[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6294723,"mediaKeyId","2521684-ff9318bfb680447e6df5e984a298ac95","parentId",2521684,"title","Bill would let regional university trustees set tuition for select partner programs; sponsors pitch international recruitment","audioSeconds",609,"startMs",3205430,"endMs",3814900,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2521684-ff9318bfb680447e6df5e984a298ac95&start=3205&end=3814","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2521684-ff9318bfb680447e6df5e984a298ac95/thumbnail_3205430.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6294723/Oregon/Bill-would-let-regional-university-trustees-set-tuition-for-select-partner-programs-sponsors-pitch-international-recruitment","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6294723-eba876cac9b20de68963766e84d1532f/orig.mp4?Expires=1774891427&Signature=ORX9e31SIZCIVZ6lxWH4bye~Rdwn5Bgyipg5nPXTlj7AIFwSw-G5emaSPmDH5PX~VblYkKI5qQQhiTEItauIRgrz6FR72uzfaJ8XgOygvJI5B8BTXPzF4YNki~2An0m-za4Q08xK97P-EXSsDmXeG2LvFV7W28QHfNj85ep1mK9XSTEVAoKfNMn~JMSy-mFHe3a7UGiM~DOI1oXMgDDTmmq~8ncP8x~LWRfU7G8aQfMziqBJIzWdjW-FdRzA97NGi3BPHj8tYYh3hU~v1-rL4DNg8Zbtz9kAuXpdwdT5TYz-xIHBP6lB00Pet3b2VxO9WLyD538qO0~SgxdlfFaP-Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Oregon State Legislature","date","2025-03-06T00:00:00Z","article","The House Committee on Higher Education and Workforce Development heard testimony on House Bill 2,649 on March 6, which would authorize the boards of trustees at Oregon’s regional public universities to set tuition and fees for certain partner programs intended to recruit international or out‑of‑state students.

Representative Paul Evans, the bill sponsor, said the measure aims to provide regional universities — sometimes called \"Trues\" in testimony — with tools to craft partnerships (Evans described outreach to Taiwanese institutions and potential programs with Vietnam) and develop revenue streams that do not rely on Oregon taxpayers.

Evans said the original intent was to enable targeted programs (for example, exchange or cohort programs) to be offered at in‑state tuition rates for partner students, enabling up to a stated goal for some pilot cohorts. He said Legislative Counsel advised the cleanest statutory approach was to give boards of trustees the authority to set tuition and fees for those specific programs rather than enumerating each partnership in statute.

Committee members raised concerns about the bill’s drafting and consumer impacts. Representative Fingerhutta asked whether the bill’s language would make it easier for universities to raise tuition broadly; Evans replied the board authority would be subject to existing trustee oversight and a 5% cap referenced elsewhere in discussions. Representative McDonald and others asked how online/eCampus students and out‑of‑state recruits factor into revenue mixes; testimony noted the regional universities have had fewer international students historically and that targeted partnerships were intended as one option to increase enrollments.

Representative Raguelo and others said the bill text did not explicitly reference the partnership model described by the sponsor; Evans said Legislative Counsel suggested the trustee authority formulation. Members asked for refinements to ensure protections for students and clarity about when boards could alter tuition for specific cohorts or programs.

No committee vote was taken at the hearing; the bill remains at the public‑hearing stage.

Ending: The sponsor offered to work with committee members on language to narrow or target the authority, including specifying program types, caps or oversight mechanisms before the bill would advance.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Committee On Higher Education and Workforce Development 03/06/2025 8:00 AM","oneSentenceSummary","The House Committee on Higher Education and Workforce Development heard testimony on House Bill 2,649 on March 6, which would authorize the boards of trustees at Oregon’s regional public universities to set tuition and fees for certain partner programs intended to recruit international or out‑of‑state students.","taxTitle","Higher Education, House of Representatives, Committees, Legislative, Oregon","taxId",18022,"location","Oregon","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6294718,"Sponsor proposes limited doctoral authority for regional universities; committee questions oversight and program capacity",520,3817385,4337830,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2521684-ff9318bfb680447e6df5e984a298ac95&start=3817&end=4337","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2521684-ff9318bfb680447e6df5e984a298ac95/thumbnail_3817385.jpg","/articles/6294718/Oregon/Sponsor-proposes-limited-doctoral-authority-for-regional-universities-committee-questions-oversight-and-program-capacity","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6294718-5af3d81dce1ed929c272359b9dea9426/orig.mp4?Expires=1774891427&Signature=A8N9noHEYpMAZawyxS0YeNi-si1rY-3GNAtTf90-BFm80qX0S2tTmZ4xU7FEC2LDuzgKWzNes8mwGcbgYdIK9OVajixz4UrhzjRixWLvcGy~bd3pD0wEGyYmuMFyKHChN7BT9Faw6nTSuxYSCK7tpAo1PHe5M9KBfn-lV9pRroLzRNGoZQmisXn9U1lvkpoGoNSSbkoEuqX9MGjHcOvP6SAqMjxN6-Z6mbfQwVSueXb3BAcLyiC4xH4jXENmvhhdPuR4MHtQN4IzQ44l6e2i5ugTr2F7A5B8BOX9UZ11lkYppiq8JMLNhM90jlHFa12W86L4vtqKWQJnv9mmHhQQNw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representative Paul Evans presented House Bill 2,715 on March 6, proposing that Oregon’s regional public universities be allowed to offer a limited number of research doctoral programs if they have appropriate accreditation and capacity.

Evans said the measure is intended as a compromise to allow regional institutions to pursue doctoral programs in areas of comparative strength — he cited deaf studies at Western Oregon University as an example — while preserving the state’s larger research universities’ role in maintaining extensive doctoral program capacity.

Under testimony, the bill would allow regional universities to seek approval for a limited number of doctoral programs (the sponsor described a suggested cap of five programs for a regional university) provided program accreditation standards and HECC oversight are met. Evans said the proposal builds in quality assurance through existing program‑approval processes.

Committee members asked about how doctoral program approvals would account for student numbers, whether small institutions can sustain research doctoral programs, and how HECC would oversee quality and protect students from programs with poor outcomes. Representative Finkelton (a member who identified having a PhD) and Representative Ragland asked for clarification about language in the staff measure summary concerning institutions that offer primarily online coursework and whether state financial aid would be restricted for programs found to have predatory practices; the sponsor said that language is standard boilerplate and that HECC’s approval and accreditation processes would govern program quality.

No votes were taken during the public hearing. The sponsor acknowledged capacity and accreditation concerns and said HECC’s program‑approval process would be the appropriate venue for ensuring quality.

Ending: The committee closed the hearing; sponsor and committee members signaled a willingness to refine statutory language and cross‑check HECC’s approval and oversight processes before advancing the measure.","Representative Paul Evans presented House Bill 2,715 on March 6, proposing that Oregon’s regional public universities be allowed to offer a limited number of research doctoral programs if they have appropriate accreditation and capacity.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":44,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6294728,"Lawmakers Hear Proposal to Manage University Growth with Enrollment Caps; HEC authority discussed",1670,1534900,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2521684-ff9318bfb680447e6df5e984a298ac95&start=1534&end=3205","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2521684-ff9318bfb680447e6df5e984a298ac95/thumbnail_1534900.jpg","/articles/6294728/Oregon/Lawmakers-Hear-Proposal-to-Manage-University-Growth-with-Enrollment-Caps-HEC-authority-discussed","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6294728-d3fd6fd8beabbdec8dcd6ee63397748c/orig.mp4?Expires=1774891427&Signature=nG8p5MgekMw7WK7V9er1nkcotSbXpHMSKk02vu6hrG3f4SM7iaml-G0pQuwh-zgKW3H0n6dPkttpfsKtErKWna5IIoe4Lc6xMk9geYyfkm7UAt03VTWKk8rocu39fF6lxRK0oABniiPKdM3DmlIyy7BIofTpAVq9I34AIAYVL68-jkWu62VEWIFyMBJ3y4BfC281dA3IwE0vCfFQAokFDs4pzlIUYqxp0A~FLOhPiZYYYwYISc~09uu6mtakQQ0tpURuufFqRgzfxJcSUkVDr4Av8ZZQL2fKIcakPw7FGeIYpONzX3LRKPcv3~NqcKAKzugIoFi5ZmXElS8kdu~CnA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representative Paul Evans testified March 6 before the House Committee on Higher Education and Workforce Development in support of House Bill 2,389, a proposal that would allow growth management tools — including enrollment caps tied to a 5% threshold — to be used to stabilize Oregon’s public higher education system.

Evans said the proposal is intended to slow rapid growth at some large universities so smaller regional institutions retain capacity and do not lose students, programs or staff. He described the caps as a near‑term tool to avoid “overshoot and collapse” and urged a coordinated system approach so students can be redirected to other institutions within the public system if one campus approaches cap thresholds.

“We need a near term plan, a medium term plan and a far term plan,” Evans told the committee, arguing that stabilization, growth management and an integrated approach among community colleges, universities and apprenticeship programs are needed to preserve regional capacity.

Evans said HEC should be the coordinating authority to develop enrollment‑management metrics and that the agency needs authority and tools to implement a systemwide approach. Under testimony, HEC (referred to as HEC in the hearing) would notify institutions approaching thresholds and coordinate alternatives — for example, offering applicants automatic enrollment choices at nearby regional universities or community colleges.

Committee members raised procedural and equity questions. Representatives asked whether caps would apply to in‑state students only or include out‑of‑state, international and online enrollments. Evans presented three options discussed with stakeholders: a single enrollment cap for all students; a cap only on Oregon (in‑state) students; or a formula that sets target blends of in‑state and out‑of‑state enrollment.

Representatives also asked how online and eCampus enrollments would be counted and how program‑specific capacity issues (for example, unique nursing programs) would be handled. Evans said HEC would need to develop a matrix to measure enrollment across modalities and that some program‑level exceptions or multi‑campus collaborations could be built into a system plan.

No committee vote or formal action was taken during the public hearing; the committee closed the record following testimony and questions.

Ending: The bill remains at the public hearing stage; if advanced, implementation details and counting rules for online and out‑of‑state students would be resolved in rulemaking or subsequent amendments.","Representative Paul Evans presented House Bill 2,389 proposing enrollment caps and expanded authority for the Higher Education Coordinating Commission to manage growth across Oregon public universities; proponents framed the bill as a near‑term stabilization tool rather than immediate cuts. No committee action was taken.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6294732,"Committee Hears Support for Prosperity 10,000; advocates ask for $50 million to continue local workforce grants",1470,36200,1506500,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2521684-ff9318bfb680447e6df5e984a298ac95&start=36&end=1506","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2521684-ff9318bfb680447e6df5e984a298ac95/thumbnail_36200.jpg","/articles/6294732/Oregon/Committee-Hears-Support-for-Prosperity-10000-advocates-ask-for-50-million-to-continue-local-workforce-grants","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6294732-c0e6195d45ec5f0e067a3f8ea84e90c7/orig.mp4?Expires=1774891427&Signature=ArEfd1K7Hn5DschyrqFEk8551Z3TW4aQ81weD18tThRvNtByFakcvrkKcbVDu~9qLavWNQn0zDqlDvvRXkK8EImMFphm40q8QJgZlZOgZTLpoF9gFSa8c-gp27RvUU31Z5snyLS3akmPgm9gQ19o1HIOqTIlG0fpoK7epISCNjIE7njymqD9rB2N2fv17OK529wDNXXq3I3owdu4WgGr9l3IF96PWyUerg5XLkMmkSOqKdfRECnTi3YC7WGmsXHto3goUilPrxohsV~h6DlUrFxuvTZVX8akBIsQ2ySqB9Xg9qfHxauzcFJTbDaunCTE-mpkS7QV4MGpdU7f6k4tEA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","House Committee on Higher Education and Workforce Development members heard testimony supporting House Bill 3,669 on March 6, asking the Legislative Assembly to authorize $50 million to continue the Prosperity 10,000 workforce program.

Supporters told the committee the program channels flexible state funding through the nine local workforce development boards to deliver career coaching, training, stipends and wraparound services to people facing barriers to employment.

“Prosperity 10,000 helps maintain the excellent progress that has been made in connecting out of work individuals in all corners of our state with jobs in their specific regions,” Representative Daniel Winn told the committee, describing the bill as “the key workforce bill before us this session.”

The bill would allow the Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC) to distribute any funds appropriated by the Legislative Assembly for the program. Testimony emphasized local control: the nine workforce development boards identify high‑growth, locally relevant industries and tailor services accordingly.

Kim Parker, executive director and CEO of the Willamette Workforce Partnership, said the program’s flexibility let local boards contract directly with community organizations and provide wraparound supports. Parker said program data through Jan. 31, 2025, show an 88% completion rate (the program’s goal was 80%), and that 89% of program completers earned at least $17 per hour with a statewide average hourly wage near $24.

Former state Representative Jeff Reardon, who helped originate the program, said the initial 2022 appropriation of $35 million was deployed quickly and yielded measurable outcomes: nearly 9,000 Oregonians served to date, roughly 6,000 engaged in training and employment services, and about 3,000 had a significant barrier to employment removed (examples given included record expungement and access to stable housing). Reardon described rapid contract execution and use of funds within 60 days of disbursement.

Holly Whittleton, executive director of Southeast Works, described local program results: Southeast Works enrolled 514 participants from its service area, had a 97% program completion rate, and reported that 84% (436 people) secured jobs in sectors including health care, CDL truck driving, financial services, green careers and waste management, with reported earnings between $17 and $26 per hour and some positions offering full benefits.

Committee members asked whether the $50 million request matched the governor’s recommended budget and how funds are allocated. Witnesses said the governor’s budget did not include this amount and that the original ask in 2022 was $50 million but the Legislature funded $35 million; HECC uses an established formula to distribute funds among the nine local boards.

Witnesses stressed that a discontinuation of funding would end contracts with community‑based organizations and prevent additional individuals from being served; testimony noted an anticipated federal workforce funding reduction of roughly 10% statewide.

No formal vote or committee action occurred at the hearing; the committee recorded the public testimony and closed the public hearing on HB 3,669.

Ending: Committee staff will retain the record for subsequent deliberations. The hearing did not produce a committee recommendation or a recorded vote.","Lawmakers and workforce providers testified in favor of House Bill 3,669 to continue the Prosperity 10,000 workforce program, describing rapid deployment, program outcomes and a fiscal request of $50 million; no formal action taken at the public hearing.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Bill would let regional university trustees set tuition for select partner programs; sponsors pitch international recruitment

Sponsor proposes limited doctoral authority for regional universities; committee questions oversight and program capacity

Lawmakers Hear Proposal to Manage University Growth with Enrollment Caps; HEC authority discussed

Committee Hears Support for Prosperity 10,000; advocates ask for $50 million to continue local workforce grants