Foreign college students could help rescue GET
Feb 15, 2013, 10:07 AM | Updated: 12:37 pm
Washington's underfunded GET tuition program could get a boost from overseas. (AP Photo/file)
(AP Photo/file)
Washington’s underfunded GET tuition program could get a boost from overseas.
A bill that got a hearing in the State Senate Thursday would hike college tuition by 2 percent for international students starting with the 2013-2014 school year, with the extra money going to help fund the Guaranteed Education Tuition program.
The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Rodney Tom (D-Medina), argued that foreign students are taking advantage of programs for which they don’t pay taxes.
International students make up about 6 percent of the student body at Washington State University and about 10 percent of undergraduates at The University of Washington.
Opponents worry that the surcharge will drive away international students and one critic says foreign students should not have to pay for a program they don’t use.
