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Report looks into effects of low higher-ed funding
by Allie Grasgreen | News Reporter
Nevertheless, most students who attempt to get an adviser's help are satisfied with what they receive, Sproule said the report found.
Herbert said the experience was still beneficial overall because the one-on-one attention was helpful. She said the University should offer more individualized attention, such as an advising Web site where there is always someone online to answer questions.
"We're paying so much that we should be getting a lot more than we are," said Herbert. "A lot of people feel lost."
Herbert isn't the only one saying that.
The Executive Summary of the OSA report reads: "While colleges have substantially increased tuition, they have also cut programs, staff and departments. So students are paying more and getting less of an education."
Sproule said despite massive debt students take on to get the college education that is essential for a middle-class lifestyle in Oregon today, institutions are unable to provide everything the student needs.
"We're seeing students entering colleges to get opportunities and those opportunities are often limited by the debt that they had to take on," Sproule said. "These (budget) cuts haven't been outside the classroom."
Student debt is by no means a small concern on campus.
Herbert is only in her second year at the University, but has obtained enough credits to qualify as a junior. The psychology major graduated from Gladstone High with 31 credits, and appreciates that advantage now more than ever because she saved significantly on tuition.
That tuition, according to the OSA report, has an immense impact on students' ability to attend post-secondary education institutions. Forty-nine percent of university students and 47 percent of community college students reported that costs impacted their decisions regarding their education. Students reported debt as a hindrance to their ability to further their degree or take additional courses, and said that it is increasingly difficult to afford a degree plus living expenses.
In part as a direct result of skyrocketing tuition and fewer programs, enrollment at community colleges has plummeted, while leveling off at universities, according to the report.
Perhaps most telling, "a significant minority of students reported that substantial cost increases would force them to drastically change their education plans, by attending a lower cost institution, going part-time or dropping out altogether." The report also states that considering this finding, it can be assumed that many students were forced to do one of the above in the 2001-05 academic years.
Ultimately, the fate of the more than 100,000 students in Oregon post-secondary education rests with the State Legislature.
"Schools have done the best they can with what they've been given," said Sproule. "We know that we have to reinvest in post-secondary education this session."
Contact the higher education reporter at agrasgreen@dailyemerald.com
Herbert said the experience was still beneficial overall because the one-on-one attention was helpful. She said the University should offer more individualized attention, such as an advising Web site where there is always someone online to answer questions.
"We're paying so much that we should be getting a lot more than we are," said Herbert. "A lot of people feel lost."
Herbert isn't the only one saying that.
The Executive Summary of the OSA report reads: "While colleges have substantially increased tuition, they have also cut programs, staff and departments. So students are paying more and getting less of an education."
Sproule said despite massive debt students take on to get the college education that is essential for a middle-class lifestyle in Oregon today, institutions are unable to provide everything the student needs.
"We're seeing students entering colleges to get opportunities and those opportunities are often limited by the debt that they had to take on," Sproule said. "These (budget) cuts haven't been outside the classroom."
Student debt is by no means a small concern on campus.
Herbert is only in her second year at the University, but has obtained enough credits to qualify as a junior. The psychology major graduated from Gladstone High with 31 credits, and appreciates that advantage now more than ever because she saved significantly on tuition.
That tuition, according to the OSA report, has an immense impact on students' ability to attend post-secondary education institutions. Forty-nine percent of university students and 47 percent of community college students reported that costs impacted their decisions regarding their education. Students reported debt as a hindrance to their ability to further their degree or take additional courses, and said that it is increasingly difficult to afford a degree plus living expenses.
In part as a direct result of skyrocketing tuition and fewer programs, enrollment at community colleges has plummeted, while leveling off at universities, according to the report.
Perhaps most telling, "a significant minority of students reported that substantial cost increases would force them to drastically change their education plans, by attending a lower cost institution, going part-time or dropping out altogether." The report also states that considering this finding, it can be assumed that many students were forced to do one of the above in the 2001-05 academic years.
Ultimately, the fate of the more than 100,000 students in Oregon post-secondary education rests with the State Legislature.
"Schools have done the best they can with what they've been given," said Sproule. "We know that we have to reinvest in post-secondary education this session."
Contact the higher education reporter at agrasgreen@dailyemerald.com
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