The proposed House and Senate budgets show much lighter cuts to financial aid than the governor’s original proposal.

The House and Senate budgets keep more than $20,000,000 more in financial aid than the governor’s proposed budget. Programs like the WAVE and Washington Scholars, which were to be dropped completely, now have a chance of being funded.

Both the WAVE and Washington Scholars would receive partial cuts in the Senate budget, but it would allow students who already won the scholarships to continue receiving the aid they were promised. The House budget proposes no cuts to these programs and two additional grants.

Still, it is hard to say which budget is better, said Sam Shaddox, ASWSU director of legislative affairs.

“Neither one is perfect,” he said. “Neither one is ideal, but we need to look at both budgets and see what we really want to make it through reconciliation.” The House and Senate have until March 11 to reconcile their proposed budgets into the final budget for the regular session. Gov. Chris Gregoire’s proposed budget is no longer favored now that the others are on the table. The main difference between the two budgets under consideration is the House budget would cut about $1 million more than the Senate budget.

Shaddox said there are a lot of funds still being shifted around to different accounts. In the coming days before the budget is finalized, people will be lobbying back and forth.

“So much of it is still up in the air that it’s tough to say what’s going to happen,” he said. “If they don’t get a budget passed, they don’t have a choice but to either adopt Gov. Gregoire’s original budget or work it out.” There has also been controversy because of an implementation that reallocates some student tuition money into the general state fund. Except for WSU, $38 million from every college and university in the state will be transferred.

Shaddox said every other public university and college in the state has an account set up to fund future projects. He thinks WSU is exempt from contributing to the collective fund because all of the university’s money is already being used.

“We don’t have a building fee account that has money waiting in it for projects,” he said. “So there’s nothing for them to take.” Still, the government could begin redirecting WSU tuition money to the general fund at any time in the future, he said.

ASWSU plans to send out an e-mail to students on Friday urging them to get involved in the formation of the final budget.

“We want students to be able to participate in this last final push before the budget gets out,” Shaddox said.