Advocacy
Oregon Public Universities
2023 Legislative Agenda
Oregon ranks 45th in the nation for per-student, state funding of public universities and invests less than half the national average in financial aid per public university student. We must maintain wraparound services for increasingly diverse student populations and keep student costs low.
Support students with wraparound services and increased financial aid
- $1.05 billion investment in the Public University Support Fund
- Increase the Oregon Opportunity Grant by $200 million
- Sustain Strong Start with an investment of $20 million
Sustain funding for tribal student grants
- $40 million appropriation helps fund undergraduate tuition, housing, books and other costs for eligible, enrolled members of Oregon’s Tribes
Address student food and housing insecurity
- Expand funding for Benefits Navigators to better meet student need
Improve students’ learning environments (facility safety improvements and modernizations)
- Support the Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission’s capital construction investment list
How do I advocate for Oregon’s public universities?
Why get involved as an advocate?
Oregon’s public universities are stronger together than they are alone, but they – and the students they serve – need YOU to advocate on their behalf!
Legislators in Salem want to hear from students, alumni, faculty, staff, and others with personal connections to our public universities about the value they provide to Oregon’s students, and what they need to remain successful.
To continue to meet students’ needs and provide vital student services, Oregon’s public universities require appropriate funding. But legislators want to hear directly from you about why that funding is so important.
How do I get involved as an advocate?
There are so many ways to get involved! You can make a difference by advocating from Salem or even from your kitchen table.
- Testify live in person at Oregon’s Capitol Building or virtually via video conferencing
- Submit written testimony
- Participate in a meeting with your legislator (virtually or in person in Salem)
- Submit an op-ed or letter to the editor to your local newspaper
- Talk to your friends and fellow students/alumni about getting involved
Interested in getting involved? Click on the link below and let us know which advocacy activities you’re most interested in!
Select Advocacy Activities Here
If you’ve never been an advocate before—don’t worry! We’ll be here to help you every step of the way. We can help draft or review your testimony, provide talking points for meetings, write letters to the editor, and help you talk with your friends or legislators about why Oregon’s public universities matter to you!
Resources
2023-25 Consolidated Funding Request
In 2022, the public universities submitted a consolidated funding request (CFR) articulating the importance of maintaining funding for our institutions and student financial aid to protect the current generation of students and preserve the opportunity to participate in post-secondary education. The universities have since revised their funding request to better reflect the level of resources needed to make higher education more attainable for every student.
A Fall 2022 report by the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS highlights the vital role of Oregon’s higher education institutions in energizing the state’s economy and accelerating social mobility. The report emphasizes that significant investments in higher education are needed to increase student access, degree completion, and diversity in Oregon’s workforce.
