“HB 4162 was initiated by OSA, in partnership with Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon, Swipe Out Hunger and Open Oregon Educational Resources Program. Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon Communications Lead, Jacki Ward Kehrwald, said that the support of basic needs ‘felt short sighted’ as legislators overlooked the importance of basic needs. ‘It's the right thing to do, ethically, to support students in crisis. It's also a strategic investment in the future of Oregon, to invest in students facing crises and support them when they're pursuing their degree,; Ward Kehrwald said.”

By Ysabella Sosa - Daily Emerald

Let’s take a moment to appreciate some of the student wins from the 2024 Legislative Session!

While we didn’t win everything in the end, including the Student Emergency Needs Package, student voices and OSA were critical to securing other policy wins and investments in post-secondary education during the session

The 2024 Short Legislative Session was a relatively challenging landscape for the Oregon Student Association and student’s priorities, although there were some hopeful prospects and legislative wins for post-secondary education. The 35-day legislative session, which occurs every two years and is focused on amendments and adjustments to the state’s budget, and consideration of outstanding bills from the prior session, officially concluded on Thursday, March 7th, 2024.

We are disappointed to share that HB 4162: The Student Emergency Needs Package did not move forward during the 2024 Legislative Session. While we always understood this was a potential outcome with the high-speed and limited nature of the short session, we are heartbroken and confused by the Oregon State Legislature’s failure to make this emergency investment in student basic needs and textbook affordability.

“‘[ASUO] wanted to advocate for the emergency relief package because there is such high food insecurity in general, resource insecurity with the high cost of attendance, and there's so many things that students are lacking in their wraparound support,’ ASUO’s Secretary of Campus Health and Safety Madison Studer said.”

By Ysabella Sosa - Daily Emerald

“The Student Emergency Needs Package, HB 4162, looks to help the state’s public college and university students with the rising costs of housing, food and transportation. The proposal would appropriate a total of $6 million from the state’s general fund to go toward student basic needs and textbook affordability programs.”

By Tiffany Camhi - OPB

“Carissa O'Donnell and Chloé Webster, presidents of the Oregon State and University of Oregon student governments, testified this week in front of the Legislature to ask for more resources for financially needy students. A delay in federal and state financial aid awards is further complicating college planning for those students, many of whom still don't know how much financial help they'll get for next school year.”

By Sami Edge - The Oregonian

“Alex Aghdaei, a political science student at the University of Oregon and chair of the executive committee of the nonprofit Oregon Student Association, said the university today compared to a decade ago is enrolling far fewer low-income students eligible for federal Pell grants and a smaller share of students from Oregon. Despite larger enrollment of higher-paying out-of-state students, and a growing donation fund reaching nearly $3 billion in assets, tuition has continued to increase.”

By Alex Baumhardt - Oregon Capitol Chronicle

We are so excited to announce and invite students to participate in a Student Lobby Day on February 14th, hosted by the Oregon Student Association and the Oregon Student Public Interest Research Group! Join us for a day of lobbying as we advocate for basic needs funding, textbook affordability, and right to repair legislation. Click below for more event details!

“Nick Keough, legislative director for the Oregon Student Association, said students are struggling to pay for textbooks, housing, transportation, health care and their living expenses. ‘Financial aid programs and scholarships designed for low-income students fail to cover the bulk of their needs and do not reach the costs associated with attendance, such as food, housing, textbooks, transportation, etc.’” Keough said.

By Lynne Terry - Oregon Capitol Chronicle

“Survivors of sexual assaults on Oregon university campuses shared their stories and called for change this legislative session. That change is now underway with a new law that calls on institutions of higher learning to change some policies and to publish the number of sexual assaults reported on campus.”

By Christina Giardinelli - KATU

“With Biden’s plan blocked by SCOTUS, borrowers find themselves closer to reaching $2 trillion of student debt. Now more than ever, we need to end this crisis.”

By Shanna Hayes and Sabrina Calazans — The Nation

Oregon’s community college students were more able to afford the cost of college during the pandemic than at any point in the last decade, according to new state data that shows just 25% faced unaffordable costs.

By Sami Edge - The Oregonian/OregonLive

The 2023 Long Legislative Session was immensely successful for the Oregon Student Association and post-secondary education policy. The 160-day legislative session, which occurs every two years and is focused on enacting laws and administering the state’s budget, officially concluded on Sunday, June 25th, 2023.

The budget includes more than $1 billion to be distributed among Oregon’s public universities, $800 million for the state’s community colleges and more than $300 million for the Oregon Opportunity Grant — the statewide financial aid program for low-income Oregonians. The budget also includes roughly $24 million to continue the Oregon Tribal Student Grant, an aid program for students from Oregon tribes the legislature authorized last year.

By Meerah Powell - OPB

The education subcommittee of the Legislature’s funding arm on Thursday recommended spending more money on Oregon’s colleges, universities and scholarship programs than top government leaders proposed earlier this year.

By Sami Edge - The Oregonian/OregonLive

The legislation supported by Lane SGA would increase funding to the school, including increased funding for the Health Clinic through HB 2002, and increased funds for grants and scholarships through the Oregon Opportunity Grant and Oregon Tribal Grant.

By Molly Newhard - The LCC Torch

Several dozen college students gathered in Salem to voice their concerns about budget cuts to higher education. The rally was one of at least three that took place at the Capitol throughout Thursday, and was organized by the student-run nonprofit Oregon Student Association.

By Alex Baumhardt - Oregon Capitol Chronicle

Oregon's community colleges and universities say they are facing potential cuts on campus heading into the 2023-25 biennium if budget proposals recommended by Oregon leaders are adopted as proposed.

By Sami Edge - The Oregonian/OregonLive

A bill moving through the Oregon Legislature could smooth out those speed bumps. If passed, House Bill 2395 would make access easier to Naloxone, and it would protect the people who distribute it from liability. It would also decriminalize providing drug testing strips at public places, including on university campuses where drug use has shifted from being a risky but somewhat expected part of college life to a more serious and potentially deadly situation.

By Meerah Powell - OPB