State Appropriations

State appropriations are a critical source of funds for the fulfillment of the University of Oregon’s mission of teaching, research, and public service. State appropriations come to the UO in various allocations:

  • Public University Support Fund (PUSF): The primary fund for state support of operational expenses to all seven of Oregon’s public universities, distributed through a formula based on state priorities.
  • Bonding for Capital Construction Projects: Through bonding capacity, the state allocates targeted funds to universities to maintain and renovate public buildings on campus and build new construction.
  • State Programs: Public universities fulfill their mission in service to the state by running programs that the state prioritizes.
  • Direct Appropriation: Oregon directly funds some individual programs at universities through either one-time or ongoing allocations.  

While the last decade has seen steadily increased funding for public universities, Oregon continues to rank at the bottom of the list nationally in per-student investments. This has resulted in public universities like the University of Oregon to be overly reliant on tuition to provide a high-quality education for our students.

The State of Oregon began its budget-setting process for the 2023-25 biennium in the spring of 2022 when the seven public universities submitted a consolidated funding request to the Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC). The HECC used that request to formulate a submission to Governor Tina Kotek, who released her recommended budget in January 2022.  Kotek’s budget included an 11% reduction in funds requested by public universities to maintain current service levels. After a positive economic forecast, the Legislature increased that investment, but still fell short of the university funding request by 4% in the budget passed in the 2023 legislative session.

If you are interested in joining efforts to increase funding for higher education in Oregon, please reach out to either your ASUO representatives or one of the TFAB representatives who can help connect you with legislative staff working on this issue.

State Appropriation in Actual and CPI-adjusted Dollars, FY90 to FY24

Left: A table that shows the State appropriation in actual dollars and CPI-adjusted rates every year from FY90 through FY24. Right: A line graph with the State Appropriation in actual dollars (orange) and CPI-adjusted dollars (green). Dollars in millions are on the y-axis and the Fiscal Year is on the x-axis. In FY90, state appropriation is $62.4M in actual $ and $160.9M in CPI-adjusted dollars. In FY24, both equal $98.2M. For details, message dsharp@uoregon.edu
Note: Figures are expressed in inflation-adjusted 2024 dollars. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) values are obtained from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and represent the Urban-West annual CPI as of June 30, 2024.
Source: UO Office of Institutional Research.

State Appropriation and Resident Tuition (net: after remissions) Revenue per Student FTE FY99-FY24

A line graph compares the State Appropriation per FTE (green line) and the Resident Tuition Revenue per FTE (yellow line) between FY99 and FY24. The amount of money in increments of $2,000 is on the Y axis and the Fiscal Year is on the X axis. In FY99, the State Appropriation was $10,012 and in FY24 the Appropriation is $8,357. The Resident Tuition Revenue per FTE was $5,912 in FY99 and $11,401 in in FY24. For more details, message dsharp@uoregon.edu
Note: The chart compares state appropriation and resident tuition revenue on a per student FTE basis. Figures are expressed in inflation-adjusted 2024 dollars. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) values are obtained from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and represent the Urban-West annual CPI as of June 30, 2024.
Source: UO Office of Institutional Research.

State Appropriation and Resident and Nonresident Tuition (net: after remissions) Revenue per Student FTE FY99-FY24

A line graph compares the State Appropriation per FTE (green line), the Resident Tuition Revenue per FTE (yellow line), and the Nonresident Tuition Revenue per FTE (red line), between FY99 and FY24. The amount of money in increments of $2000 is on the y axis and the Fiscal Year is on the X axis. State Appropriation was $10,012 in FY99 and $8,357 in FY24. Resident Tuition Revenue per FTE was $5,912 in FY99 and $11,401 in FY24. Nonresident Revenue was $19,921 in FY99 and $28,226 in FY24. For more details,
Note: The chart compares state appropriation and resident tuition revenue on a per student FTE basis. Figures are expressed in inflation-adjusted 2024 dollars. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) values are obtained from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and represent the Urban-West annual CPI as of June 30, 2024.

Source: UO Office of Institutional Research.

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State Appropriation per Resident Student and Resident Tuition and Fees among AAU Publics (FY2022) (scatter plot)

A scatterplot shows the State Appropriations per Resident Student and Resident Tuition Fees among AAU Publics. State Appropriation per Resident FTE is shown on the y axis and Resident Tuition and Fees is shown on the x axis. University of Oregon is the second lowest on the chart (only above University of Colorado Boulder). University of Oregon's Resident tuition and fees are $14,421 and state appropriations are $7,401. For details, message dsharp@uoregon.edu

State Appropriations per Resident Student and Resident Tuition and Fees among Big 10 Publics (FY2022) - scatter plot

Scatter graph of state appropriations per resident student and resident tuition and fees among Big 10 Publics. State Appropriation per Resident FTE is on the y axis of the graph and Resident Tuition and Fees is on the x axis. The University of Oregon is the lowest on the graph, with resident tuition and fees being $14,421 and state appropriations being $7,401. For details, message dsharp@uoregon.edu

State Appropriation per Resident Student and Resident Tuition and Fees among AAU Publics (FY2022) (bar chart)

Bar chart showing AAU publics on the x-axis and dollars on the y-axis. Resident tuition and fees are shown on the bottom of each bar and state appropriations on the top. A total is also given. UO is the second lowest on the chart (above only University of Colorado Boulder). UO resident tuition and fees in FY2022 were $14,421 and state appropriations were $7,401, for a total of $21,822. For more details, message dsharp@uoregon.edu

State Appropriations per Resident Student and Resident Tuition and Fees among Pac-12 Publics (FY2021) - bar graph

State appropriations per resident student and resident tuition and fees among AAU publics (2021) -bar chart

State Appropriations per Resident Student and Resident Tuition and Fees among Pac-12 Publics (FY2021) - scatter plot

State appropriations per resident student and resident tuition and fees among Pac-12 Publics (Fy2021) - scattergraph

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