As the state Legislature reconvenes on Jan. 10, higher education has an opportunity to score a rare victory in this year’s budgeting process. Gov. Ted Kulongoski said he’d like
to more than double the amount of money from the general fund devoted to the Oregon Opportunity Grant program.
Under the Governor’s proposed budget for 2005-2007, the Opportunity Grant, aimed at assisting the lowest-income students, would receive $91.6 million in general funds as part of a 2.6 percent overall increase in educational spending from the 2003-2005 legislature-
approved budget.
“I am absolutely convinced that Oregon’s economic future rises or falls on the financial, political and moral commitment we make to pre-K through 20 education,” Kulongoski said in a Dec. 6 speech, according to transcripts. Kulongoski has listed education as one of Oregon’s “principles,” which, according to his Web site, he believes are the “foundation for a prosperous Oregon.”
Vicki Merkel, director of the Grants and Scholarship Division at the Oregon Student Assistance Commission, said the models for how the extra Opportunity Grant money would be spent are still being worked on. It’s one of the commission’s top priorities, however, to fund more students who are deemed eligible for the grant.
“All eligible students would receive if they filed by fall term,” Merkel said. Currently, grant dollars are so limited that only the first wave of eligible applicants can be funded.
“It’ll take about 58 million of the Governor’s proposal to maintain the status quo,” Merkel said.
About 1,700 students at the University currently receive the Opportunity Grant, Jim Gilmour, associate director of Student Financial Aid, said.
“Over the last few years, tuition has gone up pretty dramatically,” Gilmour said. “The Opportunity Grant program has been underfunded. Even those students who received it have been feeling the costs of higher tuition.”
Gilmour said he thinks the governor support of the proposal is a positive change.
Whether the funding proposal will withstand the budget process is yet to be seen.
“It’s really great to see that the Governor has prioritized higher education this session,” ASUO President and Oregon Student Association Chairman Adam Petkun said. According to Petkun, the OSA, a lobbyist group composed of student government representatives from around the state, will fight to maintain the level of funding that the governor has allocated to the grant program.
“It’s going to be a big target for everyone out there that’s not as happy with their share of the state budget,” Petkun said. “I’m pretty confident that we’ll be able to maintain a lot of the funding.”
The OSA will also support a tuition freeze for the next two years, Petkun said.
Kulongoski has anticipated an increase in tuition over the biennium of 5-7 percent in the first year and 5 percent in the second year.
“Students have been suffering from massive tuition increases for the last decade, and it’s time for us to put our foot down,” Petkun said.
“I really do believe deep down in my heart that the way that the state is going to get out of this fiscal situation is to start educating its citizens and give them a bachelor’s degree,” Petkun said.

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