Public hearing on SB 5525: dozens of students, faculty and trustees urge full funding for Oregon community colleges

SALEM, Ore. — The Joint Committee on Ways and Means’ Subcommittee on Education held a public hearing April 28 on Senate Bill 5525, with roughly two dozen students, faculty, college trustees and workforce partners testifying in favor of fully funding Oregon’s 17 community colleges at $920,000,000 for the 2025–27 biennium.

Supporters told the committee that full funding would keep tuition manageable, preserve career and technical programs and help students overcome basic‑needs barriers that interfere with enrollment and completion. Dr. Luz Vasil Villarreal, a retired educator, said she was speaking from five decades in higher education and urged lawmakers to “invest in 920,000,000 for the community college support fund to keep tuition manageable and maintain academic quality.”

The hearing centered on SB 5525 but witnesses repeatedly tied that bill to several related requests: an additional $150,000,000 for the Oregon Opportunity Grant to expand financial aid for low- and moderate-income students; $40,000,000 for adjunct/part‑time faculty pay parity (House Bill 2669); and $22,000,000 to fund a student…