A higher education budget was passed today by the Oregon legislature that includes a $15 million “tuition buy down,” which will relieve some of the state’s students from rising tuition.

The budget will allow for the Oregon University System to keep up with its 40-40-20 goal to increase the number of students with high school diplomas and college and university degrees and certificates.

“We are grateful to the Governor and Legislature for this budget, and what it represents for students and families across the state,” Dr. Melody Rose, interim chancellor of the OUS, wrote in a press release. “We have a lot of ground to make up as enrollment has soared over the last decade and funding has gone in the opposite direction. With this operating budget, tuition increases can be held down to an average of 3.5%, the lowest increase in many years, and we can maintain our focus on student success and quality teaching and learning.”

Although the buy-down’s intent was to decrease tuition at the state’s public universities, no word yet on how it will affect the University of Oregon’s 5.8-percent increase for the coming year. The Emerald will update this story when information becomes available.