Funding for college financial aid will rise by about 30 percent from the current budget under the $109 million spending plan for the Oregon Student Assistance Commission passed by the Oregon House as its first action this morning.
The vote was 58-1, with Rep. Donna Nelson, R-McMinnville, the only opponent.
Rep. Larry Galizio, D-Tigard, lauded the budget for expanding access to higher education in Oregon by increasing both the number of students who will get a state grant and the size of the average award.
The budget also will pay for day care for low-income parents who are attending college and the Aspire program, which provides mentoring for low-income high school students to help them apply for college and financial aid.
Most of the money is to pay for Gov. Ted Kulongoski's new approach to college financial aid. If a student works full-time in the summer and part-time during the school year to help pay for their college expenses, the state will pick up the rest of their college expenses that cannot be covered by federal financial aid and their parents' income and assets.Labels: academy awards, career training, education online, financial aid, free college, free education, high school, scholarship, student loans, study abroad |
