Jari Tavira, a Heritage University student, never originally planned to go to college. His mom was dealing with cancer, and he wanted to support his family. He has five sisters, and is the oldest sibling.
But he couldn't justify the financial burden that a four-year degree would put on him and his family.
Through Washington state's generous financial programs, including the Washington College Grant, Tavira was able to attend Heritage in Toppenish while staying close to his home in Grandview. He's studying biology and plans to graduate debt-free in December.
Tavira's experience isn't uncommon for Heritage students, but with changes to the Washington College Grant, there could be more hesitancy or ineligibility among students who are in a similar position.
In May, Gov. Bob Ferguson signed Senate Bill 5785, amending the Washington College Grant and cutting award funding to private four-year universities. The changes will take effect in fall 2026. Students at private universities will see their maximum award amount drop from around $9,000 to an estimated $6,300, according to The Seattle Times.
"We will have students who are unable to attend the university if they don't receive the Washington College Grants," said Heritage President Christopher Gilmer.
Washington College Grant
The Washington College Grant is a financial aid program that awards students funding for college, apprenticeships, job training or certificate programs.
"What's really important about it is that it kind of levels the playing field," Gilmer said.
Washington residents can apply for the grant through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or the Washington Application for State Financial Aid.
The amount of funding depends on family size, income and the cost of the school or program, according to the Washington Student Achievement Council.
Tavira is a first-generation, low-income student, like many students at Heritage. Most students are first-generation and low-income, 80% and 97%, respectively.
Funding cuts are hurting Heritage
Washington College Grant funding adds around $5 million annually to the university's $30 million total budget, Gilmer said. With changes to the grant funding, the university stands to lose $3 million annually. The cuts will hurt private universities such as Heritage because they don't receive state funding directly.
"It goes to the student, then the student decides where to spend it," Gilmer said.
Washington College Grant changes are another addition to Heritage's list of funding cuts. In September, the U.S. Department of Education notified the university that it would no longer award Minority-Serving Institution grants.
Heritage was federally designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and is already at risk of losing an estimated $1.5 million in federal Title V funding annually.
"We are prepared to move some funding from our cash reserves, but a small institution like us only has a limited amount of reserves that we can pull from," Gilmer said when talking about Washington College Grant cuts.
Gilmer has been in conversations with elected officials and Gov. Ferguson's aides to make his case about the importance of Heritage to Washington and the community it serves. Conversations will continue as the legislative session approaches.
"The members of the Legislature that we have spoken to so far have expressed their understanding of the importance of Heritage and the uniqueness of Heritage," Gilmer said. "And in a broad way, they have expressed their continuing support for the university."
Students are feeling the impacts
Tavira said that if he hadn't received the Washington College Grant, he likely wouldn't have attended Heritage and would have opted for a community college instead.
The Washington College Grant is one of the biggest programs within his financial aid package, he said.
"Me, and a lot of students at Heritage, rely on that," he said.
Tavira and Ashley Zarco, a Heritage senior studying history, said that the biggest challenges that low-income students have are tight budget restrictions. And when a student has a family they feel obligated to support, those restrictions become even more binding.
Zarco and her older sisters attended Heritage mainly because it was close to their home in Wapato, so they could still support their parents while taking classes.
Financial aid programs helped Zarco's three sisters get through college debt-free, and she wants to be in the same boat.
While in college, her sisters supported the household by helping pay for groceries, rent, car payments and electricity. Zarco is now in the same position her sisters were, and is providing similar support.
"We have students (who) basically all share (a) similar story," she said, referring to students who are also low-income.
Zarco said she hopes elected officials will restore full grant funding to students because it affects whether students decide to attend college and helps them break family cycles.
She didn't receive the Washington College Grant, but is a recipient of the Pell Grant and scholarships that helped pay her way through Heritage.
That extra help can change people's future, Zarco said.
Her mother worked in a warehouse, and her father, who recently passed away, worked in a hop field when she was in middle school.
Zarco saw how her sisters changed their family's life through education and wanted to do the same.
"We rely heavily on whatever help we can receive, just because our parents don't make enough to help us go to college," she continued.
Between a rock and a hard place
The upcoming legislative short session will task the Washington Legislature with addressing the state's budget deficit.
Lawmakers faced an estimated $12 billion to $16 billion budget shortfall in the 2025 legislative session, according to the University of Washington. Amending the Washington College Grant was just one of the efforts to reduce state spending.
"I believe that we're in a moment when states, including Washington but not only Washington, have so many competing priorities for limited taxpayer dollars," Gilmer said.
Gilmer wants elected officials to know the importance of what Heritage is doing for the community and Washington, and to prioritize education. He's asking for lawmakers to consider exempting Heritage from funding cuts.
"Our annual contribution to the economy of Washington is $300 million a year. That's what we generate for the state of Washington in value," he said. "We only spend $30 million in doing that."
"That seems like an amazing return on investment," he continued.
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