The Oregon Promise may not be as free as residents of
the state were led to believe. The program was signed into law in July with the
governor promising students an “undergraduate education tuition-free at their local
community college.”
The promise provides tuition grants to high school
students who graduated with at least a 2.5 grade-point average or earned a
general educational development degree. They have to enroll in one of the
community colleges in the state at least part-time within six months of high
school graduation.
Most Oregon students will receive free tuition, according
to the state’s Higher Education Coordinating Commission. However, the
commission estimates about 3,700 will have to pay something,
anywhere from a couple of dollars to about $300 per year, depending on where
they enroll.
Oregon
Promise deducts the amount students receive in Pell and state opportunity
grants from the cost of tuition. Students are responsible for $50 per term and
tuition charged for attending more expensive schools or additional costs from
taking heavier class loads.
