As students, we all know what the state of education funding in Oregon looks like right now. For the last several years, the cost of college tuition has skyrocketed, class sizes have continued to swell, financial aid for students has begun to dry up, and the dream of higher education has become even more elusive for countless high school students across Oregon.
For the next few weeks, state legislators will be meeting in Salem to make decisions that will greatly affect the cost of post-secondary education and the level of financial assistance given to Oregon students. The ASUO and the Oregon Student Association (OSA) are asking University students to work with us to help communicate one strong, unified message to Salem: Students cannot continue to pay more and get less for college.
We are focusing our efforts on two very important areas of education funding: the cost of tuition and the Oregon Opportunity Grant. Right now, the average undergraduate student is graduating with $20,000 of debt, and unless our state legislators commit to maintaining the current level of funding for our public universities and community colleges, this number will undoubtedly rise for many Oregon students.
Additionally, we will be working with students to lobby for a $197 million increase in funding for the Oregon Opportunity Grant (OOG), the state’s largest need-based financial aid program. An increase in funding for the Oregon Opportunity Grant will not only ensure that thousands of students maintain their current level of aid, but also allow thousands more to achieve the dream of attending college that otherwise might elude them.
How can you help fight for this vital funding for higher education? This week, the ASUO and OSA are collecting written testimonies from 50 students at the University of Oregon, as well as bringing 35 students to Salem on Friday to personally lobby at the state capitol. If the cost of higher education has impacted your life, or if you are a recipient of the Oregon Opportunity Grant, we need you to share your story with state legislators.
We will help you prepare your testimony to make sure that it has maximum impact — all you need to do is come visit us in the ASUO office in Suite 4 of the EMU with your message of how the cost of higher education has affected your life. You’ll also see ASUO staff and volunteers out on campus this week talking to students and collecting interest cards, so feel free to fill out a card and chat with us if you’re interested. You can also contact the ASUO State Affairs Coordinator by e-mailing [email protected].
Students deserve to have a voice in how their education is funded. That fact is the reason why over 14,000 Oregon college students registered to vote in preparation for the recent special election, and why tens of thousands more were reached through a voter education program staffed with student volunteers. Voting in elections is one critical way that student voices are heard, but lobbying can be even more powerful. Now is the time to stand up and say that enough is enough: Students cannot continue to pay more and get less for their higher education. We hope you’ll help us bring that message to the decision-makers in Salem over the next few weeks.
Rachel Cushman
ASUO State Affairs Coordinator