On Feb. 12, college students from all around Oregon, including 25 from the University, converged on the capitol for the Oregon Student Association’s annual lobby day. Students met with Oregon legislators to convince them to prioritize issues that are at the forefront of our minds as students and constituents: skyrocketing tuition costs, an increased student population and reduced need-based aid from the Oregon Opportunity Grant (OOG).
For students like me, the grant plays an essential role in college funding. If this funding were reduced, I would be forced to take out student loans and take on debt that will prevent me from having the education that I want. At a time when the average undergraduate leaves school with $20,000 in debt, many Oregon students are in a drastically worse situation than I am: More than half of the 95,074 students that qualified for the grant this year were denied aid because there simply wasn’t enough funding. I feel we had a huge impact on legislators through our efforts. Already the state legislature is reforming the way money is allocated for the OOG in order to serve more students.
Your stories, the stories of students at this University who are being denied the education they deserve because of insufficient funding for the Oregon Opportunity Grant, are still needed. Come to the ASUO at the EMU and share your stories so that we can continue to influence legislators and continue to make a difference.
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