STUDENT VOICES NEEDED AT STATE CAPITOL

A couple months ago, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown proposed a new budget plan for the 2019-21 state spending cycle. This proposal would effectively reduce funding for all schools, including K-12, community colleges, and universities. The budget plan would cause deep cuts to career technical education (CTE) programs and could result in a 17.5 percent increase in student tuition costs the next two years.

The Oregon Promise grants program would also be eliminated if the needed funding isn’t obtained.

While the Oregon Community College Support Fund is requesting $787 million in state support, current funding is at $575 million. Community colleges need an additional $72 million, at a minimum, to meet true current service levels and allow their budgets to be balanced, advocates say. The additional requested funding would double the number of graduates in CTE programs each year and support efforts to help more students graduate from college.

To make their voice heard on these needs, a delegation from MHCC traveled to Salem on Feb. 1 to ask for help from state legislators who will vote on a final state budget plan.

The Mt. Hood group is hoping to build more support in additional visits.

The MHCC group that traveled to the state Capitol building included Al Sigala, executive director of development and communications; Melanie Roberts, Associated Student Government (ASG) vice president; Chelsea Young, ASG executive assistant; and Aye Chan May, ASG diversity, equity, and inclusion representative.

The four of them had one principal goal: to get their voices heard and for legislators to understand the importance of school funding. MHCC was one of the 17 schools that lobbied legislators with student representatives that day.

“I did not know what to expect,” said Roberts. The three ASG members who attended say they were all nervous at first, but at the end of the day, felt relieved. Their goal was to share their stories with legislators about how and why they are able to attend Mt. Hood, and hopefully persuade them to see the importance funding has for the future of students.

Roberts said, “If tuition goes up higher, our concern is that students may not want to attend Mt. Hood, or any other college.”

Students really count on financial support to pursue community college programs: About 45 percent of students are unable to meet expenses with expected resources, 35 percent receive public grant aid, and 33 percent are eligible for Oregon Opportunity Grant, according to the Oregon Community College Association.

Young also discussed the importance of CTE programs, and how they should also be taken into consideration when deciding state funding.

“We thanked the legislators who have already put their support in, and we reminded those who supported but didn’t put their vote in, of our stories,” Young said. She said she thought, overall, that a lot of the legislators they talked to were strongly in support. “I think it’s important for students to know that there are legislators out there that are willing to truly listen to us students,” she said.

There’s another upcoming opportunity to help.

On Monday (President’s Day), a statewide rally organized by the Oregon Education Association is expected to draw educators and students to a rally at the state Capitol. Students and educators from K-12 schools, community colleges, and universities are highly encouraged to speak up at this event.

On March 7, a team of Mt. Hood students and MHCC District board members will make scheduled visits to local legislators working in Salem, to make the same points.

Sigala said, “If the state doesn’t fund us, unfortunately the only way the college can make revenue is by raising tuition. We don’t want to raise tuition, so students really need to talk to legislators so that they understand this is going to affect students.”

For ASG member Aye Chan May, this whole issue is an important piece of her life. Even though she is graduating this spring, she’s doing whatever she can to represent the voices of Mt. Hood. She says, “I am trying to get us students heard so that when I graduate, this school will be a school with more possibilities for all those future students.”

The legislators are due to make their final votes on a state budget by June. Sigala says that this (budget discussion) is a critical time for students, and a better conclusion can come if students put their support in and get their voices heard.

Advocate Staff