Proposed tuition hike to be reviewed

On June 2, Oregon’s State Board of Higher Education will be reviewing proposals made by the state’s seven universities to increase tuition.

If the proposed numbers are approved, costs for the 2013–14 school year will be raised across the board.

According to a fee book presented by the Oregon University System, Portland State students would see a 4.5 percent hike next schoolyear for resident undergrads and a 1 percent increase for nonresidents. Resident graduate students will be paying 1.2 percent more, while nonresidents will see a 1.1 percent bump.

The student health insurance premium cost will also increase, from $560 to $594 per term.

“PSU reports that…increased demand and higher program costs are the primary reasons for this proposed increase,” the fee book says.

The proposed raises are carefully evaluated numbers that go through a rigorous process before being decided upon, said Diane Saunders, the director of communication for OUS. Every year, Oregon’s universities reevaluate their financial needs and examine how much money the school needs to operate, she explained.

The universities arrive at an operating cost that is sent to OUS’ Chancellor’s Office, which analyzes any proposed increases in tuition or fees. That number changes hands again before going to the Finance Committee for a final reevaluation before being submitted for final approval from the board, Saunders said.

Increases like these can be crucial to maintain quality on campuses at a time when state funding isn’t sufficient, she said.

“The OUS receives less funding than it did in 1999. And we have 34,000 more students now.”

In 1999, state funding for higher education was $755 million. A report for the 2011–13 school years shows that number has dropped to $688 million. Less funding has to stretch to support a system with more than 101,000 students, Saunders said.

“This is the bottom line of the problem,” Saunders said. “The [state funding] number has been going down as enrollment goes in the other direction.”

The concern over lack of financial support from the state was echoed by PSU President Wim Wiewel.

“The state has not increased funding for higher education. The governor has proposed an increase, which would be the first time since I’ve come to Oregon. It doesn’t even begin to make up the amount of money we’ve lost over the last five years…We’ve had to replace that with tuition increases, which have had the affect of pricing people out of the market,” Wiewel said in an interview with Portland Business Journal.

The ever-rising tuition costs and competition for limited financial aid is resulting in rising debt for the student, Saunders said.

“We’re seeing that students have to borrow more than in the past. We don’t have enough financial aid to go around to all the students who need it,” she said.

This burden of debt is felt by many, including Andrew Echeverria, an incoming transfer student starting at PSU in the fall.

“It doesn’t make me second-guess going to school, but it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. There’s nothing I can do about it. Things are expensive and I’m going to have debt when I’m done,” Echeverria said.

“Debt sometimes worries me. Schooling is continuing to get more and more expensive, but debt is the norm for our generation now. There’s not really a way around it,”
Echeverria continued.

Students will have a chance to share thoughts and concerns about the increase before a final decision is made. The State Board of Higher Education’s finance committee will meet on May 24, from 9 a.m. into the afternoon. Students can then directly present their cases to OUS board members.

“None of these decisions are easy ones, so it’s an opportunity for students to share their input,” Saunders said. “And the board wants to hear from as many people as possible.”

Student testimony is time-limited and will be prioritized by campus representatives. The meeting will be held at PSU’s Academic and Student Rec Center, 1800 SW Sixth Ave., Suite 515.