The Seattle Times editorial page's spotlight on higher education's imperiled future continued Thursday with a live chat on seattletimes.com. Participants included college students along with Elson Floyd, president of Washington State University and Rep. Reuven Carlyle, D-Seattle, vice chair of the Washington state House higher education committee and member of Ways & Means Committee. Relive the discussion in the window below.

The chat picked up from Wednesday's Town Hall, "Six Presidents: An Unprecedented Conversation on Higher Education Funding in Washington," moderated by Seattle Times Editorial Page Editor Kate Riley and Times business columnist Jon Talton. Here's a great wrapup from that event.

The discussion among the presidents of Washington's four-year institutions and leaders from Microsoft, Boeing and REI lent credibility and depth to an issue that is often passed over in favor of debate about funding for the K-12 system. The presidents were clear that heavy state regulation and unreliable funding are their biggest challenges. The business leaders drew clear links between an educated populace and a strong economy. The event's ticket proceeds went to benefit the College Success Foundation scholarships (seati.ms/wgOCYa). These efforts are part of the Times' Greater Good campaign, a year-long public service effort in support of the state's higher education institutions