With rising costs of tuition and declining state support, candidates’ stances on higher education are one of the most pertinent factors that will
impact students’ votes in the Nov. 2 election.
At the nation’s capitol, federal legislators and their opponents are grappling with how to fund federal student aid programs that are being outpaced by rising tuition nationwide. Statewide, candidates have to deal with a difficult quandary: How to fund higher education institutions with an already strained budget and a slipping Oregon economy.
U.S. Senate candidates
Democratic candidate Sen. Ron Wyden said he is a strong supporter of Pell Grants and has fought for increases in the Pell Grant Program and for HOPE Scholarship tuition tax credits.
“At a time when costs are limiting access to higher education, we must do everything we can to… give all students the opportunity to pursue their studies,” he said in an e-mail statement.
Republican candidate Al King proposes that the Federal Education Department be completely done away with.
“Education and all local government should be as close to the people as possible,” he said.
Furthermore, King said he feels too many students are benefactors of free education, causing other students to foot the bill, and students should have to make greater investments in their education. He said he would rather balance the Pell program’s budget than raise the amount of the maximum grant, and the program should be examined for its efficacy.
King said he supports low-interest loans backed by the government for students and tax-free savings plans for education.
U.S. representatives,
Fourth Congressional District
Democratic candidate Rep. Peter DeFazio has voted numerous times for putting more money into Pell grants during his term. He said he believes they should be “funded at a higher level and be available for more students.”
DeFazio added he believes federal loan subsidies should be given directly to students rather than to lenders. DeFazio added that he supported tax breaks for students shouldering debts from college and programs that offer loan
payment assistance.
DeFazio said he “not only voted for more
student loans and student grants,” but that he also provides scholarships out of his congressional pay raise.
Republican candidate Jim Feldkamp said he supports Pell grants because “If … you’re not from an affluent family and you’ve worked hard you should receive them.”
Feldkamp said he feels many of the problems in higher education stem from a weak Oregon economy.
“What we need is to build up the economy,” he said.
State senator,
Fourth District
Democratic candidate Sen. Floyd Prozanski has a long record of supporting students. He said it is “appalling” that the state only supports roughly 14 percent of the University’s budget.
“I think legislators have an absolute duty to fully fund institutions of higher education,” he said.
Prozanski proposes solving the state’s higher education funding woes by establishing a “dedicated funding source,” such as an endowment, to be used exclusively for higher education. He wants to increase the minimum corporate income tax, which is currently at $10 per year, and put some of this revenue toward education.
Prozanski said funding higher education is a social investment.
“With every dollar we put into education, we’re going to save between seven to 11 in social services,” he said.
Republican candidate Norm Thomas said he is not “well-versed” in issues of higher education, such as financial aid, but that he would become better informed “when I am elected.”
Thomas said he wants to ensure that “contributions to education” are wisely used, and proposed the elimination of the Chancellor’s Office.
State representative,
District Eight
Democratic candidate Rep. Paul Holvey said the state needs to fund higher education at higher levels.

“I think that the state needs to increase its funding to stabilize higher education and to stop the increase in tuition,” he said.
He wants to reduce tax loopholes and tax expenditures to create more revenue to go toward higher
education.
“Long-term we need to perhaps … readjust the income tax schedule,” he said, adding that the state should look at other sources of tax revenue.
Republican candidate Bill Young could not be reached for comment.
Presidential candidates
Republican candidate President George W. Bush asked Congress to expand Pell Grants by 47 percent during his term, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education. He wants to expand the grants so they can be used year-round rather than just during the nine-month academic term. He has also said he wants to offer $5,000 grants to students studying mathematics or science in college.
Bush also has plans to enact permanent tax breaks by eliminating taxes on money withdrawn from state-sponsored prepaid tuition plans and college savings programs. However, critics fear Bush’s extensive tax cuts will strain federal student aid programs even more.

Democratic candidate Sen. John Kerry has also articulated extensive tax break schemes to reduce the burden of rising tuition. His plan includes offering a tax credit for the first $4,000 students pay in tuition, even if the student pays little or no taxes.
Kerry also proposes offering incentives to institutions that do not raise their tuition with the creation of a $10 billion fund exclusively for these institutions. He has also proposed “loan auctions” in which lenders would compete for federal subsidies for student loans. Kerry also wants support for Americorp, a program that assists students with loan payments by having them perform public service.

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