"The loans have created a terrible burden on students, whether they're going to two-year colleges or to universities. And the fact that they come out with high loan indebtedness puts off their buying power for quite a long time. That helps depress the economy."

The EOI report says the state formerly covered about 75 percent of undergraduate instruction costs. Today, it's only 38 percent at the universities, and 58 percent at community colleges. Students and parents make up the rest with increased tuition and fees.

And what do they get for their money? Schroeder says schools have already cut their budgets to the bone. Lower-paid part-timers are teaching more than half of college classes, and because of the Legislature's most recent 14 percent cuts, she expects the job losses to continue.

"What you are going to see is fewer librarians and fewer counselors and fewer tutors. So, the current cuts - even though they were partially, not fully, offset by tuition increases - are going to mean that students are paying more, but getting less-good quality."

The EOI report says higher education was falling behind in Washington even before the recession. It blames a shrinking state tax base that hits middle-class and poor families harder than rich ones, as a percentage of their income.

View the report "Losing By Degrees" at www.eoionline.org