PORTLAND, Ore. — Presidents and trustees from Oregon’s regional public universities told the House Committee on Higher Education Workforce Development on May 1 that state funding is essential to preserve access, support local economies and supply regional workforces.

"Each year, Oregon's regional universities welcome thousands of students from every corner of the state," said Kelly Ryan, president of Eastern Oregon University, during the informational hearing. "By design, we're smaller sized access institutions that support students from various backgrounds who want to pursue a university degree."

The testimony highlighted three recurring points: regional universities enroll high shares of first-generation, rural and Pell-eligible students; state funds and student aid operate as complementary pillars; and rising fixed costs such as retirement and health benefits are consuming large parts of universities' state allocations.

Why it matters: Regional universities said their campuses act as economic anchors in nonmetropolitan parts of Oregon, providing jobs, local cultural programming and graduates who often remain in their communities. Jesse Peters, president of Western Oregon University, told the committee that public universities are seeking a Public University Support Fund (PUSF) appropriation of $1,275,000,000 for the 2025–27 biennium to support access and affordability.

Student perspective and support programs: Cassidy Thompson, a third-year elementary education major at Western Oregon University, described how WOU programs helped her persist in college. "When I was growing up, attending college was not anything I ever thought about," Thompson said. She described WOU’s Destination Western, a 10-day residential bridge program that she said serves about 152 students annually and is associated, she said, with 5–10% higher retention and higher average credit loads and GPAs for participants.

Board and business perspective: Sheila Clow, chair of the Southern Oregon University Board of Trustees and CEO of Mercy Flights, described boards' regional ties and fiduciary focus and urged continued investment so universities can supply the workers regional employers need. "If employees are the fuel that power the economic engine of our state and the regional economies, then we need our regional universities now more than ever to educate our future workers," Clow said.

Budget context and constraints: Rick Bailey, president of Southern Oregon University, presented university budget figures to illustrate constraints. He said SOU’s share of the PUSF in the current fiscal year is "a little north of 5%" — roughly $28,000,000 — and that PERS and PEB costs for the institution total about $16,000,000. "Over half of the funding that comes from the state is already taken up by two things that me as a university president I have absolutely no control over," Bailey said, noting those are retirement and medical benefit costs. He and other presidents said that imbalance shifts more cost onto students and can limit funds available for instruction and student supports.

Tradeoffs in state budgeting: Committee members asked how to weigh direct university support versus financial aid such as the Oregon Opportunity Grant. Kelly Ryan and the other presidents described those as "twin pillars": student aid expands access while institutional support funds allow universities to deliver programs and services. Ryan said funding both is critical because aid without adequately funded programs can leave students without the services they need to complete credentials.

Capacity and enrollment: Committee members asked whether regional institutions have capacity to enroll more students without building new facilities. Presidents said most regionals have room to grow, but demographic shifts and affordability concerns complicate growth plans. Ryan said some regional campuses rely on older and working adult students and that demographic changes among traditional college-age populations create uncertainty about future enrollment.

No formal action taken: The hearing was informational. Committee members thanked presenters and closed the meeting with no motions or votes recorded.

What to watch next: The committee previewed upcoming work sessions on Senate bills and an informational meeting on community colleges the following week; no formal budget decisions were made at this hearing.