Legislature pushes for more higher education funding to keep Oregon tuition hikes down

State lawmakers appear close to approving a $736.9 million budget for public universities that would nearly halve the proposed tuition increases for some undergraduate Oregonians this fall, saving students hundreds of dollars a year.

The spending plan, which passed a key legislative hurdle Wednesday, includes nearly $70 million more in operating support than Gov. Kate Brown's proposal, which left funding flat. That plan was criticized by university presidents, student groups and faculty unions.

The development comes more than a month after double-digit tuition increases at some public universities led to a dramatic rebuttal from the volunteer state higher education board, which must sign off on tuition increases greater than 5 percent, followed by a second meeting where state watchdogs ultimately approved the tuition increases.

According to state documents, "the expectation" for the 2018-19 school year is any tuition increase would not exceed 5 percent. Rod Monroe, D-Portland, said the legislature is trying to hold the increase to 5 percent," he said.

Read more: http://www.oregonlive.com/education/index.ssf/2017/06/legislature_pushes_for_more_hi.html