Oregon Senate passes community college tuition waiver bill

Some Oregon students could qualify for tuition waivers at community colleges under a measure given overwhelming bipartisan support by senators.

Advocates on Thursday touted a program known as the "last-dollar scholarship," which means the proposal will fill in whatever tuition federal and state dollars don't cover.

Not all students would qualify for the waivers. Some of the stipulations include requiring students to have achieved at least a 2.5 grade point average in high school. They also would have to have applied for and accepted all federal and state grants available to them.

Though lawmakers from both sides of the aisle gave the measure their support, some still expressed concern about the state's ability to handle the additional costs.

The measure passed 28-1. It now heads to the House.