OLYMPIA, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – An error by state budget writers could have a devastating impact on some nearby colleges.

Members of the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges held a special meeting on Monday, Sept. 23, to discuss the potential loss of over $28 million in funding. The board was notified on Aug. 22 that $28,527,000 in funding was accidentally placed twice in the current operating budget.

The Office of Financial Management (OFM) told the board that those funds now have to be “unallocated” in order to offset the mistake. According to the board’s meeting memo, the budget cuts would range from $330,000 for smaller, rural schools to more than $2 million for larger districts.

Amy Morrison, President of Lake Washington Institute of Technology, says the loss would be a devastating blow to colleges.

“Colleges have dedicated and spent this fund, these monies, in good faith in order to set ourselves up in a time of uneven and uncertain enrollment coming out of the pandemic,” Morrison said. “Our budgets were set months ago.”

According to the board, the loss of funding would likely lead to hiring freezes or layoffs, delays to new programs and the possible closure of existing programs.

The OFM has stated that it hopes to recover the lost funding in the 2025 supplemental budget, though there is no specific timeline yet. Meanwhile, the board voted at the meeting to submit a budget request for supplemental funding until it can get the money back.

Washington is home to 34 community and technical colleges, including Whatcom Community College, Bellingham Technical College and Skagit Valley College.