Oregon higher education on track to receive full requested state budget

It appears that Oregon public colleges and universities will receive the amount of money they have requested from the state to help maintain current services and programs and to prioritize post-pandemic recovery efforts.

If state lawmakers pass a new draft budget, Oregon’s seven public universities will receive $ 900 million in operations and programs, and the state’s 17 community colleges will receive approximately $ 703 million over the next two-year budget cycle.

Last December, it was originally planned that the institutions would receive approximately $ 836 million and $ 641 million, respectively, from Governor Kate Brown’s originally recommended budget. With these amounts, the universities and colleges – with the same amount that they received in the last biennium – would have financed lump sum, whereby the costs would have increased.

However, a budget forecast released last month showed tax revenues to rise more than $ 1 billion above previous estimates, fueling optimism among college leaders that their requested increases were much more likely.

“Legislature has made important investments in this budget that will support the equitable education of learners across Oregon,” said Ben Cannon, executive director of the Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission, in a statement. “Our public universities receive the requested funding.”

Eastern Oregon University President Tom Insko, chairman of the Oregon Council of Presidents – a coalition of Oregon public leaders – echoed these views. He said the additional funding will be particularly helpful as universities continue to face the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

“The budget released today is helping students return to face-to-face tuition and providing resources for universities to continue to address injustices in the history system exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic,” Insko said in a statement Friday. “Oregon universities are grateful that lawmakers funded the $ 900 million budget proposal to keep the ongoing services going. Prioritizing these resources for higher education will help thousands of students across the state, expand opportunities for Oregon families, and provide a workforce for post-pandemic Oregon businesses. “

The news was also welcomed by the Oregon Community College Association. OCCA executive director Cam Preus said the community colleges had requested $ 702 million from the state, so they actually received an additional $ 1 million in the amended bill.

“With this amount of funding, colleges can continue to offer their communities affordable, high-quality education and keep tuition fees low,” Preus told OPB.

Cannon with the HECC said the amended budget also includes increased government funding for the Oregon Opportunity Grant, a government-funded scholarship program for low-income students. Insko and Preus also said that this was welcome news.

“[N]New investments in the Oregon Opportunity Grant will fund thousands of additional low-income students, “Cannon said. “The finer details are also positive. In this budget, the legislature finances youth employment initiatives, works to make the transfer of coursework between colleges and universities smoother, and dedicated staff working on important issues to better help underrepresented students. “

He continued, “There is more to be done and financial assistance programs remain critically underfunded even after these new investments, but this budget is a constructive move.”

State lawmakers will discuss the draft budget during a working session on Monday.

source https://collegeeducationnewsllc.com/oregon-higher-education-on-track-to-receive-full-requested-state-budget/