Over protests, board increases University of Oregon tuition

EUGENE, Ore. — The University of Oregon board of trustees has voted to increase tuition — by 3.8 percent for Oregon residents and 3.7 percent for out-of-staters.

The Eugene Register-Guard reported about 120 protesters came to the board meeting Thursday with signs saying, “We are ducks not bucks.” Some said international students are being treated as ATMs.

The board voted 7-6 against trimming the increases and then voted 11-2 to adopt them.

The protesters rallied to the front of the room, circled the board’s table and shut down the meeting for half an hour.

With the increase, in-state tuition goes to about $8,500 a year, $30,240 for out-of-state students.

Out-of-state tuition generates $227 million a year, while in-state tuition is $74 million.

Tuition is about 80 percent of the school’s operating budget.