PSU to increase tuition by 9 percent this fall

The student debt crisis has been a prevalent subject of debate in the last year or so with prominent political figures, namely Bernie Sanders in the recent U.S. presidential race, campaigning partially on a promise to make public colleges and universities tuition-free in an attempt to alleviate the current debt crisis.

The topic moved quite close to home this month for students at Portland State University, who will face a roughly 9 percent hike in tuition prices that will start this fall.

PSU students are all too familiar with similar bad news. As OregonLive.com reported, based on 2014 study “of Oregon’s public universities, Portland State graduates took on the most debt, with an estimated $32,018 borrowing load.”
On PSU’s home website, campus officials list a series of reasons behind this latest increase. They include issues at the state level with the “budget recommendation by legislative leaders and Gov. Kate Brown for no increase in state support for higher education in the next two years despite increases in pension costs, health care benefits and wages,” as well as a projected decrease in student enrollment for Fall Term.

Along with a slew of other issues, that has left a spending hole about $20 million deep that the Board of Trustees at PSU was tasked to fill with money that wasn’t readily available. The 9 percent tuition increase is expected to take care of about $11 million, while the other $9 million will be made up by another unfavorable money saver: Cuts to various school programs and faculty.
Rachel G., an 18-year-old Health Science major at PSU, had her own thoughts on how the school could cut spending enough so as to not put more burdens on the backs of its students.

“I think they should cut down on all of the construction projects they have under way,” she said. “It’s millions of dollars that no one asked them to spend. We did not need to build the Viking Pavilion (new gymnasium/events center) and the Business Building does not need to be as elaborate as it is.

As a non-resident student who pays higher tuition rates overall, Rachel said she “may have to go back to California to be able to afford school. I still want to come to PSU but it’s just difficult to know whether I’ll be able to.”

Asked how she would try to address the issue at hand, Zoe S., 19, a Theatre major and senator with the Associated Students of PSU, said, “On the large scale, we need tax reform… on the smaller scale, every student voice makes a difference.”

She urged students to step forward to demand changes to stop soaring costs and debt.
“Join OSA (Oregon Student Association), lobby the state capitol, join student government, talk to your board of trustees, vote in your midterm (federal) elections,” she said.

Zoe said the 9 percent increase could threaten many students’ college plans.
“This hike will affect traditionally marginalized communities grievously. Students can barely afford tuition as it is,” she said. “This is not a matter of taking out more loans; this is a matter of being able to go to school at all.”

Advocate Staff