Chair Frederick opened public testimony April 14 on House Bill 2,421, which would allow private nonprofit colleges and universities to participate in the direct‑admissions program the Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC) was directed to create by the 2024 Education Omnibus bill, Senate Bill 1552, section 11.

The bill’s principal witness, Cindy Robert, representing the Oregon Alliance of Independent Colleges and Universities, told the Senate Education Committee HB 2,421 “is a simple bill” and would add private nonprofits to a program that now covers community colleges and public universities. “These programs help open doors for students. They reduce the barriers for first‑generation applicants,” Robert said, adding that direct‑admission letters let students imagine college choices without navigating applications and fees.

Supporters said expanding eligibility to private nonprofit institutions can increase the diversity of available programs and better align students with schools that fit academically, socially and geographically. Robert described personal reasons for the change, saying she and her twin attended different Oregon colleges because each institution better fit their needs. She told the committee that admission directors who testified in the House—William Mullen (Willamette University) and Nia Zhong Chang (University of Portland)—said including private nonprofits could help meet state talent and workforce needs and broaden access for underrepresented students.

No vote was taken. The committee closed the public hearing on HB 2,421 after receiving testimony and moved on to other bills on the agenda. At the start of the meeting Chair Frederick noted House Bill 3,083 would be scheduled for a later date and was not heard that day.

The bill would change which institutions HECC may include when it issues automatic admission letters to academically qualified Oregon high school students; HB 2,421 does not itself change admission standards. Written testimony from college admissions staff was available to committee members, and supporters encouraged senators to review those materials.

If advanced by the committee, the measure would return to the Senate calendar for further action; no fiscal estimate or vote was taken during the April 14 hearing.

Ending

The committee’s record for HB 2,421 includes oral testimony by the Oregon Alliance of Independent Colleges and Universities and written testimony submitted to the House; representatives asked senators to consult those materials when considering the bill.