OSU gets state cash for white wine and oyster programs

The Subcommittee increased the General Fund appropriation for public university support by $15,000,000 with direction that the money be used to reduce resident undergraduate tuition increases at the state’s seven public universities. The Subcommittee adopted the following budget note to limit tuition increases on resident undergraduate students:

Budget Note:

In adopting the budget for the Oregon University System, the Legislature intends that increases in the base rates for tuition paid by resident undergraduate students on all seven campuses and one branch campus (EOU, OIT, OSU, OSU-Cascades, PSU, SOU, UO and WOU) may not exceed an average of 3.5% at any individual campus in any given year of the 2013-15 biennium. For students choosing the Tuition Promise program at WOU, rates of increase over the prior cohort may not exceed 5.7% in any given year. These limits on tuition shall apply to all seven campuses and one branch campus for the next two academic years (2013-14 and 2014-15) regardless of the outcome of any governance changes that may be implemented during the biennium.

House Bill 5008 includes General Fund appropriations to the Oregon University System (OUS) State Programs budget unit for the following purposes:

• $1,200,000 to expand fermentation science programs at Oregon State University.

• $250,000 one-time appropriation to Oregon State University for technical assistance to help shellfish hatchery larval production affected by ocean acidification and assist with the maintenance of OSU’s Mollusca Brood Stock Program with the intent to produce larval strains more resilient to the adverse effects of ocean acidification.

• $80,000 to increase the base funding for the Labor Education and Research Center at the University of Oregon.