2013 End of Session Report

The Oregon Student Association would like to thank the members of the Oregon Legislature and the Governor’s office for working with the Oregon Student Association this session. Together our elected officials and students fought for the collective needs of students across the state of Oregon. For us there is little more important during a Legislative Session than the fight for increased funding for our public universities and community colleges. Students can claim great victories this session with increases to all our public colleges and financial aid for the first time since the start of the recession. Until all the budget bills have been signed and the dust settles in the Legislative Fiscal Office these numbers are approximate figures. These budgets and policy victories reflect the importance of continued lobbying and organizing efforts during the entirety of the session. Students kept the pressure up and these budgets reflect the importance of constant and quality student advocacy.

Financial Aid

Funding for the Oregon Opportunity Grant program is set at $113.7 million, an increase of almost $15 million over the 2011-13 funding level. This amount of funding is anticipated to fund approximately 63,000 awards at an average amount of $1,800. The ASPIRE program is appropriated at $1.4 million General Fund to replace lost federal resources. This level of funding should be sufficient to have 145 sites across the state – the number of sites in the first year of the current biennium.

Community Colleges

The state support for the 17 Community Colleges is set at $450 million representing an increase of over $50 million from the level included in the 2011-13 budget. Other General Fund programs in this budget include $7.5 million for a workforce initiative, $600,000 for skills center in Clackamas County and in Portland, and almost $675,000 for expanding and coordinating training programs at Community Colleges for community health care workers.

Oregon University System

Approximate 7% increase in general fund dollars to OUS when compared to the 2011-13 LAB. The Subcommittee increased the General Fund appropriation for public university support by $15,000,000 with direction that the money be used to reduce resident undergraduate tuition increases at the state’s seven public universities. The Subcommittee adopted the following budget note to limit tuition increases on resident undergraduate students:

OUS Budget Note

In adopting the budget for the Oregon University System, the Legislature intends that increases in the base rates for tuition paid by resident undergraduate students on all seven campuses and one branch campus (EOU, OIT, OSU, OSU-Cascades, PSU, SOU, UO and WOU) may not exceed an average of 3.5% at any individual campus in any given year of the 2013-15 biennium. For students choosing the Tuition Promise program at WOU, rates of increase over the prior cohort may not exceed 5.7% in any given year. These limits on tuition shall apply to all seven campuses and one branch campus for the next two academic years (2013-14 and 2014-15) regardless of the outcome of any governance changes that may be implemented during the biennium.

Governance

This session students opposed institutional boards for public universities. In the finals days of this legislative session, after 24 versions of the bill were debated, SB 270 did pass. Students worked to insure that any institutional board will have a designated voting student seat and tuition cannot increase above 5% annually. Students also supported the partner house bill (HB 3120) that protects the rights of students to collect and control the student incidental fee. Simultaneously, students opposed the cap on increasing the student fee more than 5% per year. Student concerns were centered on the dismantling of shared services, a loss of shared governance, and insurmountable tuition hikes over time. Governance reform has resulted in more questions and uncertainty of what lies ahead. One thing is clear university governance structure will not change the Oregon Student Association. We will continue to fight for access, affordability, and the inclusion of the student voice on every campus. We welcome the new working relationships ahead of us and the new opportunities that may be available with the addition of institutional boards.

Tuition Equity

After over a decade of intense and often heartbreaking organizing, the Oregon Legislature, along with the many organizations and individuals, passed HB 2787, Tuition Equity. Granting undocumented youth, who have graduated from an Oregon high school and have been accepted to an Oregon public university the right to pay in-state tuition. The bill passed through both chambers of the legislature fairly early on in the legislative session allowing for OSA to turn its focus and capacity to other major policy priorities AND students were able to take advantage of Tuition Equity as early as July 1st, 2013.

Cultural Competency

House Bill 2611, though not a sweeping mandate as we had hoped it would be, was a major victory for students and underrepresented communities across Oregon. Upon the decision for OSA to join the coalition this issue was given a much needed – expanded and effective – voice within the Capitol. Proving to be essential to the non-partisan advocacy and queer justice framework of this bill, it’s safe to say this bill would not have passed had students not been at the table. Licensure boards and our college campuses will be asked to provide cultural competency continuing education for healthcare providers in addition to tracking and making public which individuals complete these courses. Just one step forward in insuring Oregon college students have better access to quality healthcare.

Public Safety Reform

This session, after what some would call a legislative game of volleyball, the Oregon Legislature advanced legislation to address the cost of public safety in Oregon. With the passage of HB 3194 the legislature made a commitment to halt prison growth for the next 5 years, eliminating the need to build a new prison, and saving Oregon over $300 million in the next 10 years. Though this isn’t the bill students and coalition partners had hoped for it is a win and evidence that our state continues to move away from our over-reliance on incarceration. Oregon is showing signs that we are ready to invest in addiction treatment, mental health programs, re-entry support, and other prevention oriented programs. There is work left to do and members in both chambers are eager to continue the conversation of public safety reform.

Written by Emma Kallway and Mario Parker-Milligan