Tuition policy in Washington is as much about emotions as finances.

Rather than assess what it costs to educate a student and what is reasonable to ask that student – and often the parents – to pay, we get all sentimental. That is, we draw to mind a stereotypical student – usually poor but ambitious – and wonder, “How we could increase his costs?”

Over the decades, beginning in the 1960s when access to college was increased just as the baby boomers reached college age, we have equated low tuition with high opportunity. All students benefited equally, whether their parents worked in the factory or owned the factory.

Right now a year’s tuition at the University of Washington is $6,250, with taxpayers chipping in another $20,000 for each student. That’s one reason why the UW is No. 11 on the Kiplinger list of the 100 best college bargains (Western Washington University is 56th and Washington State University 89th).

An alternative would be to set tuition closer to the cost of education. A portion of the increase would go to increase financial aid available to low- and moderate-income students. All students would get some subsidy, but lower-income students would get more through more-generous grants.

Proponents of such a model, however, are often attacked as elitist. But there is no statistical correlation between low tuition and more participation by low-income students.

The average family income of students applying for financial aid at the UW – a statistic that doesn’t include the wealthiest students – is $78,000. Those applying for aid graduate with an average debt load of $16,000.

Seattle University, a private college, has traditionally had a much lower average family income than the UW, despite a higher tuition price tag. Yet the average debt load of its graduates is the same as for UW grads because Seattle U. devotes more of its resources to helping lower-income students attend.

Greg Sheiderer, who lobbies for the state’s 10 private colleges, says the financial demographics of Washington’s private students are nearly identical to those of public students.

Keep all this in mind as the Legislature responds to Gov. Chris Gregoire’s proposal to increase tuition at the state’s four-year colleges by 14 percent this September and 14 percent next. That’s double her earlier proposal of annual 7 percent tuition hikes.

If agreed to by the Legislature, tuition at the UW would reach $7,125 for the 2009-10 school year and $8,122 for the 2010-11 school year. The state schools have committed to increasing institutional aid, and the Legislature could – and should – increase state aid grants as well.

In addition to the higher aid, increases in federal tax credits for tuition would cover the entire increase for families with income less than $160,000 a year.

Gregoire argues that the increases would offset some of the cuts being proposed in the Legislature. Rather than the House-proposed 27 percent cut in state support, which would result in lower enrollment and program cuts, the cuts would have to be only 10 percent. That might maintain most enrollments and make sure students can get the classes they need to graduate in four years rather than five.

And despite fears, the increases would not devastate the Guaranteed Education Tuition program, which allows purchase of future tuition credits at today’s prices, said state Treasurer Jim McIntire.

So why not go along with Gregoire? It will require legislators to challenge their own concepts about what makes college affordable. And they’ll have to deal with accusations that tuition hikes are akin to tax increases.

Finally, lawmakers would also have to explain to parents – who also happen to be voters – that slightly higher tuition would maintain quality and access. Lower tuition may seem like a bargain until your kids can’t get into school or can’t get the classes they need to graduate on time.

Peter Callaghan: 253-597-8657

peter.callaghan@thenewstribune.com

blogs.thenewstribune.com/politics