Oregon students could soon have an easier time paying for community college. The state Senate passed a bill Thursday that would waive tuition for some high school graduates.
“Video photographers, diesel mechanics, web designers and on and on. Those opportunities offer young people a path to the middle class,” said Sen. Mark Hass, who carried the bill on the Senate floor. “It may only take an eight-month certification class, but it’s a path. And without that kind of training, or any kind of education out of high school, we all know there is only one real path – a path that leads to poverty.”
Supporters are calling it the “Oregon Promise.”
Recent graduates of Oregon high schools and GED programs would be eligible if they have a 2.5 GPA or higher.
Senators also approved a measure Thursday to keep school districts from using K-12 money to cover tuition for “fifth year” students in community colleges.
Both measures now move to the state House.
Copyright 2015 Northwest News Network
