Share your testimony with the Joint Committee on Ways and Means
Every two years, during the long legislative session, members of the Oregon legislature who sit on the Joint Committee on Ways and Means visit cities around Oregon. Through town halls, legislators collect public input from Oregon’s communities to inform budget priorities — and we need to let them know that OSU and higher education matter to people across the state. Lend your voice to the conversation and share with legislators what is important to you. Help make a college education more affordable and enable Oregon State University to continue to be an economic engine for our state. Participate by submitting a written testimony here.
Crafting your testimony
To: The Joint Committee on Ways and Means, Co-Chair Senator Elizabeth Steiner, Representative Tawna Sanchez, Members
From: [Insert your name, title if applicable. Example: Benny Beaver, Oregon State University supporter]
Re: Support for the [Public University Support Fund, Oregon Opportunity Grant and/or Collaborative Innovation Complex]
Identify yourself. My name is [Benny Beaver, I am an Oregon State University graduate/supporter].
Share your area of support. I am writing to express support for [pick one or multiple: the Public University Support Fund, Oregon Opportunity Grant and/or Collaborative Innovation Complex].
The Public University Support Fund (PUSF):
An additional investment of $150M in the Public University Support Fund (PUSF) for a total of $1050M will help OSU and other Oregon public universities cover costs, shield students from significant tuition increases and help maintain academic advisors and other wrap-around services for students.
The Oregon Opportunity Grant (OOG):
The Oregon Opportunity Grant (OOG) provides direct assistance to Oregon’s low-income students, ensuring all Oregonians, no matter their socioeconomic background, can access higher education.
The Collaborative Innovation Complex (CIC):
The Jen-Hsun and Lori Huang Collaborative Innovation Complex will be built on the OSU Corvallis Campus. The complex will use state-of-the-art technology to serve OSU students and research initiatives. A total of $100 million in private funds has been committed to the $200 million project. This includes $75 million for the construction of the building and $25 million for a NVIDIA supercomputer to support faculty in addressing highly complex and challenging computational programs. The university is requesting $75 million in state bonding to match the philanthropic and university contributions for facility construction.
Why is this area important to you and the region/state?
An investment in higher education is an investment in Oregon. Currently, Oregon trails behind other states in spending on education and ranks 45th in the nation in per-student funding for public universities. Programs like the PUSF and OOG work to bridge spending gaps and support students, while the Huang Collaborative Innovation Complex aims to push OSU and Oregon forward as leaders in research and development.
Higher education is a key element in putting Oregonians on a pathway to stability and prosperity, and it is too important to shortchange Oregon’s students for even one more year.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Save the date
OSU Advocacy Day at the Capitol | May 3
Beavers will be heading to the Oregon State Capitol next month to advocate for higher education. There will be an opportunity to engage in afternoon legislator meetings and an evening reception. A registration link will be made available on our website and shared on social media next week.
Spring Parent and Family Social | May 5
Connect with the OSU Alumni Association and Beaver families! This social gathering is part of an exciting weekend-long tradition that welcomes Beaver families to visit the OSU Corvallis campus and connect with their students.
