In a vote held May 11, the Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC) approved Oregon Institute of Technology’s 8 percent tuition increase, which was approved by Oregon Tech’s Board of Trustees on May 8.
For any tuition increase over 5 percent, Oregon’s public universities are required to present their Board's approved recommendation and rationale for the increase to the HECC as the last step in the approval process. Dr. Lisa Graham, chair of Oregon Tech’s Board of Trustees as well as two Oregon Tech students, presented to the HECC’s Funding and Achievement Subcommittee on May 10, after which they provided preliminary approval. The full Commission approved the tuition rate when they met on May 11.
The Oregon Tech tuition rate was proposed to its president, Dr. Nagi Naganathan, by the university’s Tuition Recommendation Committee, made up of students, faculty members and administrators. The TRC came to their recommendation through an inclusive and transparent process, and after several months of deliberations during which it sought feedback from students and the campus community in a series of tuition forums.
The tuition rate is based on the assumption of $667 million in operating funds for the seven public universities in Oregon, which is the level of the Governor’s Recommended Budget. Should the legislature provide funding for the universities above this amount, Oregon Tech will reduce its base tuition by 1 percent from its approved level for every additional $20 million above the Governor’s budget, to a floor of 4 percent. Additionally, Oregon Tech will protect program quality and student affordability and retention with a 10% increase to its pool of scholarship support to help low income students and those who are close to completion.
Oregon Tech’s focus is on making investments in new faculty for in-demand, high growth majors, medical simulation equipment, as well as engineering and IT systems. Importantly, Oregon Tech will share the burden of increased student costs by balancing tuition increases with spending out of its reserves as well as targeted reductions and efficiency improvements; and will continue its investment in enhanced student support services and retention specialists focused on at-risk students.
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