NIC, Eastern program should work on both sides of the border
The Inland Northwest must train and retain all the talent it can.
Supporters of a new Spokane medical school have emphasized the improved odds of keeping doctors in the area if they can be educated here. The principle applies just as well to graduates in other fields.
The border should not be a barrier, and a pending agreement between North Idaho College and Eastern Washington University will help assure it will not be for a small number of lucky students.
“Destination Eastern” will allow as many as 20 NIC graduates to attend the university and pay the same tuition Washington residents do. They must carry a minimum 12 credits and graduate in two years. If they do not meet the deadline, they will pay more, but not the full non-resident rate, which is about three times higher.
The program will be open to all students _ 16 are already participating while details are finalized _ but the first enrollees have concentrated in dental hygiene and engineering. They are not displacing Washington students. Eastern has more than 500 engineering students. Another dozen should not overstress those programs.
Graydon Stanley, NIC vice president for student services, says the opportunity to access Eastern’s excellent programs at a cost comparable to the University of Idaho, but with a much easier commute, helps raise the sights of students who might not otherwise see their way to a four-year degree.
The “Don’t Fail Idaho” campaign has underscored the need to foster greater student ambition, and the encouragement and support it will take to provide the educated workers the state will need to compete in a 21st century economy.
That certainly includes North Idaho, and the budding education corridor along the Spokane River adjacent to NIC indicates leaders there understand the urgency. While those programs expand and mature, Eastern is an ideal destination for some students, particularly non-traditional students like adults recycling to new types of employment.
But there is at least one question worth asking: Is this a program that has value for Washington taxpayers, who are substantially subsidizing the educations of these Idaho students?
The state budgeted $5,371 per student this year, but that falls to $4,507 because enrollment substantially exceeds the count used by the Legislature. So, the total cost of 20 Idaho students represents about a $90,000 expenditure.
It’s not quite an apples-to-apples comparison, but in fiscal 2015 Idaho appropriated $162.4 million for the University of Idaho. The 2013-2014 full-time equivalent enrollment was 10,176: The state provided significantly less than $2,000 per student.
Still, this is a value proposition that works to the benefit of the Inland Northwest. Non-traditional students, many with families, are less likely to pack their diploma and move away. The skills and knowledge they bring to the region’s economy are a plus not matter what side of the border they work or live.
Destination Eastern should go forward but at some point, perhaps five years out, officials should look back to assure the investment everyone is making has paid off.
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