Most Oregonians believe that while a university education is too costly, it is necessary to land a good job and maintain a good quality of life in the state, according to a recently released Oregon University System survey.
The survey, conducted by the Portland-based firm of Davis and Hibbitts, Inc., was based on a statewide poll of 600 registered voters. The results showed that 45 percent of those polled think tuition is too high for public state schools.
Yet even though those polled said higher education was too expensive, more than 80 percent said Oregon’s universities and colleges compete with the best in the nation. University faculty and students had mixed reactions to the survey results.
Van Kolpin, an economics professor and department head, said he didn’t think tuition was too expensive in general, but said he understands it is expensive for some students.
“I definitely don’t think tuition’s too high, but at the same time, I know it’s hard for some students to pay it,” he said.
Kolpin said tuition at the University is more affordable compared to other schools, but if it were lower, more students could probably pursue a college degree.
“I paid my own way through school myself when tuition was a lot lower, and it wasn’t easy,” he said.
Monica Hernandez, a sophomore economics major, is currently paying her own way through college. Hernandez said tuition is too high. She said she depends on financial aid loans and her work study job to pay for her education because her parents are not in a position to support her financially.
“I don’t know what other universities charge, but if tuition was lower, it would make it a lot easier on everyone,” she said.
Hernandez said the thought of having to pay back student loans one day has left her worried about her future financial situation, a fear shared by 12 percent of those polled.
She said paying back her loans will be a challenge, unless she can land a well-paying job after she graduates. She said her degree will likely make that possible.
Hernandez is not alone in placing her hopes on her degree. Of those polled, 78 percent believe that in five years, it will be more important than it is now to have a degree in order to secure a well-paying job.
The survey also found that 90 percent of polled Oregonians believe that making higher education more widely available is key to maintaining the state’s quality of life.
Martha Pitts, University director of admissions, agreed. She said the quality of life in Eugene definitely depends on the success of the University.
Pitts said the University contributes more than $100 million a year to Oregon’s economy, and University employees alone generate more than $9 million in state income taxes.
“For every $1 that the U of O gets from Oregon taxpayers, the University raises $5 from other sources,” she said.
According to the OUS survey, about 10 percent more people are familiar with the University than they were when the last survey was conducted in 1999, but University opinions about the reason for this increased recognition differ.
Esther La Pointe, a sophomore exercise and movement science major, said the University’s increased popularity has more to do with media events than anything the University has done specifically in terms of academics.
“I think the whole Phil Knight situation put us in the media more,” she said.
However, Pitts said the University’s has intensified recruitment efforts and the establishment of more scholarships have increased recognition at the state level.
“I think these efforts have garnered a lot of attention around the state, even with people who don’t have school-age children,” she said.