[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-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],{"_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",6617858,"mediaKeyId","2838936-30758e1ab1c5d8fb4c70d67efc046abd","parentId",2838936,"title","University and community‑college leaders tell committee Oregon underinvests in higher education, urge more state aid","audioSeconds",948,"startMs",3513000,"endMs",4461000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2838936-30758e1ab1c5d8fb4c70d67efc046abd&start=3513&end=4461","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2838936-30758e1ab1c5d8fb4c70d67efc046abd/thumbnail_3513000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6617858/Oregon/University-and-communitycollege-leaders-tell-committee-Oregon-underinvests-in-higher-education-urge-more-state-aid","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6617858-68ba9348bb0ea543ee49a98dbe3573dc/orig.mp4?Expires=1775460326&Signature=BJCqLFlbxMhmNS4lH3G1~lqqRS94yIc~SoY05ITE9-D5zhIkYSBHBrM-tUQdJr9IFZOuvxVJuK7h-f7nTizhoC9hVIdy3YfTW7-J7QFhrEvMuvLg-Bjxlrfrqn0RWlDTrCAH02KwMtjJM7CoEMnOtLim7nUl7Ho2CEKytnCepFC2D~OkFjDK-sJ96nf5SZBjixLx4RYffipJGiiF4TlajJult9d5zVT1Mry56YQY5WCINTZy9cA~xhrqIPGPp4B2CVtxf--ZPUMryXcnRbT3SHrH1nX39M~TRyBkQ59wHEgYdgPH12mpwTXNR8giH5YoxvlrnFrVu6K8kAyVC9IPCA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Oregon State Legislature","date","2025-04-01T00:00:00Z","article","University and community‑college officials told the House Committee on Higher Education and Workforce Development on April 1 that Oregon’s public investment in higher education lags regional peers, shifting greater cost to students and creating budget pressure for institutions.

Jamie Moffitt, senior vice president for finance and administration at the University of Oregon, told the committee the seven public universities collectively have an estimated annual economic impact of about $8 billion and employ more than 31,000 people statewide. Moffitt said median earnings data show a substantial lifetime benefit to degree attainment and argued those economic returns justify public investment. “There’s really a magnifying effect here of the funds that are invested in the institutions and then the impact that the institution has on the state,” she said.

Moffitt and other institutional presenters outlined three central concerns: (1) Oregon provides comparatively low state appropriation per full‑time‑equivalent student; (2) low state investment has produced higher net tuition revenue per student in Oregon than in many peer states; and (3) state and institutional budgets face rising personnel‑related costs — salary, health benefits and retirement — that together account for most campus operating budgets.

John Harmon, vice president for finance and administration at Oregon Tech, added regional examples showing technical and regional universities contribute substantially to local economies. Harmon noted programs such as the Engineering Technology Sustaining Fund (ETSF) that were created through past state investment and said similar targeted investments can produce workforce results in fields the state is prioritizing.

John Wyckoff, deputy director of the Oregon Community College Association, presented community‑college data and said colleges serve a larger proportion of adult and part‑time students than four‑year institutions and are recovering enrollment declines from the pandemic. Wyckoff described community colleges’ funding mix — state funds, property taxes and tuition — and said average per‑student funding is low; community colleges estimate a higher current‑service funding need than the state’s current service level. Wyckoff also flagged student basic‑needs pressures: about 25% of community college students are unable to meet expenses with expected resources, and housing and food costs are increasing demand for campus supports.

Presenters noted recent and proposed state investments that affect affordability, including a prior increase to the Oregon Opportunity Grant and an institutional request to increase that grant pool to accommodate changes in federal financial aid calculations and a larger applicant pool. Moffitt asked the legislature to consider the long‑term return on investment from higher education funding, framing state investments as a tool for workforce development and poverty reduction.

Committee members asked about enrollment trends, transfer pathways from community colleges to four‑year campuses, and possible federal funding risks to research grants. Presenters said enrollment effects vary by campus and that federal grant uncertainty (including reimbursement for facilities and administrative costs on some grants) adds planning risk to campus budgets.

Ending: Committee members thanked presenters and left the record open for follow‑up data requests, including disaggregated enrollment and transfer metrics requested by a committee member. University and college leaders asked the committee to consider the fiscal implications of funding proposals during Ways and Means and the legislative session.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Committee On Higher Education and Workforce Development 04/01/2025 8:00 AM","oneSentenceSummary","University and community‑college finance leaders told the House Higher Education committee on April 1 that Oregon’s public investment per student is low compared with regional peers, leaving more of the cost to students and adding budgetary strain to institutions.","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},6617863,"House Higher Education committee advances four bills on student pay, trucking workforce, IDA funding and military tuition waiver",756,622000,1378000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2838936-30758e1ab1c5d8fb4c70d67efc046abd&start=622&end=1378","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2838936-30758e1ab1c5d8fb4c70d67efc046abd/thumbnail_622000.jpg","/articles/6617863/Oregon/House-Higher-Education-committee-advances-four-bills-on-student-pay-trucking-workforce-IDA-funding-and-military-tuition-waiver","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6617863-b6d6268eea8b5d37788404cdf795674b/orig.mp4?Expires=1775460326&Signature=lNSO0N7f0pi32g7juTyxgKkIh3TWcAEG95N1-0-A-g2Y-hYZBPxqODsY1fxHjsUaHslbxOZf6FugQfIIYwzXuK~gRFzFR7EEKGu-uhTyD7ci7rBKLT6ygh8z~ZoqWIaSBmo5bm0V3Lpgp6afJzHTNGHlkUqwOehcqtXQEiRU1nio-yedZGOyAIsi2uvOztFeP0RxtF4o~xNbQshaJi5k4jyROmh8Y5JigmPZJSHoVef6SPpztOSLTOxv0Z-V9tOan9opDSHM-S0W84KTaya-KLnXl4nFArYcfxiMi~0IILmR~ZqfzuPnWXETn2FGWreZfyzQGJFVU5fk2wcRVEzU2A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Committee on Higher Education and Workforce Development advanced four bills in brief work sessions on April 1, moving each to the next legislative step after adopting or rejecting amendments as noted.

House Bill 3694 — student-athlete name, image and likeness: The committee approved the dash‑2 amendment and moved HB 3694 to the floor with a “do pass” recommendation. The bill, as summarized for the committee, protects a student athlete’s contract from public records disclosure, permits institutions to directly compensate student athletes or prospective student athletes for the use of their name, image, likeness or athletic reputation, and prohibits student athletes from using their name, image or likeness to promote certain products or brands. The dash‑2 amendment removed language that would have prohibited athletic associations or conferences from requiring disclosure of a student‑athlete contract. Vote: motion carried (7 yes, 0 no).

House Bill 3826 — trucking industry workforce program: The committee adopted the dash‑1 amendment which reduced the program appropriation from $5,000,000 to $2,000,000, and moved the bill as amended to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means by prior reference with a due‑pass recommendation. HB 3826 would direct the Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC) to award grants to local workforce development boards to promote workforce development initiatives in the trucking industry and requires reporting to the legislature; the staff summary called for a report to the legislative assembly by Sept. 15, 2026. Vote on final motion: motion carried (6 yes, 1 no).

House Bill 3809 — individual development account (IDA) fund: The committee adopted the dash‑1 amendment that replaced the original measure with a version that establishes an Individual Development Account fund at Oregon Housing and Community Services and allocates $2,500,000 each calendar quarter from the Administrative Services Economic Development Fund into that account. The amendment also declares an emergency effective 7/1/2025. The committee moved the bill as amended with a due‑pass recommendation and requested a subsequent referral to Joint Ways and Means. Vote: motion carried (7 yes, 0 no).

House Bill 3920 — tuition waiver for dependents of disabled or deceased service members: The committee considered a dash‑2 amendment that would have made the waiver “first dollar” (i.e., prevent the state waiver from being reduced by the amount a student receives in federal, state, or institutional aid). The committee voted down the dash‑2 amendment. Members then moved the base bill forward with a due‑pass recommendation; the bill raises the age at which a dependent child may qualify for the waiver from 23 to 31 and allows an exemption for those qualifying for the federal Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance program. Vote on the base bill motion: motion carried (7 yes, 0 no).

Votes at a glance (motions recorded in committee):
- HB 3694 (as amended) — Adopted dash‑2 amendment; moved to floor with due pass. Outcome: advanced to floor. Vote: carried (7‑0).
- HB 3826 (as amended) — Adopted dash‑1 amendment (appropriation reduced to $2,000,000); moved to Ways and Means by prior reference with due pass. Outcome: advanced to Ways and Means. Vote: carried (6‑1).
- HB 3809 (as amended) — Adopted dash‑1 replacement (establishes IDA fund; quarterly allocations of $2,500,000 from Admin Services Economic Development Fund); moved with due pass and request for Ways and Means referral. Outcome: advanced. Vote: carried (7‑0).
- HB 3920 — Dash‑2 amendment (first‑dollar funding) failed; base bill moved with due pass. Outcome: advanced to floor. Vote on base bill: carried (7‑0).

What changed in committee and next steps: Where amendments were adopted, the committee either removed or replaced language (HB 3694 and HB 3809). HB 3826’s appropriation was reduced in committee; HB 3920’s amendment expanding to first‑dollar funding was defeated on the floor of the committee and the base bill advanced. Several bills were referred to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means for fiscal consideration per standard legislative procedure.

Provenance: the committee opened each work session with a staff measure summary, took motions to adopt amendments, and recorded votes for each bill; those measure summaries and vote calls were the basis for the outcomes above.

Ending: The committee closed its series of work sessions and the clerk assigned carriers for the advanced bills as they moved to the next legislative steps.","The House Committee on Higher Education and Workforce Development advanced four bills on April 1, moving measures on student‑athlete name/image/likeness rights, a trucking workforce grant program, an individual development account fund, and a military‑dependent tuition waiver to the next legislative stages.","actionData","errors"]

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University and community‑college leaders tell committee Oregon underinvests in higher education, urge more state aid

House Higher Education committee advances four bills on student pay, trucking workforce, IDA funding and military tuition waiver