SALEM, Ore. – Universities across Oregon are encouraging legislators to pass a billion-dollar public university support fund.
Oregon currently ranks 45th in per-student state funding for public universities.
Oregon Tech’s President Dr. Nagi Naganathan said that the funding would give students tuition relief as well as support services.
He said that if the state wants to prioritize bringing businesses here such as semiconductor manufacturers, it also needs to invest in its future workforce as well.
“On one hand, we still want to keep the tuition low, on the other hand, we are far short of even meeting the current service levels, and that is a challenge for all of the universities now.” Dr. Naganathan said.
He also said that they are nearly three percent short of meeting the current service levels for students.
He also thinks there are a lot of competing priorities that lawmakers need to balance but he hopes they will see the importance of funding public universities.
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