Several Oregon legislators addressed Senator Ron Wyden in a letter reading, “with great concern regarding the recent policy removal from the Build Back Better Plan that would provide students with two years of free community college. While we support the higher education investments included in the latest version of the bill, we strongly encourage you and the Biden Administration to revisit this critical investment in the near future. We cannot underscore enough the urgency of this matter.”
The senders honed in on the fact that two-year college was originally proposed by the Biden Administration’s “Build Back Better Plan,” but due to objections by Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), and other Democrats in the Senate this section of the plan was not to be funded.
Since 2015, Oregon already has a version of the free two-year college resulting from the Oregon Promise Act, but the Act excludes all but those who recently graduated or received their GED. In addition, the financial assistance covers only up to 12 credits per term.
The following legislators signed the letter to Senator Wyden:
Rep. Teresa Alonso Leon (District 22), Chair of the House Committee on Education Sen. Michael Dembrow (District 23), Chair of the Senate Committee on EducationRep. Courtney Neron (District 26), Vice Chair of the House Committee on Education Senate Majority Leader Rob Wagner (District 19)Rep. Susan McLain (District 29), Co-Chair of the Joint Ways and Means Subcommittee on Education Sen. Lew Frederick (District 22), Co-Chair of the Joint Ways and Means Subcommittee on EducationRep. Jeff Reardon (District 48), Member of the House Committee on EducationSen. Sara Gelser (District 8), Member of the Senate Committee on EducationRep. Janeen Sollman (District 30), Member of the House Committee on EducationRep. Ricki Ruiz (District 50), Member of the House Committee on Education
By Joanna Rosińska
Do you have a story for The Advocate? Email editor@corvallisadvocate.com