A leading institution among higher education student advocacy groups is closing its doors. The Oregon Student Association, a nonprofit advocacy group primarily run by college students in the state, announced Wednesday that it’s winding down operations and completely shutting down this month.
OSA was the only statewide group that represented the interests of public university and community college students at the Oregon Legislature.
OSA is closing after struggling for several years with its organizational structure and finances, according to a statement from the group. Tax documents filed in 2023 show the advocacy group had a negative net income of more than $400,000.
“This was an unbelievably difficult decision,” said Nick Keough, OSA’s legislative director. “This decision is ultimately about recognizing recent constraints we faced and being realistic about the organization’s sustainability.”
The nonprofit’s main source of income came from student incidental fees from the state’s seven public universities and 17 community colleges. Student governments decide how much of those fees to put towards OSA. But as the costs of tuition and housing have risen in Oregon, more of that money has gone directly to student services, like bus passes. Keough said OSA has been getting less money from student governments for the past five years.
The group has also been operating without a central leader for about three months. In July 2024, OSA’s executive director Joseph Cruz and another staffer José Zapata were involved in a deadly car crash in Lincoln County. Cruz was critically injured and has a long recovery ahead. Zapata died from his injuries. Keough said OSA staff are still reeling.
“The tragic loss of a staff member and the injury of our executive director have just made it incredibly cumbersome to continue operating,” said Keough.
OSA was first formed in 1975 with a mission to represent the state’s college students and ensure all Oregonians have access to affordable and quality education. For nearly five decades the nonprofit has helped expand state financial aid for students, secured additional funding for Oregon’s higher education institutions and advocated for student-centered policies. In the 2024 legislative session, OSA helped line up legislators to support investments in the state’s behavioral health and semiconductor workforce.
Keough announced OSA’s closure at the Higher Education Coordinating Commission’s full meeting at Portland State University on Wednesday. HECC commissioners thanked the group for its leadership in the student advocacy space and bemoaned OSA’s closure.
“[OSA] has historically been thoughtful, done the research and provided a very clear voice for students' interest,” said HECC Chair Sandy Rowe at the meeting. Rowe is also a member of OPB’s board of directors.
“Thank you for your service to the students of Oregon and to the state of Oregon,” Rowe said.
HECC Executive Director Ben Cannon said in a statement that OSA has been a powerful voice for college students, and kept lawmakers focused on college affordability, inclusiveness and institutional accountability.
Other commissioners credited OSA for fostering talented young people. Commissioner and former state representative Richard Devlin noted that many of the people in the state legislature got their first taste of politics as an OSA member.
In an emailed statement, Lamar Wise, political director at Oregon AFSCME, said he got his first start in advocacy work with OSA.
“While it is heartbreaking to hear about OSA, students are still an essential voice in developing the workforce of tomorrow,” said Wise, who was also a former executive director for OSA. “I hope students around the state are able to come together and think about what the next stage of their collective movement looks like.”
OSA’s announcement comes just ahead of a consequential election and a legislative session in 2025 that will set spending levels for public universities and community colleges — a process that the student advocacy group would have been actively involved in.
Keough is also thinking about what the next iteration of student advocacy looks like in Oregon, especially as higher education in the state has continued to become less affordable.
“The need for strong student advocacy has never been more critical,” said Keough. “But we’re hopeful that new leader structures and approaches will emerge to continue the fight for equitable and affordable higher education.”
