Oregon officials are considering scrapping the state’s promise program and investing the savings in need-based aid instead, arguing free college has failed to boost enrollments.
An early proposal by the Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission staff recommends sunsetting the decade-old Oregon Promise Grant, Oregon Public Broadcasting first reported. The program covers tuition costs for recent high school or GED graduates at the state’s 17 community colleges, after federal and state financial aid are applied. Under the proposal, the state agency would transfer funds from the promise program to the Oregon Opportunity Grant, which serves students with unmet financial need who attend eligible public or private higher ed institutions.
Oregon Promise is one of an estimated 200-plus state and local programs across the country that cover college tuition costs. And it’s the second statewide program to face threats of late; Maine lawmakers raised concerns about the sustainability of their state’s free college program but last month voted in favor of making permanent a less expensive version of it.
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