Students face a large tuition increase for 04-05
The increase could stretch student budgets,
but OUS is hoping to lower the amount students owe
OMIE DRAWHORN
NEWS REPORTER
University students heading back to
school this year may have to scrounge
for extra money for tuition, due to a 12
r
percent hike approved by the State
Board of Higher Education in June.
Resident students taking 15 credits
can expect-to pay $1,890 per term in
tuition and fees, up $227 from spring
term, according to an Oregon
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University System press release. OUS
also approved a 3.5 percent tuition
increase for nonresident students.
Students will also pay an addition
al $20 per credit for every credit be
tween 14 and 16 credits.
But, on Sept. 10, the Board found
the funding to adopt a $2.4 million
“Tliition Mitigation Plan” to lessen
the impact of tuition increases on stu
dents seeing larger-than-normal in
creases this year.
"The board saw the impact of tu
ition increases and wanted to try to
do something to lessen the burden on
students,” Saunders said.
Per-term charges for resident
undergraduates will not exceed spring
2004 levels by more than 15 percent
during the 2004-05 school year, accord
ing to the plan. The funding came
from $1,995,000 in Chancellor’s Office
reorganization savings and $405,000
from the Chancellor’s Office Fund Bal
ance, rather than from the universities,
Saunders said.
In July, the board approved the
$710 million budget for the 2005-07
biennium, which would result in a
five percent increase in tuition if ap
proved by the legislature. The budg
et is a 6.4 percent increase from the
previous biennium.
In addition, the Board also re
quested a policy package of $20 mil
lion to reduce the tuition increase to
3.6 percent.
Oregon University System
spokeswoman Di Saunders called
the 2005-07 biennium budget “more
student-focused,” adding that it
would improve access, affordability
and quality.
“Affordability and access are
guide-words for this board,” Saun
ders said. “All concepts revolve
around these ideas. ”
Don Blair, chair of the Finance/Bud
get/Audit/Personnel/Real Estate Com
mittee, said the board’s criteria for
drafting the budget included making
degrees more readily achievable, in
vesting directly in creating ties to work
force demands and investing directly
in “knowledge creation.”
omiedrawhom® daily emerald, com
Vote: ASUO tries to get students registered
Continued from page 1A
Carson and Hamilton complexes
when students move in.
DuFour said during move-in day,
when residence hall occupants pick
up their keys, they can also pick up a
voter-registration form.
She said there are 3,000 students
moving in, adding that registering
to vote is a good way to begin col
lege life.
Political groups on campus will
also be trying to get students regis
tered to vote, DuFour said.
“We want to make sure we get to
them first,” DuFour said. “It should be
nonpartisan, and it should be fair. ”
DuFour said those working on the
voter registration drive will do class
wraps — where volunteers visit
classrooms with voter registration
forms and talk to students about vot
ing. She said they will also visit
groups around campus, including
greek houses. Voter registration
forms will also be available in depart
ments around campus.
ASUO has also planned events to
encourage voter registration.
On Sept. 30, there will be a huge
rally on campus in the EMU ampithe
atre that includes University Presi
dent Dave Frohnmayer and Oregon
Secretary of State Bill Bradbury.
There will also be a concert later that
night at the McDonald Theatre.
ASUO also has events planned for
Oct. 12, the last day to register, and
Nov. 2, election day.
DuFour said that the college-age
demographic suffers low voter
turnout in part because students
don’t feel like their voices are heard.
“It’s about educating ourselves
and making sure they know our vote
counts,” she said. “We are
overlooked [by the legislature], be
cause we don’t get out there and
make our presence known.
“There are so many issues that af
fect us. We need to make sure that
our voices are heard. ”
Swartz agreed.
“Why not exercise all the rights we
have?” she asked.
ASUO President Adam Petkun said
that elected officials make decisions
that affect our daily lives.
“We need to use the power we
have in numbers to make a differ
ence,” he said.
ASUO and volunteers will be regis
tering students through the second
week of school.
“Look for the green shirts,” Du
Four said.
omiedrawhom@ daily emerald, com
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