Public universities in Oregon are less affordable than schools in almost every other state, a leading education group announced Tuesday.
The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education released a 200-page report evaluating college systems in all 50 states. The group rated states “A” through “F” in five different categories — Oregon received an “F” for affordability, but posted improved results in other areas compared with its scores two years ago.
The failing grade means Oregon University System schools are some of the most expensive in the nation when compared to the income of an average Oregonian. The news comes at a time when the University of Oregon instituted a variable rate structure, with tuition for the 2002-03 school year rising an average 3 percent but as high as 9 percent for some students.
Nancy Goldschmidt, associate vice chancellor for performance and planning for OUS, said education funding should be a priority to improve future scores.
“We need to be earning higher grades so many people who are qualified have access to higher education,” she said.
Bridget Burns, student body president of Oregon State University and one of the most vocal critics of the state’s higher education policy, said she’s not surprised by the report.
“The state of Oregon has made a divestment in public education,” Burns said. “Oregon State (University) and the University of Oregon are social programs — the Legislature keeps decreasing our funding.”
Oregon Student Association executive director Alisa Simmons said the lobbying group also expected the unfavorable results.
“I’d like to say I’m shocked by these grades, but in reality we’ve known this for a while,” she said, citing reductions in low-income subsidy programs like the Oregon Opportunity Grant. “Oregonians are being locked out of education.”
The state did post-modest improvements in preparation, participation and benefits. Those categories measure K-12 education, record the number of students being educated and show how higher education improves the state, respectively. The full report is available at www.highereducation.org.
Goldschmidt cautioned that the new figures reflected data collected in 2000 and 2001, and she said universities’ performances for this year won’t be measured until the next report is issued in 2004.
“It shows where all the states were before the economy slumped,” she said.
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