Signed by Governor Kate Brown

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that requires Oregon public colleges to publicize information on student fees.

Highlights:

• Defines a “mandatory fee” as a fee of general applicability to students, whether full-time or part-time, that is required before matriculation or taking courses, including a fee proposed by a recognized student government (Sec. 1).

• Establishes that each public university listed in ORS 352.002 or community college is to prominently display a description of every mandatory fee charged by the public university or community college (Sec. 1).

• Specifies that a mandatory fee is required to be published on each public university’s or community college’s public website and online student portal before the term for which the mandatory fee will be charged and included in any tuition bill. In addition to the amount of the mandatory fee, the publication must be accompanied by a description of the following (Sec. 1):

• The general purpose of the mandatory fee;

• How the mandatory fee will be allocated and used; and

• If the mandatory fee will be collected for a limited duration, the beginning and end dates for collecting the mandatory fee.

• Requires that each public university and community college report to the Higher Education Coordinating Commission on the public university’s or community college’s collection of mandatory fees no later than September 1 of each year. The report must include the following (Sec. 1):

• A description of the public university’s or community college’s efforts to display mandatory fees as required by this section;

• A description of each use or recipient that a mandatory fee is applied to;

• The amount money that was transferred during the preceding academic year to a recipient or use other than the recipient or use that the fee was collected for and an explanation of the reason for the transfer; and

• A financial overview that includes the total amount of mandatory fees collected for the preceding academic year by term, the total amount of expenses for the preceding academic year that is of a type to which mandatory fee money were applied, and the ending balances for the funds or accounts in which mandatory fees are maintained and an explanation of the balances for the three preceding academic years.

• Specifies that this Act first applies to the 2021-2022 academic year (Sec. 2).

• Specifies that a public university or community college may report the ending balance of any fund or account in which mandatory fees are maintained and an explanation of the balance for the preceding academic year only (Sec. 2).

Full Bill Text