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Committee hears bill to extend in‑state university tuition to out‑of‑state Oregon National Guard members and dependents
Summary
Senate Bill 798 would let Oregon National Guard service members who live outside Oregon—and their dependents—pay in‑state tuition rates at state universities; the Oregon Military Department told the House committee the change is intended to aid recruiting and retention and has limited fiscal impact at the university level.
Senate Bill 798, which would extend in‑state tuition rates at Oregon universities to members of the Oregon National Guard who live outside the state (and to their dependents), was the subject of a public hearing before the House Committee on Higher Education and Workforce Development on April 29.
Russell Gibson, government legislative affairs director for the Oregon Military Department, said the measure is intended to improve recruiting and retention by offering an additional incentive to keep service members affiliated with the Oregon National Guard. “Senate bill 7 98, provides out of state members of the Oregon National Guard with in state tuition rates at state universities in Oregon,” Gibson testified, adding that the change would mirror benefits already available to active‑duty personnel stationed in Oregon.
Gibson gave committee members several data points during his testimony: the Oregon National Guard is authorized for approximately 8,100 service members; the Army National Guard has roughly 1,200 vacancies and is at about 80% strength; roughly 1,200 Guard members currently live outside Oregon (about 800 in Washington, about 67 in Idaho and about 100 in California, with the remainder in other states). He and others said not all eligible members would use the benefit and that predicting take‑up for members and dependents is difficult.
Committee members asked practical questions about common scenarios and program mechanics. Chair Sherry Hudson cited a commuter example to Portland State University; Gibson confirmed the proposal would make a Guard member and their dependents eligible for in‑state tuition and would apply to remote enrollment as well. Representative Fingerh McDonald asked whether online programs (for example, Oregon State University’s Ecampus) would be affected; Gibson said beneficiaries would be treated as other Oregon residents for tuition and fees.
Gibson and lawmakers discussed existing state tuition assistance: the HECC‑administered Oregon National Guard State Tuition Assistance Program covers eligible courses up to a bachelor’s degree and does not assist members who already hold a bachelor’s degree seeking additional study. Gibson said in‑state tuition at the community college level is already available to Oregon National Guard members; SB 798 would primarily affect university tuition rates.
Supporters described the Guard’s state and federal missions and the practical reasons members who live out of state may remain in Oregon units. Lawmakers with military experience noted the measure could help members who travel for drills and deployments and could be one element among several intended to improve retention.
There was no committee vote recorded during the hearing; the committee opened and closed the public hearing and did not take formal action during the session.
