The Associated Press

• Wash. budget cuts billions of dollars, pain shared
  Education, health programs and human services will share the pain of deep spending cuts under a new Washington state budget that cuts about $4 billion in state spending through mid-2011.

  More than 9,000 slots for college students would be eliminated under the state plan, and tuition would climb — as much as 14 percent per year at four-year universities, and as much as 7 percent per year at community and technical colleges. Financial aid also is bumped up, by about $50 million, and the State Need Grant is fully financed.

  After those tuition increases are added, the net spending cuts are 7 percent at the University of Washington and Washington State University; 6.5 percent at regional four-year schools; and 6 percent at two-year colleges.

The Seattle Times

• Proposed budget cuts hit schools and health care, but parks would remain open
  Students will pay more to attend college, public-school teachers face the prospect of larger classes and the poor will have a harder time getting health care under nearly $4 billion in proposed budget cuts outlined by state lawmakers on Thursday.

  The full budget has not been released, but the Legislature released a two-page document listing some of the cuts in a compromise budget backed by Democratic leaders in the House and Senate.

  The Legislature is proposing to help offset cuts to colleges and universities by allowing tuition increases of up to 14 percent a year for two years at four-year institutions and 7 percent a year for two years at two-year colleges. The net cut to higher education after the tuition increases would be around $325 million.

The (Tacoma) News Tribune

• State budget details come to the surface
  State colleges and public schools will take some hefty cuts in the state budget, but the Legislature also is giving local school districts and universities the ability to collect more money from college-bound students and local property owners to make up some of the money it is cutting.

  Tuition at the University of Washington and the other four-year colleges could go up by 14 percent in each of the next two years and local school boards could ask property owners to approve even higher tax levies if they want to offset some of the state funding cuts.

OregonLive.com

• Coming subtractions in Washington offer a sobering preview for Oregon
  As Washington leaders race to balance their state budget this week, looming cuts in schools and services offer Oregonians a preview of the hard choices and pain coming our way.

  Federal stimulus money and a rainy-day savings account helps soften the blow, but Washington lawmakers have reached agreement on nearly $4 billion in cuts over the next two years.

  "We are going to have to accept raising tuition in a way we never would have anticipated," Gregoire said, "but it is better than closing the doors to higher education."

  Still, the rising costs will take a toll. The university system is bracing for the loss of 9,000 student slots and thousands of jobs, said Bill Lyne, a Western Washington University English professor and president of the United Faculty of Washington State.

Bellevue Reporter

• Former WWU student named Soldier of the Month
  Army Spec. Tim Thorpe was named Soldier of the Month for April by his battalion, which includes over 1,000 troops currently stationed in Iraq.

  Thorpe joined the Army Reserves at the age of 21 as a senior at Western Washington University. He now serves as a bridge builder with the Army Corps of Engineers, and is expected to return from his tour in Iraq this May.

Environmental Protection Agency

• Washington Universities Get National Recognition for Green Energy Push at Athletic Events
  Three Washington Universities are being recognized for their purchase of green power during major athletic events. Western Washington University, Evergreen State College and Pacific Lutheran University made significant green power purchases to offset energy consumption, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

(Ellensburg) Daily Record

• UBC will not apply for NCAA Division II
  The University of British Columbia decided last week not to apply for NCAA Division II membership until next year at the earliest.
  
  According to The (Vancouver, B.C.) Province, the university decided not to apply for membership because of questions about NCAA accreditation, including the high costs involved.
  
  UBC athletic director Bob Philip said in February that if the school had decided to join the NCAA, its best option would be to join Great Northwest Athletic Conference, home to Central Washington University. The GNAC’s status as a football-offering conference has been in a precarious situation since Western Washington University dropped the sport in January, leaving the conference with only four football members.