Education Funding Crisis: Cougs 4 Kids’ Student Support Program

Washington’s education funding crisis is threatening the very pipelines that feed our Cougar community—programs like TRIO and GEAR UP face elimination in the federal budget, while the state slashes preschool slots and K–12 supports, and WSU absorbs multimillion-dollar cuts to its core operations. In the face of these gaps, Cougs 4 Kids has launched a one-day Pullman summer camp for teens (ages 13–17) teaching leadership, “college is possible,” team-building, and community service; pairs each camper with a WSU student-athlete “coach,” who in turn is mentored by alumni from our Alumni Advisory Board; and mobilizes participants in care-package projects. By harnessing the strength of our alumni network and proven youth-development models, these student support programs ensure that, even amid budget turmoil, our future Cougs can learn, lead, and thrive.

Federal Threats: TRIO and GEAR UP Elimination

On May 2, 2025, the White House released its FY 2026 “skinny budget,” proposing the total elimination of TRIO and GEAR UP—programs that collectively serve over 800,000 first-generation, low-income, and disabled students each year, providing tutoring, advising, and college-readiness services (TICAS). TRIO’s $1.2 billion in grants underwrites student-support offices on campus and in rural community colleges; removing these funds would leave many institutions without critical advising or tutoring capacity (GrantExec). GEAR UP has powered early awareness and readiness activities in middle and high schools for two decades; its loss threatens to sever the pipeline that instills college aspirations long before graduation (TICAS).

State Cuts: Early Learning and Student Stability

In Olympia, the 2025–27 biennial budget slashes net ECEAP funding by $216 million in the House proposal—eliminating 2,350 part-day slots—and by $301 million in the Senate version—cutting 3,245 slots—depriving thousands of three- and four-year-olds of preschool, nutrition, and family supports (Education Voters). The Homeless Student Stability Program, which grants districts resources to keep unhoused students in school with food, clothing, and counseling, was cut by $3.8 million, leaving vulnerable youth with fewer safety-net services (Education Voters). Despite growing demand, the Learning Assistance Program for literacy and math interventions remains flat-funded, resulting in waitlists for reading specialists and tutors in high-poverty districts (Education Voters).

Campus Impacts: WSU Budget Reductions

On the Pullman campus and beyond, WSU’s FY 2025 core-fund operating budget absorbed a $5.5 million (1.61 %) strategic reallocation, triggering hiring freezes and reduced program offerings in academic and student-service units (WSU News). In April 2025, the Legislature imposed an additional $9.9 million (1.5 %) blanket reduction to biennial appropriations for all public higher-education institutions—pressuring scholarships, advising, and campus initiatives across Pullman, Spokane, Vancouver, Tri-Cities, and extension sites (WSU Government Relations).

Cougs 4 Kids’ One-Day Summer Camp: Leadership in Action

To counteract these displacements, Cougs 4 Kids brings teens from the Pacific Northwest (ages 13–17) to a one-day summer camp on the Pullman campus. From 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., participants immerse themselves in:

• Leadership workshops on goal-setting, public speaking, and decision-making, led by Cougar alumni executives and WSU faculty.

• “College Is Possible” modules, featuring campus tours, FAFSA tutorials, and essay-writing sessions.

• Team-building activities, like problem-solving races and trust challenges, to foster collaboration and resilience.

• Care-package assembly, where teens prepare hygiene kits, non-perishable snacks, and school supplies for marginalized youth.

Research shows that carefully designed camp experiences produce lasting gains in self-esteem, social skills, and leadership—“Directions: Youth Development Outcomes” surveyed over 5,000 families across 80 ACA-accredited camps and found significant growth in self-esteem, independence, peer relationships, and leadership, with no measurable difference between day and resident settings (American Camp Association). Even a single day of focused leadership interventions can yield meaningful skill development, as documented in ACA’s Youth Outcomes Battery for day camps (National Recreation and Park Association).

Mentorship Layered for Success

Each camper is paired with a student-athlete “coach” from WSU Athletics who provides academic guidance, social support, and encouragement. These coaches, in turn, receive mentorship from seasoned alumni on our Alumni Advisory Board, ensuring quality and continuity. Intergenerational mentorship models—like AARP Foundation Experience Corps—deliver academic benefits equivalent to reducing class size by 40 percent while boosting tutors’ well-being; Johns Hopkins University found that Experience Corps tutors produce reading gains on par with a 40 percent smaller class size and reduce behavioral referrals by half (AARP).

This layered approach—youth with near-peer athletes and athletes with alumni mentors—creates a robust support network that strengthens academic, social-emotional, and career preparedness for all participants.

Civic Engagement Through Care-Package Projects

Beyond the camp, students join student-led care-package projects, identifying local needs, fundraising, and collaborating with shelters, after-school programs, and foster-care agencies. Service-learning research highlights that structured, youth-led civic projects enhance moral reasoning, social responsibility, and teamwork—skills linked to increased academic motivation and community attachment (American Camp Association). In 2024, Cougs 4 Kids distributed over 1,200 care packages (internal data), directly offsetting truncated school-nutrition and support services.

Why Cougar Alumni Engagement Matters

WSU’s 320,000 alumni network—nearly 66,000 in the Puget Sound—forms a powerful force for sustaining these initiatives (U.S. Department of the Treasury). Alumni can:

1. Volunteer as Alumni Advisors, guiding student-athlete coaches, shaping program design, and participating in the one-day camp.

2. Sponsor teen participation: $1,000 covers one camper’s full experience; $5,000 underwrites a camp cohort or advisory-board year-round support.

3. Advocate in Olympia: Write legislators as a “WSU alum” to restore TRIO/GEAR UP, ECEAP slots, and homeless-student funding.

4. Amplify on social media: Share camp highlights and calls to action with #EducationFundingCrisis and #Cougs4Kids to recruit peers.

Your time, resources, and voice not only scale program reach but also model the civic leadership that future Cougs will carry forward.

Conclusion

The proposed elimination of TRIO and GEAR UP, combined with state preschool-slot cuts, K–12 support reductions, and WSU budget constraints, creates a genuine education funding crisis that jeopardizes access and opportunity. Yet, by rallying Cougar alumni around Cougs 4 Kids’ one-day summer camp, layered mentorship, and care-package service projects, we can bridge critical gaps in academic support, leadership development, and civic engagement. Together, we ensure that, even in tough times, every teen emerges equipped to succeed at WSU and beyond.