HECC Releases Comprehensive Report on the State of Oregon Higher Education and Training
Message from Executive Director Ben Cannon
Over the last several weeks, my colleagues and I have presented to an Oregon legislative budget subcommittee about the impacts, gaps, and opportunities associated with postsecondary education and training.
We make the case that higher education and workforce training has never been more important to Oregon’s future. Across a range of industries—behavioral health, nursing, construction, education, manufacturing, semiconductors, and more—Oregon employers are desperate to fill jobs that require some level of postsecondary education or training. And individual Oregonians increasingly need education or training beyond high school in order to launch the types of careers that can help make ends meet.
At the same time, we recognize that the policymakers, taxpayers, and the public at large deserve transparency and accountability for their investment in postsecondary learners and institutions.
That’s why I’m so pleased to share a data-rich report, drawn from our legislative presentations, that provides a 101 on the state of Oregon postsecondary education and training today. The report also includes Governor Kotek’s recommendations for the 2023-25 state budget.
 This report is drawn from numerous presentations that the HECC gave in April to the Legislature's Joint Ways and Means Committee, Education Subcommittee on the impact of the state investment in the comprehensive postsecondary education and training system. Those six hearings of presentations are consolidated in one set of slides for our partners, with a focus on:
- The impact of postsecondary education and training on individuals and communities, as well as progress on state attainment and equity goals (slides 1-34);
- Trends in postsecondary and training access and enrollment, affordability, completion, and economic outcomes (slides 35-101);
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Key initiatives that the State of Oregon is investing in to improve equity and success for Oregonians (slides 102-153);
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The funding landscape, including national comparisons (slides 154-186); and
- Highlights of the Governor’s recommendations for continuing and strategic new investments in postsecondary education and training (slides 187-237).
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This "101" reflects the HECC’s sharp focus on equitable student success, and the particular attention we pay to the experience of learners from marginalized communities. We tell a story of a postsecondary education and training system that is not working well for low-income Oregonians, rural Oregonians, and people of color. Rather than breaking down these barriers, too often our systems exacerbate them.
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The slides also reflect the HECC’s support for pathways to careers that do not require a college credential. Unusually for US state “higher education” agencies, the HECC is responsible for investments and services that support job-seekers, training providers, and community organizations—alongside our longstanding support for colleges and their students. The HECC’s unique vantage point allows us to take the broadest possible view of what Oregonians need in order to succeed in career and in life. This report emphasizes the diverse pathways available to them.
Thank you for viewing this report, and for your continued engagement.
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HECC Budget Presentation: Themes and Proposed New Investments
The HECC presented to the Joint Ways and Means Committee, Education Subcommittee during the first two weeks of April; presentations by partners and public testimony on the higher education budget are still in progress (see the Committee page for details here). We framed our agency budget presentation this year around four key themes:
- ECONOMIC MOBILITY: the need to drive equitable economic mobility and meet critical workforce needs;
- EQUITY: in addition to applying the Equity Lens to all Investments, the need to intentionally fund equity strategies;
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- AFFORDABILITY: the need to prioritize college affordability, bolstering financial aid for those with the greatest need; and
- STUDENT SUCCESS: the need to sustain investments in institutions to serve student, state, and societal needs, including sustained funding levels for the institutions through the Public University Support Fund and the Community College Support Fund.
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In addition to sustaining the critical investments in the components of the HECC budget, HECC reported on the potential impact of increased or new investments in the Governor's budget, including:
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A $100 million increase in the Oregon Opportunity Grant (OOG) that would allow HECC to increase award amounts to students and cover up to 75 percent of tuition at the 2-year and 4-year public institutions for the highest need Oregonians;
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A $40.2 million investment in the Oregon Tribal Student Grant Program that would continue Oregon's 2022 commitment to tribal students, including continuing and newly eligible students from Oregon's 9 federally recognized tribes;
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New, one-time funding of $15 million to support technical and regional universities that would help support fiscal sustainability;
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Continuation of HECC’s Information Technology Modernization Project (LEARN) to replace and consolidate aging legacy systems for financial aid and other programs; and
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Reauthorization of federal funds for Future Ready Oregon.
These are just a few of the new and ongoing investments in the GRB. We invite our partners to view pages 187-237 in the 101 report for details.
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HECC Priority Legislation This Session
HB 3565 – Oregon Tribal Student Grant Program. The legislation codifies the Oregon Tribal Student Grant program for the first time, following program parameters HECC established at the time of program creation in 2022. Adopted as a budget appropriation in 2022, the Oregon Tribal Student Grant program provides awards up to the cost of attendance for enrolled members of a federally recognized Oregon tribe. As of March 15, 2023, the program serves 365 students. This bill is supported by $40.2 million investment in the GRB to continue this historic investment.
HB 3561 – Early Childhood Care and Education Scholarship. This language modifies the existing scholarship program for early childhood care and education professionals to ensure that individuals studying early childhood behavioral and mental health qualify for scholarships. The bill is supported by a $5 million appropriation in the Governor's Recommended Budget.
Other HECC-Sponsored-Legislation: SB 217 – Cosmetology Curriculum. HB 3563 – Oregon Youth Works. HB 3560 – Statutory Immunity. HB 3564 – Commission Membership and Other Minor Revisions.
Community Partners Encouraged to Apply for Future Ready Oregon Funding to Advance Equity in Education and Employment
 In a recent press release, the HECC announced that the Request for Applications (RFA) is now open for Future Ready Oregon’s Workforce Ready Grants. This funding opportunity, which promises to be the largest Future Ready Oregon investment to date, will advance innovative and collaborative workforce development programming and partnerships that center the needs of Oregon’s historically underserved communities. Up to $35 million may be awarded to community-based organizations and workforce service providers to develop education and training programs that connect individuals to the resources they need for good-paying jobs and meaningful careers in key sectors of Oregon’s economy – healthcare, manufacturing, and technology. Go to the HECC Grants and Contracting Opportunities webpage to view the Request for Applications (RFA) materials (in English and Spanish) or to register for an Information Session. Applications are due June 23, 2023.
- Potential applicants have access to Technical Assistance providers who can help them understand the terms and requirements of the RFA, as well as provide feedback on application materials, free of charge. Contact information for Technical Assistance providers is included in the RFA.
- Additionally, HECC will host virtual Information Sessions. These sessions are free, and participation is optional but encouraged. To register, click on one of the sessions below:
Funding Oregon’s Community Colleges for Student Success and Equity
The HECC is in the final phases of a comprehensive review of the community college funding distribution model, a collaborative review process that began more than a year ago. Oregon law charges the Commission with establishing, via administrative rule, the formula by which the majority of state funding is distributed to community colleges through the Community College Support Fund (CCSF). Prior to this review, the funding formula had not been reviewed in relation to statewide and community goals in more than 10 years.
In early 2022, the HECC convened a work group comprised of representatives from numerous professional perspectives at the institutions in an effort to ensure consistency with the state’s higher education goals and the missions of the colleges. The workgroup has met regularly since March 2022, and public updates have been provided to the Commission during its Funding and Achievement (F&A) subcommittees meetings over the last year, with the most recent in February 2023.
The current model distributes funding entirely through enrollment that is equalized between local property tax revenue and state taxpayer dollars. The new recommendations include a framework that keeps much of the existing formula but recommends eventually distributing up to 10 percent of total CCSF funding through two, student-focused components: one for student support and one for student success. Both prioritize four populations including low-income learners, adult students, career/technical education seekers, and traditionally underrepresented students as identified by race/ethnicity.
Since February, HECC staff have been meeting with partners to refine several components of the recommendation prior to potential action by the Commission. The Commission is expected to consider adopting administrative rule amendments on changes to the model in June 2023.
Advancements in Career Connected Learning
Through funding made possible by Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund III (ESSER III) grants, all 17 Oregon community colleges have been provided the opportunity to recruit for a full-time Career Connected Learning Systems Navigator (CCLSN) to help improve career connected learning resources for K-12 students. These 17 new positions will provide the support needed to connect and strengthen existing CCL systems for elementary, middle, and high schools across Oregon.
A key focus of these positions is to better connect the multiple Career Connected Learning (CCL) systems for K-12 learners already in place in regions across Oregon, building relationships and connections with business and industry, community colleges, CTE Programs of Study, CTE Regional Coordinators, local workforce development boards, and STEM Hubs. They will also work with partners to identify and address barriers and equity gaps to ensure all students have equitable access to career connected learning opportunities and are able to make successful transitions into postsecondary opportunities and/or careers. Career Connected Learning Systems Navigators will also support Work-Based Learning (WBL) participation in high school CTE programs, and contribute to the development of a statewide CCL Resource Hub.
For more information on funding for these new positions, visit the Oregon Department of Education’s webpage on Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund III. For all other questions about the Career Connected Learning Systems Navigators, please contact Eric Juenemann at eric.juenemann@hecc.oregon.gov or Beth Molenkamp at beth.molenkamp@ode.oregon.gov.
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