Wash. state bill looks to cut college tuition up to $5,000

College students in Washington state might end up with quite the bargain next year as the state looks to reinvest in higher education.

Last week, the Washington State Senate passed Senate Bill 5954 in a 37-12 vote, a law that would link college tuition rates to average salaries in the state. If passed, it would effectively cut tuition rates by up to $5,000 per year at public schools.

“If you try and make your decision based on what’s best for the students, this bill makes a lot of sense,” says Sen. Andy Hill (R-Redmond), the Senate’s budget writer.

What doesn’t make sense, says Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles (D-Seattle), is that no one knows how to pay for it yet.