WSU is offering to waive tuition for students impacted by the massive Snohomish County mudslide.

President Elson S. Floyd created the initiative to alleviate the financial burden for students from the Darrington and Oso communities coming to WSU for the 2014-2015 academic year. He announced initiative in a letter to the Darrington mayor, Dan Rankin.

Kathy Barnard, executive director of University Communications, said the waiver for tuition is a tangible and practical way for WSU to help those experiencing hardship related to the disaster.

“Our hope is that it will take one more burden off the shoulders of the people who live there,” Barnard said.

Tuition will be waived for students with permanent addresses in Oso or Darrington, according to the letter dated yesterday.

She said that while an exact number of those who would be utilizing the tuition waiver is known, she expects around 50 students.

“We have to remember these are very small communities,” Barnard said.

She said that from the moment the mudslide happened, everyone, including administrators at WSU, knew the hardships and effects the disaster would have on the communities surrounding it.

“It is the responsibility of the entire state to help the community recover, and this is just WSU’s part in that,” Barnard said.