President welcomes White House focus on growing higher education costs

PULLMAN, Wash. – In response to President Obama’s recently announced plan to address the increasing costs of higher education in the U.S., Washington State University President Elson S. Floyd issued the following statement on Aug. 23:
 
“I am pleased that President Obama has turned his attention to affordability and accountability in higher education. Many of us have been focused on these issues for some time now, and it is refreshing to have the President join us in this regard. We must not forget the relationship between state appropriations and tuition levels. The Washington State Legislature is to be commended for reinvesting in higher education this year, resulting in a zero percent increase in tuition in this fall semester. The metrics used to evaluate institutional performance under the President’s plan will be extremely important. We welcome continued dialogue in the design of these criteria for the benefit of our students.”
 
Elson S. Floyd
President
Washington State University