My name is Elaina Robison, I am a senior at Eastern Oregon University in La Grande with a major in marketing and a minor in communications, and I have the honor of serving as the president of the Associated Students of EOU. I write today not just as a student leader, but as one of thousands of Oregonians whose future depends on access to affordable, high-quality higher education.

Public universities such as EOU are lifelines — not only for students, but for the communities we come from and the state we love. It’s not uncommon that students at EOU are not from Oregon originally, but from Washington, Idaho, Nevada, or even Palau. However, after graduation, they stay in Oregon because they are won over by the beautiful landscape and incredible opportunities that Oregon has to offer. Higher education is where Oregon’s future nurses, teachers, engineers, small business owners, and civic leaders begin. It’s where students find their purpose, where innovation starts, and where opportunity grows.

And yet, that opportunity is slipping further out of reach.

The rising cost of education, paired with underfunded institutions, means more students are struggling to stay enrolled — especially those from rural communities, communities of color and working-class families. When students are forced to choose between making rent or paying tuition, we all lose out on the potential they carry.

After decades of underfunding, the Oregon Legislature has made some significant investments in higher education in recent years. The investments made in 2023 in particular helped fund critical student services, limited tuition increases, strengthened academic programs, and increased access to financial aid, particularly for rural, low-income and first-generation students.

But with continued uncertainty at the federal level and a challenging economic outlook at the state level, now is not the time to lose the progress we’ve made. There is no more important investment the state can make right now than to invest in training the next generation of workers who will build the future of Oregon’s economy.

We know the state faces tough budget decisions this year. But investing in higher education isn’t just another line item — it’s an investment in Oregon’s long-term economic strength, cultural vibrancy and social equity. When we support our students today, we build the workforce and leadership our communities need for tomorrow.

Oregon has worked hard to expand opportunity through investments in our higher education. This is the moment to protect that progress by investing at least $1.1 billion in the Public University Support Fund and by increasing funding for the Oregon Opportunity Grant by $150 million. A budget that falls short of that $1.1 billion minimum investment would mean steeper tuition increases, less support for students and more barriers to graduation.

As a student who has benefited greatly from attending one of our state’s public universities, I’m advocating for Oregon’s legislators to see us — to see the students across the state who are working hard, giving back, and dreaming big. Don’t let short-term challenges rob us of long-term progress. Fund our public universities. Invest in our future. Believe in us.

— Elaina Robison is the president of the Associated Students of Eastern Oregon University. The state in 2018 officially designated the university in La Grande as Oregon’s Rural University.