While the University of Oregon’s tuition and fee rates for the 2007-08 academic year increased the second-least of all Oregon University System institutions, they remain the highest in the state.
University tuition for 15 credit hours went up 3.4 percent from the 2006-07 rate to $4,626. Tuition and fees increased 3.3 percent and stand at $6,168. The Board of Higher Education unanimously approved the rates at its meeting Friday.
Western Oregon University saw the highest increase with 15.8 percent.
OUS managed to meet Governor Ted Kulongoski’s and the Board of Higher Education’s goal of keeping the average tuition increase of all seven campuses combined below 3.4 percent – the Oregon median family income. The overall average tuition increase including all campuses is 3.3 percent.
The median family income benchmark was part of a larger effort to maintain college affordability in Oregon. The effort is also visible in increases and policy changes in the Oregon Opportunity Grant, Oregon’s largest state funded need-based aid program, and Kulongoski’s Shared Responsibility Model, a new model for need-based aid that would theoretically reinstate students’ ability to work through college.
“The Shared Responsibility Model with the Oregon Opportunity Grant combined should bring us closer to affordable education,” said Di Saunders, OUS Director of Communications. “This is one small step that the legislature has taken. We’re very thankful for that but we need to deep pushing. We’re still not at the point where higher ed is affordable for all Oregonians.”
OUS worked closely with the Oregon Student Association during the past year to encourage low tuition rates for next year. OSA hosted events at the Capitol where students could speak to legislators about the importance of a college education and the necessity of affordable tuition.
“We worked really hard to make sure the state was putting their part in to keep tuition low,” said Melissa Unger, OSA Executive Director. Unger said the tuition increase is “kind of anti-climactic” after Kulongoski’s encouraging Governor’s Recommended Budget, a guideline for the legislators who propose the actual budget. Kulongoski’s was extremely optimistic, but legislators criticized it for promising money that wasn’t available.
Although the co-chairs of the state Joint Ways & Means Committee responded to student outcry at their first proposed higher education budget by allocating additional funds to the cause, the total funding remains about 43 percent lower than the original GRB. While the OUS operating budget is very close to the GRB, the main loss lies in capital construction, including new facilities and capital repair. The final numbers will be released within two weeks.
“Everyone feels this is a good first step, but you can’t catch up on 25 years of disinvestment with a single biennial budget,” Saunders said. “We still need to do much more in terms of catching up and reinvesting in our students and our institutions.”
Unger said while students are seeing the cost of attending college increase, the University system and the state are committed to maintaining access to universities.
“Hopefully with the implementation of the Shared Responsibility Model we can see strides toward affordability in Oregon,” Unger said.
The process to set tuition rates is a long one. First, OUS takes recommendations from the seven campuses. Those recommendations are reviewed and discussed in the OUS Chancellor’s Office, where they ensure the rates do not exceed the median family income. Then, the numbers are taken to the Board of Higher Education for approval.
Both the OUS and OSA will continue to try to increase higher education student support for cost and access, Saunders said.
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