HB 3121: Relating to higher education affordability; declaring an emergency.

2023 Regular Session | More Information

Requires Higher Education Coordinating Commission to conduct study to determine best method for making public higher education affordable for Oregonians. Directs commission to submit findings to interim committees of Legislative Assembly related to higher education not later than September 15, 2024.] Appropriates moneys to Higher Education Coordinating Commission for purpose of carrying out Oregon's Open Educational Resources (OER) Program. Declares emergency, effective July 1, 2023.

Open Oregon Educational Resources and Oregon Student Association have created a support letter template.  

Link to the support letter template

What we’re advocating for:

What funding are we seeking for the Open Oregon Educational Resources program?

Our current funding level from the state is $669,200 per biennium. Based on the recommendation of the Joint Task Force On Student Success for Underrepresented Students in Higher Education Affordability Workgroup, and the House Higher Education Committee, we are advocating for an increase of $4,530,800. This would bring our ongoing program budget up to $5,200,000 per biennium. 

What will the funding impact be?

With the ongoing funding increase, Open Oregon Educational Resources will be able to…

• Expand the open application OER grant program at ~$10 in student savings per $1 spent

• Expand professional development for faculty to adopt OER at up to ~$35 in student savings per $1 spent

• Increase personnel to support additional high-quality, equity-focused OER development and translation

• Expand outreach on impact reporting and statewide coordination

How will this bill help secure the funding?

If passed, this bill will appropriate the funding increase to the Open Oregon Educational Resources program for the 2023-25 biennium. The bill will have to go through a series of steps and there will be opportunities to testify throughout this process: 

1. The bill started in the House Higher Education Committee. 

2. It is now in the Joint Ways & Means Committee.

3. We are asking for it to be assigned to the Joint Ways & Means Committee’s Education Subcommittee for consideration in the state’s overall budget. 

4. It will pass both chambers of Oregon’s Legislative Assembly.

5. It will go to Governor Kotek’s desk to be signed into law. 

Background reading 

• 2023 Legislative Session One-Sheet for Open Oregon Educational Resources 

• One-Sheet about Open Oregon Educational Resources Programming

• Making the Case for Open Education

• Small Dollar Amounts Are Significant