The Oregon Legislature continues to spend far less on higher education than other states, according to a new report, leading to some of the highest costs of attendance among universities in the West.

Oregon is ranked 44th in the nation for public funding of higher education and 37th in the nation for per-pupil funding, according to the latest annual State Higher Education Finance report from the Colorado-based State Higher Education Executive Officers Association. Oregon’s Higher Education Coordinating Commission is a member of the association.

The report compared state-by-state funding data from the 2022-23 fiscal year. While higher education investment in Oregon has increased in recent years, it has not been enough to make up for more than a decade of underfunding and of relying heavily on student tuition to cover rising costs, said Ben Cannon, executive director of the commission. 

Cannon and university presidents have repeatedly asked the Legislature for more higher education dollars and a model of funding that balances state investment with tuition revenue. 

“We are continuing to rely on students to balance our budgets,” Cannon said in testimony to a legislative ways and means subcommittee last year. 

Unreliable revenue source

Enrollment declines across Oregon’s seven public universities and 17 community colleges over the last five to 10 years have been more than twice the national average, the report found, making tuition an unreliable source of funding. 

“Over the next 10 years, or whatever portion of that 10 years I’m around for, I will hope to partner with the Legislature to restore the ‘public’ in our public system of higher education,” Cannon told the members of the subcommittee.

Per-pupil investment in Oregon’s public higher education system was more than $2,500 less than the national average last year, according to the higher education finance report. In Oregon during the 2022-23 school year, the state invested about $8,400 per full-time enrolled student each year. The national average that year was more than $11,000 per student. State investments in financial aid for middle and low-income students have increased in the last decade, but still fall behind national averages. Washington invests twice as much funding in scholarships for such students compared to Oregon.

“You have a situation in Oregon right now, where the vast majority of Oregon’s public university presidents are from outside of the state and we’re shocked,” said Eastern Oregon University President Kelly Ryan, who took over in 2023. “We’re shocked at what we found. And we’re also in wonderment about how we’re supposed to get our work done in such a drastically underfunded environment.” 

Ryan had to cut 8.4% of the university’s budget for the 2023-24 school year – about $5 million.

“They (the Legislature) acknowledge we’re really important to building a tax base, building a workforce, but it’s hard for us to stay front and center,” she said.

Decade of disinvestment

Oregon’s higher education funding model has relied since the 2008 recession more heavily than many other states’ on raising tuition to cover rising operating costs, with funding since then cut in half. 

 “A whole lot of students took on a whole lot of debt in order to help the state keep its Corrections (Department), Human Services (Department) and K-12 systems afloat during the worst recession anyone had seen in their living memories,” Cannon told the Legislature.

Oregon’s public universities and colleges now derive 32% more of their revenue from tuition than most public higher education institutions in the country, the report found. Between 2013 and 2023, revenue growth from student tuition in Oregon increased 23%. The national average for tuition revenue growth was 1.5% during the same period. 

Every one of Oregon’s seven public universities is increasing tuition in the upcoming school year, and has done so just about every year for the past 10 years. Average tuition at those schools today is about 26% higher than it was a decade ago. The rising costs of housing around Oregon’s universities have also driven up costs and affordability concerns, Cannon said.

“A state that invests relatively little is going to have institutions that are likely going to have relatively high tuition, and that’s absolutely what this report illustrates,” he told the Capital Chronicle.

UC SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – For the second straight night Oregon kept the Gauchos bats quiet as the season ends for UCSB in a 3-0 loss.

The Ducks win the Santa Barbara Regional with a 3-0 record and they move on to the NCAA Super Regionals at Texas A&M.

In two games against Oregon at this regional UCSB managed just 1 run and 8 hits.

“They are well coached,” said UCSB head coach Andrew Checketts. “Their guy did a good job, he executed, thew the ball where he wanted to and we were fading, running out of gas, felt like we were in the 15th round of a prize fight and we were just kind of trying to wrap up the other guy.”

But Oregon pitcher Kevin Seitter went the distance and knocked out the Gauchos.

He threw a complete game 4-hit shutout ending the game with a strikeout on his 128th pitch.

Until the 9th inning UCSB did not have a runner reach second base.

But down to their final out, UCSB catcher and All-Tournament selection Aaron Parker singled and Nick Oakley followed with a single to right to put runners on the corner.

Jonah Sebring, who had homered earlier in the day in a 4-2 win against San Diego, struck out to end the season.

The Gauchos finish up an historic campaign with a 44-14 record.

They went a nation’s best 25-0 at home in the regular season and ended 27-2 at Caesar Uyesaka after a 2-2 regional.

It was the first time UCSB had ever hosted an NCAA Regional on campus.

UCSB won the Big West for a third time in the past five years and tied a program record with 14 players receiving All-Big West honors including Pitcher of the Year Ryan Gallagher.

Checkets was named Big West Coach of the Year.

UCSB had four players receive All-Tournament honors at the Santa Barbara Regional: Catcher Aaron Parker, shortstop Jonathan Mendez, outfielder Jessada Brown and designated-hitter LeTrey McCollum.

The MVP went to Carter Garate of Oregon.

Oregon Ducks receiver Evan Stewart enters next season as one of the best pass-catchers in the country, and is now inking a new NIL deal to reflect that even further.

Per reports from On3, Stewart has signed a Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) contract with NXTRND, an athletic equipment company. The official website says that NXTRND “offers a range of football protective gear, including gloves, socks, visors, mouthguards, and arm sleeves.”

Stewart now adds to what’s already a deep NIL bag. He’s signed deals with Coach and NOCCO USA along with opting into being included in the highly-anticipated College Football 25 video game.

NXTRND has already signed some of the biggest names in college football, as Stewart now joins an elite group.

Per On3’s report, college stars such as Alabama defensive back Caleb Downs, Colorado receiver/defensive back Travis Hunter and Missouri receiver Luther Burden III have already joined NXTRND as brand ambassadors. The site’s NIL chart also lists Stewart at No. 13 overall among college athletes with a $1.3 million valuation.

Stewart, who transferred to Oregon earlier this offseason after spending the past two years at Texas A&M, has already proven he can play at the highest level in the SEC, which is good news for the Ducks as they head to the Big Ten.

Despite playing on a struggle-filled A&M team, Stewart starred for the Aggies across 18 career games. As a SEC All-Freshman selection in 2022, he posted 53 catches for 649 yards and two touchdowns. Last season, he only played in eight games but managed to finish with 38 catches for 514 yards and four more scores.

Stewart will look to build an immediate connection with quarterback Dillon Gabriel when the Ducks open up the season at home against Idaho on Saturday, Aug. 31.