Student Info

Affordable Tuition

Access Scholarships for Education Trust

Governor Kulongoski has proposed a constitutionally-protected endowment fund for student aid, tentatively named the Access Scholarships for Education Trust (ASET). As planning for an ASET proposal continues, the Oregon Student Association believes the following four features are essential for creating an effective program.

1.) Grant sizes should be flat in order to serve the largest number of students.
If the existing Opportunity Grant were a flat grant, it would serve up to 2,500 more students per year.

2.) To ensure accountability, grants should be applicable only at public and non-profit institutions.

3.) Grants should be based on need in order to best expand access for low-and middle-income families.

4.) The state should continue supporting Oregon's existing student grant program, the Oregon Opportunity Grant, until ASET can provide sufficient funding.

In Georgia, funds awarded through the merit-based scholarship program demonstrated that merit-based aid is NOT an acceptable way to expand college access. 96% of merit-based awards went to students who were likely to attend college anyway. Only 4% of the funds expanded access.

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Oregon Opportunity Grant

The opportunity Grant is Oregon's need-based aid program for students. At current funding levels, the grant goes to only 70% of eligible students and covers just 11% of educational costs. In addition, it goes to only the neediest students. Oregon lags behind in funding for student aid and turns away more students every year. The fact is, student aid has not kept pace with tuition increases.

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Tuition Equity

Despite having attended and graduated from Oregon high schools, some highly-qualified students cannot afford to continue their education because thier immigration status makes them ineligible for in-state tuition. Tuition equity would extend in-state tuition rates to all qualified graduates of Oregon high schools, regardless of immigration status, who: graduate from an Oregon high school, attend an Oregon high school for at least 3 years, are accepted to an Oregon public university, and show that they are working toward residency. The Oregon University System (OUS) has estimated that tuition equity would allow 200-300 more students to attend college each year. OUS has also testified that the system could absorb this added enrollment without adverse affects to other Oregon students. At least eight states have enacted tuition-equity policies; these states are: CA, IL, KS, NY, OK,UT and WA and legislation is pending in several more.
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Funding for post secondary education has plummeted

The percentages of Oregon state general and lottery funds allocated to postsecondary education is only 7% compared to a higher 12% between 1983 and 1985, showing that the state funding has plummeted. This has sent tuition skyrocketing. Compared to 1989, when tuition was only about $1,700, University tuition is now around $4,500. The University of Oregon is trying to get an investment of about $55 million above current service levels to allow the university system to freeze tuition for 2005-07.

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