Oregon must invest in higher education!

The Oregon Legislature will soon finalize the state budget for the next 2 years. Funding for higher education is being decided now. Additional investment will help students and worker bargaining. Your email will go to the legislators who lead the Higher Education budget process: Senator Lew Frederick (503) 986-1722, Senator Betsy Johnson (503) 986-1716, Senator Elizabeth Steiner Hayward (503) 986-1717, Representative Dan Rayfield (503) 986-1416, and Representative Susan McLain (503) 986-1429. This is our opportunity to let our voices be heard and ensure that Oregon invests in higher education!

A personalized story goes a long way toward moving legislators. We will provide you with a sample letter, but please edit the text to include details about yourself and why funding higher education matters to you.

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Dear [elected official],

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We all know that education is the great equalizer. Education does not end with high school. Oregon's public university system is often the only way for low-income Oregonians to access the quality education necessary to realize their potential and break free from the poverty cycle.

I was heartened to see the recent report about the economy doing well and Oregon collecting record tax receipts.  With the additional revenue from a strong economy, I am writing about the critical issue of adequate investment in higher education. Decades of disinvestment have left public universities and community colleges in a state of constant crisis, with students shouldering the bulk of the costs and cuts being the norm as fixed costs increase and institutions scramble to find ways to cover them.

Raising tuition to compensate for fiscal mismanagement at our universities will only punish students working towards a better life, taking away their best shot at self-sufficiency. Failing to provide the represented workers who support our students with a living wage, affordable health care, and secure retirement will further hurt morale, deplete our workforce, and undermine the success of our students. Oregon can do better. It's your job to help provide the funding necessary to support our higher education system.

For once, this biennium, higher education investment is a choice that can be made based on available funds. Students and front line workers are asking for you and other leaders to make that choice, and would welcome strings attached that limit that investment in a way that prevents additional spending on administration. We share your frustration at some of the decisions that are being made by university boards and executive teams. But choosing not to invest in higher education hurts students and low wage workers most of all.

Our state budget is a moral document and policy statement. It's the strongest way to express our values as Oregonians. Please invest in Oregon's higher education system. Please invest in opportunity. Please invest in Oregon's future.

Sincerely, [Your information here]