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67 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, September 16, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend June 4, 2004 Board to weigh scholarship fund State’s higher education panel considers a protected endowment to help students cover the cost of college By ANITA BURKE Mail Tribune In an effort to encourage Oregonians to go to college, the state is considering a protected scholarship fund to help cover the ever-escalating cost of higher education in the state. In a meeting today at Southern Oregon University, the Oregon State Board of Higher Education will hear a proposal to create a constitutionally protected endowment to help Oregon students pay to attend two- or four-year schools. Gov. Ted Kulongoski is scheduled to attend the meeting. The proposal seeks to establish an endowment of between $1 billion and $3 billion, to be called the Access Scholarships for Education Trust. The funds would come from public and private sources but wouldn’t take away from current higher education funding, said Neil Bryant, a legislative consultant working with the state higher education board. Money would be distributed based on need and students could use the funding to attend public and private schools in Oregon. Supporters of the plan want a constitutional amendment to ensure the state doesn’t tap the fund for other purposes, he said. They want to ask the next legislature to refer the amendment to voters. The governor’s office and the state economist plan further study this summer on how to create the endowment. The proposal comes from a working group created by the governor to explore ways to improve access to and affordability of college in the state. Kulongoski created the group because education is a key to economic opportunity for individuals and for the state, said Howard Sohn, director of the board and a member of the endowment’s working group. Advertisement Information from the U.S. Census and the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that as education levels increase in a population, so do median earnings, while unemployment rates drop. Oregon’s tax revenue is driven by personal income. "We have not enough people going through the system and not enough money to get them through," Sohn said. State support for higher education has dipped with the recent decline in tax revenue, with students picking up more and more of the bill for college. In the 2001-02 biennium, 51 percent of college funding came from the state and 49 percent came from student tuition and fees. In 2003-04, the students’ share rose to 64 percent and the state covered 36 percent. "These are big steps in the wrong direction," Sohn said. And it’s likely to get worse for students, said Dave McDonald, director of enrollment services with the Oregon University System. Southern Oregon University plans a 12 percent increase in tuition next school year for in-state undergraduates. Some students will be driven away by the increased cost, and diminishing revenues could force schools to cap enrollment and eliminate courses. Reach reporter Anita Burke at 776-4485, or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities