Message from Executive Director Ben Cannon
In Oregon, the spring commencement season begins in early May, when many private institutions complete their academic year, and lasts through mid-June, when public colleges and universities finish. The Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC) offers its congratulations to each and every postsecondary graduate!
While a degree or certificate is conferred by a single institution, many educators, programs, faculty, advisors, family members, and community partners have shaped each student’s journey. At the HECC, our work for students and learners often occurs at the junctures between sectors or institutions—when students are first figuring out how to pay for college, when they transfer from one school to another, and when they enter the workforce-—and the success of Oregonians at every step inspires our work.
We thank our partners who have been working with us to model the funding needs of the postsecondary system as we develop the upcoming biennium's budget recommendations to the Governor, still in progress. We have had numerous discussions focused on the 2025-27 agency request budget (ARB) over the course of public meetings this spring. The HECC's recommendations will be considered for approval at our August public meeting.
We thank you all for your continued engagement in our collective work for Oregon students and learners.
HECC Continues Public Process of Budget Recommendation Development for 2025-2027
The Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC) has continued its public process of developing and recommending to Oregon’s Governor a postsecondary education and training Agency Request Budget (ARB) for 2025-27. The ARB is an early step in a multi-phased state budget development process, and partners can learn more about the typical budget timeline here.
At its June public meetings, the Commission discussed current proposals and its statutory role in budget development. To support a shared and realistic understanding of the budgetary environment, Governor Kotek and the Department of Administrative Services (DAS) this year instructed HECC to keep its ARB request for new state spending under a set limit to align with the realities outlined in the most recent state economic forecast. As detailed in overview of the ARB process in the public meeting materials, the limit on new funding requests applies to proposed increases that are above the state-calculated inflationary increases (current service level budgets) for community colleges support, public university support, need-based financial aid, and other General Funds in the HECC budget. It does not apply to requests for bond-funded capital construction projects, federal funds expenditures, or fee-funded programs (other funds).
Commissioners reviewed a spreadsheet detailing potential ARB amounts and proposals for new state funding under consideration, with attention to those that received initial support from the Governor's office. These include support for: some additional state funding for need-based financial aid through the Oregon Opportunity Grant, continuation of a major information technology investment to modernize HECC systems, programs supporting pathways for early learning educators and teachers, and federal funds reauthorization for Future Ready Oregon. The Commission discussed implications of the potential current service recommendations in the ARB for the community college and university operating funds. They also heard presentations from institution leaders on deferred maintenance and capital project proposals.
The 2025-27 ARB development is a months-long public process that will culminate in the Commission’s consideration of the draft ARB for approval at its August 2024 meeting.
Transfer Council Update Highlights Momentum and Progress
Through faculty-led collaboration, the HECC, community colleges and public universities are working to better support transfer students through numerous statewide transfer policies and agreements. The faculty collaboration, public processes, and consensus-building work needed to develop statewide transfer articulation policies is performed by the Transfer Council, a 16-member council that advises the HECC on establishing transfer agreements. In June, the HECC heard a comprehensive update on the progress that is being made by the Transfer Council and its many participants in streamlining transfer pathways for Oregon students.
This collaborative work is focused on 1) development of new Major Transfer Maps (MTMs), major-specific agreements that prepare students for transfer of credits in a particular major; and 2) development of Common Course Numbering (CCN), alignment of commonly taken courses across the public institutions so that students receive transfer credit for these courses as if the course was taken at the accepting institution. To date, 18 courses have been approved for CCN alignment, and 17 are in progress. In addition, five MTMs have been completed, and three are in progress. Students can learn more about the approved tools for transfer here. Students can recognize a CCN-approved course during registration because all CCN-aligned courses end in a Z.
Veronica Dujon, director of the HECC Office of Academic Policy and Authorization, reported to the Commission that faculty engagement is growing, that the current legal and authority structure promotes decision making and action, and that the work is accelerating, particularly in CCN. There have been some challenges related to the time required for policy development and maintenance of MTMs, but that work is also advancing. In 2024 alone, the Council has included the participation of 124 faculty and staff in numerous subcommittees and has held over 70 public meetings. The Commission at its June meeting approved the Transfer Council’s recommendation of a new Major Transfer Map Curriculum Articulation Policy for degrees in Computer Science.
More Oregon Opportunity Grant Recipients Will Benefit from Maximum Award
The HECC Office of Student Access and Completion has authorized over 50,000 students for 2024-25 Oregon Opportunity Grant and will continue to make awards and inform students of their eligibility to receive funds until funds are exhausted. Many more students are likely to qualify for the maximum grant amount than in prior years due to new Student Aid Index (SAI) eligibility calculations that demonstrate financial need.
In early 2024, the HECC was exploring whether we would have to reduce the eligibility ceiling for these awards due to the federal government’s new methodology for assessing student need. We are pleased to share that the HECC did not have to reduce eligibility ceiling for the OOG for 2024-25 due to changes in the Student Aid Index (SAI), the new aid calculation resulting from the simplified FAFSA, which is a different calculation than the Expected Family Contribution (EFC). After refining our projection model, we published the 2024-25 awarding table in April, and we are currently authorizing grants to students with SAIs of up to 8,000. You can see more on eligibility on the OOG page here.
Because the SAI and EFC calculations are different, we project that many more Oregon FAFSA filers in 2024 will fall into the highest need category using SAI than they did using EFC. These high-need students will qualify for a full Pell and a full OOG that provides just under $15,000 in total public grant aid if they enroll full-time at a qualifying Oregon 4-year institution, or more than $11,000 at an Oregon community college.
Please inform students of these good reasons to complete the FAFSA or ORSAA this year! Students must complete the FAFSA or ORSAA to be considered for the OOG.
Oregon is Slow in Progress Toward Meeting Adult Attainment Goal
To ready Oregon’s workforce, more adults need postsecondary credentials. This is the basis of the state's adult educational attainment goal to award 300,000 credentials by 2030, nearly 100,000 more than adults would earn at the current rate. Because Oregon has substantial attainment gaps across racial/ethnic, income, and geographic groups, the goal includes equity goals to reduce these attainment gaps by at least half during the decade.
Dr. Amy Cox, director of the HECC Office of Research and Data, presented an adult attainment research brief to the Commission in June that summarizes progress made toward the goal in the first three years. For the overall 300,000 goal, the research finds that progress has begun, but it is slow and falls short of what is needed. For the equity goals, the HECC finds little to no progress for most groups. The research cites several factors: the COVID-19 pandemic and associated steep decline in enrollment, the longer-term decline in adult enrollment, the rising cost of postsecondary education and training, the early stage of the goal and its supporting strategies, and a sustained demand for labor in jobs that do not require postsecondary credentials.
Action is necessary to ensure more adults, particularly from communities of color, low-income backgrounds, and rural areas, earn postsecondary credentials. Efforts by public and private colleges and universities, career schools, and state workforce partners have laid the groundwork for progress. Colleges and universities are expanding opportunities for short-term and noncredit workforce certificates and continue to expand online education offerings, and many employers are training their own workers through employer-sponsored programs and certificates. The research cites the need to evaluate whether Oregonians are finding alternative ways to upskill or reskill that will be transferable to new employers and resilient in an economic downturn. It calls for broad collaboration to build on existing effective practices and explore new and more culturally responsive strategies. Because the number of Oregonians over age 35 is projected to grow faster than the population overall, the significance of the adult attainment goal is only going to grow.
FAFSA/ORSAA Completion Rates for Public High Schools are Increasing, But We Continue to Encourage and Support Applications
To be eligible for most types of financial aid, students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the Oregon Student Aid Application (ORSAA). Please continue to support students in completing the FAFSA or ORSAA—it’s not too late for students to complete these forms and pursue their college goals at Oregon public and private colleges and universities. In an effort to increase the number of Oregonians eligible for financial aid, the HECC Office of Student Access and Completion (OSAC) releases FAFSA/ORSAA completion rates for public high schools.
With the late roll-out and challenges introduced by the new federal form, the number of FAFSAs completed in Oregon in our latest numbers continues to be lower than last year at this time, though the gap is narrowing. The statewide FAFSA/ORSAA completion rate for Oregon public high school seniors as of June 1st, 2024 was: 41.7 percent, compared with 46.4 percent on the same date in 2023.
We encourage our partners to continue efforts to support students in their applications, and to help close the FAFSA completion gap. Resources on financial aid form completion can be found at the links below.
Pre-College Students Can Sign up for Summer Bridge Support
Making the transition from high school to college can be challenging for students. The HECC Office of Student Access and Completion (OSAC) has announced a fully remote Summer Bridge strategy for recent high school graduates or GED completers who may have questions or need help. Summer Bridge is a series of newsletters and personal support designed to help students stay informed about everything they may need to know to prepare for the fall.
Summer Bridge newsletters discuss topics such as affordability, finances, budgeting, classes, textbooks, preparing for campus life, and more. If students have additional questions or need support they can also request a meeting with an OSAC staff member to get help with questions they may have or even get help finishing a FAFSA or ORSAA.
Students can complete the form below to sign up for Summer Bridge.
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HECC Completes Institutional Evaluations for Regional and Technical Universities
While Oregon’s seven public universities are governed by independent governing boards, the Oregon Legislature requires a regular evaluation of each university. The HECC is charged by statute (ORS 352.002) to regularly evaluate public universities with a focus on their contributions related to meeting state higher education goals.
The evaluations rely on a combination of accreditation reports, self-assessments conducted by the universities on criteria jointly developed with the HECC, and state and federal data. The evaluations focus on areas of key interest, including:
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student success as measured by degree completion;
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access and affordability as measured by equity across socioeconomic, racial/ethnic, and regional (urban/rural) groups;
- academic quality and research;
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financial sustainability; and
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continued collaboration across universities in support of the State’s mission for higher education.
Additionally, the financial metrics section was expanded in order to provide an enhanced contextual understanding of an institution’s financial condition. This report also describes how the institutions boards of trustees’ have operated since their formation.
Public University Educator Equity Plans Focus on Increasing Diversity
Oregon is working intentionally to increase diversity in K-12 educators. Since 2016, each public university has regularly updated the unique two-year plans that describe how colleges of education are implementing culturally sustaining practices for better student retention and, over time, increasing the share of diverse graduates. Pursuant to ORS 342.447, the six institutions providing updates on their plans are: Eastern Oregon University, Oregon State University, Portland State University, Southern Oregon University, University of Oregon, and Western Oregon University.
At its June public meeting, the Commission approved five educator equity plans for 2024-2026. The sixth plan, from Southern Oregon University, will be ready for the August 2024 Commission meeting. The educator equity plans are intended to help Oregon advance toward a state goal that the percentage of diverse educators employed in schools and education service districts should reflect the percentage of diverse students in the state.
HECC is Accepting Applications for Workforce Ready Grants through July 31, 2024
Reminder: HECC is accepting applications for the next round of Future Ready Oregon Workforce Ready Grants May 31 – July 31, 2024. The HECC will award a combined total of approximately $40 million to recruit and retain a diverse workforce in key sectors of Oregon’s economy—healthcare, manufacturing, and technology—through three sector-focused Requests for Applications (RFAs). Workforce service providers and community-based organizations are invited to apply. View the RFAs, apply, and access free resources for application support, including answers to frequently asked questions, technical assistance providers, and information sessions. The available funding includes approximately:
- $18 million for healthcare projects—specifically, $9 million for projects that advance nursing career pathways and $9 million for projects that address community-identified healthcare workforce needs,
- $12 million for manufacturing projects that focus on outreach, awareness, and career exploration, or earn-and-learn education and training opportunities, and
- $10 million for technology projects that focus on upskilling and retraining adult learners, dislocated workers, and individuals employed in high-tech and other industries, or on transferrable technology skills, training, and career awareness.
Jennifer Smith Appointed to Higher Education Coordinating Commission
During Legislative Days in May, the Oregon Senate confirmed Governor Tina Kotek's appointment of Jennifer Smith to the public institution staff member position on the Higher Education Coordinating Commission. Jennifer Smith is project coordinator with the Labor Education and Research Center at the University of Oregon (UO), and the current President of the UO’s classified employee union, SEIU 503 Local 085. Jennifer has been an advocate for a resilient Eugene, having served on various city and county committees focused on bicycle, pedestrian, and transit improvements. Jennifer’s pronouns are she/her/they. Her appointment will begin on July 1st, 2024.
Academic Program Approvals
At its June Commission meeting, the HECC approved the following new academic programs, and/or proposals at the community colleges and public universities. Find details on the following programs in June meeting materials here.
Community College Programs
- Blue Mountain Community College: Veterinary Assistant, One-Year Certificate of Completion (CC1)
- Clackamas Community College: Wildland Fire Management, Associate of Applied Science (AAS); Wildland Fire Science, One-Year Certificate of Completion (CC1)
- Portland Community College: Maritime Welding, Two-Year Certificate of Completion (CC2)
- Lane Community College: CTE Educator, Less Than One-Year Certificate of Completion (CC)
- Rogue Community College: Advanced Emergency Care, One-Year Certificate of Completion (CC1); Manufacturing Technology, Associate of Applied Science (AAS); Medical Assisting Administrator, Associate of Applied Science (AAS); Pharmacy Technician, Less Than One-Year Certificate of Completion (CC)
- Southwestern Oregon Community College: Human Services, Associate of Applied Science (AAS)
University Programs
- Portland State University: Master of Science in Applied Economics and Data Analytics (MS); Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science in Human Services (BA, BS); Bachelor of Applied Science in Management Leadership (BAS)
- Oregon Institute of Technology: Bachelor of Science in Construction Management (BS)
Community College, Notifications of Statement of Need: Bachelor of Science: Nursing (BSN)
The review and approval of Bachelor of Science: Nursing (BSN) degrees is a three-step submission process, with notification of statement of need being the first step. The Commission in June received notifications of Statement of Need for Bachelor of Science: Nursing degrees from the following institutions. Details are in June 13 materials.
- Central Oregon Community College
- Chemeketa Community College
- Klamath Community College
- Linn-Benton Community College
- Oregon Coast Community College
- Treasure Valley Community College
Partner Updates
ODVA Offers Veterans Educational Bridge Grant: The Veterans Educational Bridge Grant, administered by Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs (ODVA), offers grants of up to $5,000 to eligible student veterans who need financial assistance to stay in school and complete their education or apprenticeship program. The grant is specifically designed to support veterans who would not be able to complete their academic or training programs on time because of the unavailability of a required class or training hours or other factors. The program was greatly expanded in 2023, including allowing veterans to apply regardless of their eligibility for federal GI Bill benefits. Grant eligibility was also extended to any career school licensed by HECC, any apprenticeship registered with the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI), and any On-The-Job Training (OTJ) program offered by a public employer. Eligible veterans may also now use Bridge Grant funds to pay off debt on a student account that is preventing them from registering for future terms. Learn more about eligibility and how to apply.
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