This Wednesday there will be a hearing in the capital on Senate Bill 742, dealing with tuition equity. It is important that all Oregon students and community members are aware of this. Tuition equity is about opportunity, investment and advancement for Oregon. This bill capitalizes on our investment in Oregon students. We can’t afford to let our investment in K-12 students go to waste by pricing successful Oregon-educated students out of Oregon universities where out-of-state tuition is three times the cost of in-state tuition.
This bill advances Oregon’s workforce and advances Oregonians graduating from high school and pursing a college degree. In a time when we need to increase Oregon’s competitiveness and appeal to businesses, SB 742 ensures Oregon is more competitive and appealing to businesses. Tuition equity ensures that more Oregon students are able to go to college. This means helping increase university revenue and Oregon’s tax base.
As an undergraduate student and incoming vice president of the ASUO, I think it is absurd that a person can live in the state of Oregon practically their entire life and then be charged out-of-state tuition. I myself was not born in Oregon; I became a resident before I attended college and was charged in-state tuition.
As a working-class student, I am thankful that I am able to more easily afford to go to school, and undocumented students that have grown up in Oregon deserve as least this much. Furthermore, I know my college experience is enhanced by the diversity of students who attend my school. We should be working towards finding ways to increase this diversity, not decrease it. So with that, I am calling out to all students and community members to support SB 742 and call our representatives to ask them to do the same.
Katie Taylor
ASUO vice president-elect