Our Mission and Commitment
The Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC) remains committed to our mission to advance equitable access and success in postsecondary education and training, meet workforce needs, and strengthen Oregon’s collective future. The HECC’s commitment to equitable opportunity in postsecondary education and training has been woven into the agency’s policies, programs, and processes since the founding of HECC as a state agency in 2013. Agency work is driven by Oregon's state education and training goals that commit us to better serving underrepresented populations who are not served today.
The HECC’s work is anchored in the belief that every learner matters and deserves access to a wide range of postsecondary opportunities through community colleges, universities, career schools, apprenticeships, and workforce training programs. At its best, postsecondary education is a powerful equalizer, preparing diverse communities across the state to thrive, and meeting workforce and economic needs.
Monitoring Federal Changes
Working with Governor Kotek, legal counsel, as well as state, institutional, and program partners, the HECC is actively assessing the potential impact of the following federal directives on Oregonians served by the postsecondary education and training system.
Notices Related to Eligibility
The HECC has received notifications from federal agencies pertaining to federal interpretations of eligibility for postsecondary career and technical education programs, adult education and literacy programs, and workforce programs in Oregon. The federal agencies’ new interpretation restricts states from using federal funds to provide services to individuals who cannot verify immigration status.
There are no immediate impacts to programs as HECC assesses these federal government interpretations and their potential impact on Oregonian. The Oregon Attorney General has sued the federal administration in response to these restrictions (see details below), and a preliminary injunction has been approved for plaintiff states. The HECC will keep grantees updated on new developments.
On July 10, HECC received a letter from the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE), and the
USDOE issued a press release pertaining to a notice of the federal agency’s interpretation of eligibility for students served by Adult Education and Literacy Programs (WIOA Title II) and Career and Technical Education (CTE) or Perkins V Oregon. Under the new federal interpretation, enrollment would be limited for dual-credit CTE participants age 18 and over, and for adult participants in Title II adult education and literacy programs, absent verification of citizenship status. In addition On July 10, 2025, the U.S. Department of Labor also published a guidance letter pertaining to their eligibility requirements for the federally-funded WIOA Title I-B workforce programs administered by the HECC. Under the new federal guidance, enrollment in these programs would require proof that individuals are legally authorized to work in the United States. There are
no immediate impacts to programs as the HECC is assessing these federal government notices in close partnership with Governor Kotek and legal counsel.
On September 10, 2025, in response to the lawsuit noted above, a U.S. District Court in New York granted a preliminary injunction that pauses the U.S. Department of Education’s new interpretations for plaintiff states including Oregon.
Notices Related to Funding
Adult Education and Literacy Program Updates (WIOA Title II) Updates
On June 30, 2025, The HECC received a communication from the U.S. Department of Education that the official Grant Award Notification which obligates funds for The Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (Title II) had been delayed pending review of the submissions and awards for the upcoming academic year.
On July 14, 2025,
Oregon Attorney General Rayfield, alongside a coalition of other attorneys general, challenged the administration’s funding delay.
On July 25, 2025, the HECC received
notification that the U.S. Department of Education intends to release these funds beginning the week of July 28. The HECC has received notification of award availability and does not anticipate additional challenges at this time. The HECC is in contact with grantees on the status of the grant.
The State of Oregon receives federal funds under Title II of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 (WIOA), better known as the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), from the U.S. Department of Education, for the purpose of increasing adult education and English language literacy. Title II provides federal funds to local providers and supports training to provide basic skill education services for adults across Oregon, including English language instruction for adults at Oregon community colleges.
HECC disburses these funds to adult education programs and institutions, including fifteen community colleges and the Oregon Department of Corrections. In program year 2023-24, these funds have supported services for more than 13,300 people across Oregon.
Learn more about the HECC’s administration of Title II funds and the services they support.
AmeriCorps Updates
The 2025 Americorps State Grants activity is underway. OregonServes' FY25 AmeriCorps State Programs, funded by federal formula funding, have been awarded 2025 federal funds and are operating normally. Partners can learn more about these and other grants on the OregonServes website.
Access to the 2024 AmeriCorps State Grant funding was restored. The HECC received a termination notice on April 25, 2025 for the 2024 AmeriCorps State program grants, and worked with legal counsel to assess this. On April 29, Oregon Attorney General Rayfield, alongside a coalition of 22 other attorneys challenged the administration’s termination plans for AmeriCorps grants. On June 5, in response to this multi-state lawsuit, a judge approved a temporary injunction on this termination of AmeriCorps awards. Details are provided below.
Statewide service in Oregon is supported by the federally-funded AmeriCorps State Grant Program, administered by the HECC Office of Workforce Investments. The AmeriCorps State Grant, administered by the HECC, through the federally-required state service commission, OregonServes, supports statewide national service activities.
OregonServes is currently administering the 2025 AmeriCorps State Program Grants, which are not impacted by recent federal actions.
On April 25, 2025, OregonServes received notice from the federal AmeriCorps agency that the 2024 AmeriCorps State Program Grant had been terminated. The HECC assessed this decision in close partnership with Governor Kotek and legal counsel, and provided guidance to grantees.
On June 5, in response to this multi-state lawsuit, a judge approved a preliminary injunction on this termination of 2024 AmeriCorps awards. The preliminary injunction stated that AmeriCorps must restore the terminated programs and grants to status quo prior to the April 25, 2025 grant terminations and allow for AmeriCorps members to return to service if they are willing and able to return. Access to the 2024 funds was restored, and OregonServes has been in contact with grantees.
The 2025 Americorps State Grants activity is underway. OregonServes' FY25 AmeriCorps State Programs, funded by federal formula funding, have been awarded 2025 federal funds and are operating normally. Grantees are actively recruiting members to serve in local communities. Partners can learn more about these and other grants on the OregonServes website.
CIF Operating Funds: Fiscal year 2025 appropriated funds through the Commission Investment Fund (CIF), including funds for OregonServes operations, which had previously been delayed pending release by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)—were awarded to OregonServes on September 10, 2025, following an agreement reached between the lead state plaintiffs and the defendants in the multistate lawsuit. This agreement also pertains to other branches of AmeriCorps that serve Oregon but are not administered by the HECC. Learn more in the August 29, 2025 Oregon Attorney General press release here.
If there are significant changes to HECC agency operations, we will share details with the public here.
HECC Programs and Federal Resources
HECC is actively assessing the potential impact of recent federal directives. At this time there are no changes to HECC programs. We are actively assessing federal communications (see Monitoring Federal Changes above) and will inform the public if changes are made.
The HECC’s programs and activities are primarily state-funded, but numerous of its workforce and education programs depend on federal funding. In addition, numerous HECC programs and activities, including Oregon financial aid programs administered by the HECC, are reliant on the U.S. Department of Education services.
Oregon’s federally-funded programs administered by the HECC include:
- Workforce services for Oregon workers, dislocated workers, and job-seekers (delivered through local workforce boards and partners) under Title I of the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and the Department of Labor. See the status of federal information related to this program under “Monitoring Federal Changes” above.
- Statewide national service activities supported by Oregon’s AmeriCorps State Grant Program. See the status of federal information related to this program under “Monitoring Federal Changes” above.
- Postsecondary career and technical education programs supported by the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V), administered in partnership with the Oregon Department of Education. See the status of federal information related to this program under “Monitoring Federal Changes” above.
- Adult basic skills education including English language instruction programs, supported by Title II of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act, which is part of WIOA. See the status of federal information related to this program under “Monitoring Federal Changes” above.
- Workforce and education resources through Future Ready Oregon programs, funded in part by pandemic relief funds that were awarded to the State of Oregon.
The HECC agency work is directly connected to U.S. Department of Education (U.S. ED) services in numerous ways:
- The U.S. ED administers federal student aid for college student such as the Pell Grant that serves tens of thousands of Oregonians statewide. The amount of federal aid in many cases impacts the amount of grant aid that the HECC-Office of Student Access and Completion (OSAC) awards, since some state financial aid programs are “last dollar" programs.
- The Oregon grant and scholarship programs (administered by OSAC) utilize the federal student aid form, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), to determine eligibility for many forms of financial aid awarded in Oregon. The HECC-OSAC is also the state's depository of FAFSA data.
- The HECC administers funding that is awarded by the U.S ED including;
- The Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (Title II) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) supports, through HECC, Oregon community colleges in serving adults who seek basic (pre-college) education. - see the status of federal information related to this program under “Monitoring Federal Changes” above.
- Postsecondary career and technical education programs in Oregon are supported by the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V), administered in partnership with the Oregon Department of Education.
- The HECC authorizes and licenses private institutions with a focus on consumer protection. The U.S. ED maintains a list of approved accreditors that the HECC relies on in its authorization and licensing of schools serving Oregonians.
- The HECC relies on the U.S. ED for data that the agency and institutions use for evaluation, accountability, and planning.
In addition, the U.S. ED serves Oregon students through its enforcement of civil rights, administration of student loans and loan repayment/forgiveness, college planning resources such as the College Scorecard, and other resources.
Resources for Colleges and Universities
The HECC is assessing the potential impact of federal directives on Oregonians served by the state’s colleges and universities. As a coordinating (not a governing) commission, the HECC does not speak on behalf of Oregon’s independently governed institutions on federal directives, but we are in close communication with state and institutional partners to gain clarity on the potential impacts.
The following guidance issued on March 5, 2025 from the Oregon Attorney General addresses diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility issues in the context of the Feb. 14 Dear Colleague letter from the US Department of Education, the Supreme Court’s ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, and federal civil rights law.
- Oregon Attorney General Rayfield Issues Multistate Guidance for Schools on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Initiatives, March 5, 2025, Guidance Letter.
On February 14, 2025, the United States Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued a Dear Colleague Letter setting out its interpretation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Protection Clause of the United States Constitution. Title VI prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin, and the Equal Protection Clause of the United States Constitution provides that all people are entitled to equal protection of the laws.
The Dear Colleague letter does not change existing federal law. The letter reiterates the existing requirement that entities receiving federal financial assistance follow federal civil rights laws. Higher education institutions should continue to comply with federal civil rights laws. Oregon has long-standing core values and statutory commitments to ensure that every child is entitled to a high-quality educational experience free from discrimination or harassment, in compliance with federal laws.
Those commitments to the principles of anti-discrimination, equity, and inclusion are reflected in many different laws, including: disability rights in education (ORS 659A.103), rights to public spaces (ORS 659A.403), prohibitions on discrimination (ORS 659.850), pay equity (ORS 652), educator equity (ORS 342), the Oregon Sanctuary Law (ORS 180.805 - 180.810 and ORS 181A.820 - 181A.829), and more.
The HECC remains committed to advancing policies that reflect Oregon’s values while ensuring compliance with all applicable laws.
Other Resources
Oregon’s Sanctuary Laws
Last updated: September 10, 2025