News/Events

Tuition Increase

Tuition for Washington’s Community and Technical Colleges (CTCs) is set by the State Legislature. In response to inflationary pressures and budget shortfalls, the Legislature recently approved a 3.3% tuition increase, effective in 2025.

At South Seattle College, the current tuition rate for a resident student enrolled in 15 lower-division credits is $1,645.05 per quarter. While this increase will help sustain college programs and essential student services, it also raises the cost of attendance—making financial aid and scholarships more critical than ever.

If you are already a donor to the South Seattle College Foundation, we encourage you to consider increasing your gift to $2,000. If it’s been a while, we invite you to visit our donation page and make a contribution today. Together, we can ensure that students continue to have access to high-quality education and the support they need to succeed—both in school and in life.

Staffing Update

This spring of 2025, we bid farewell to Patrice Smith, who served as Administrator for the South Seattle College Foundation for seven impactful years. She joined SSCF during a period of change, helping to build new systems and redefine operations following the Foundation’s separation from the District Foundation. From the start, Patrice was known for her extraordinary attention to detail, proactive problem-solving, sharp wit, and deep dedication to supporting the Board in advancing the Foundation’s mission.

We had the pleasure of celebrating Patrice’s many contributions at a special spring event hosted by South Seattle College at the Wine Academy (see photos below).

As the Foundation moved forward, we welcomed Sally Haber in January as the Foundation’s new Administrative Coordinator and Board Liaison. Thanks to Patrice’s generous decision to remain on for a time, we were able to ensure a smooth and thoughtful transition with the benefit of firsthand guidance.

Prior to joining SSCF, Sally served as Executive Director of the East Seattle Foundation, where she led philanthropic strategy, developed multi-year partnerships with institutions like Western Washington University, the University of Washington, and UW Tacoma, and launched the Frazier Scholars program—an initiative focused on improving outcomes for students with experience in foster care or housing instability. She also spent 16 years at Seattle University managing university-sponsored K12 education outreach programs for the Children’s Literacy Project and the Seattle University Youth Initiative.

This event was also planned to highlight the big plans for the Culinary Department infrastructure, kitchens, restaurants, gardens, etc. A major overhaul is in the works. The total anticipated cost is a little over $7,000,000. Plans include upgrades and renovations to the restaurant kitchens, learning kitchens, dining areas, student eating areas, kitchen gardens, and more.

This event was also planned to highlight the big plans for the Culinary Department infrastructure, kitchens, restaurants, gardens, etc. A major overhaul is in the works. The total anticipated cost is a little over $7,000,000. Plans include upgrades and renovations to the restaurant kitchens, learning kitchens, dining areas, student eating areas, kitchen gardens, and more.