How are the Statewides funded?
The three statewide public service programs are each mandated by separate, long-standing federal and state legislation. The Oregon legislature provides funding for the Statewides in three distinct line items in the state budget. State appropriations enable the Statewides to receive and compete for federal, local and external sources that fund research, outreach, innovation and other activities across the state.
This investment helps keep OSU at the forefront of bringing the latest science and technology to bear on the issues facing Oregonians and ensuring a resilient future for Oregon's food and agricultural systems, natural resources and communities.
2025 legislative session
The OSU Statewides (OSU Extension, Ag Experiment Station, Forest Research Lab) received $196.6 million (7% increase) to sustain core mission programs and services. While this investment fell short of necessary base funding, we recognize that the legislature faced a particularly tight budget environment and had to balance economic uncertainty and many statewide priorities.
The legislature also allocated $48 million for Outdoor School. In 2016, voters approved Ballot Measure 99, which allocated 4% of lottery funds towards Outdoor School and designated OSU Extension as the program administrator. The legislature reduced the budget $12 million below the 4% voter approved allocation, which will have a direct impact on the Outdoor School experience for fifth and sixth graders throughout the state.
Policy bills provided additional funding to OSU Statewides programs for specific projects. For a full list of legislative investments related to OSU, refer to the June 30 update from OSU's Government Relations Office.
| Statewides Program | 2023-25 Legislatively Approved Budget |
2025-27 |
|---|---|---|
| Agricultural Experiment Station (AES)* | $98.8 M | $105.7 M |
| OSU Extension Service (EXT)** | $71.1 M | $76.0 M |
| Forest Research Laboratory (FRL) | $13.8 M | $14.8 M |
| Total | $183.7 M | $196.6 M |
|
*Includes ag water technical assistance and OSU Statewides building assistance. |
||
Previous state funding
2023 legislative session
The OSU Statewides received $180 M (a $24 M increase). This included continued service level funding and additional investments that provided for OSU to sustain and grow vital programs and fill new and vacant priority positions in areas of critical need across the state. Policy bills provided for additional funding to OSU Statewides programs for specific projects. In addition, the OSU Extension Outdoor School program (funded with lottery dollars) received $56 M, which reflects a $7 M increase.
2022 legislative session
While there were some individual investments in Extension programing and Experiment Station improvement projects, OSU did not receive the $2.2 million requested to maintain current service levels for the OSU Statewides. As a result, these programs had less capacity to address Oregon's critical needs and emerging issues. See details in OSU's 2022 legislative report.
2021 legislative session
The Statewides received $151.9 million in the 2021 legislative session, which represents a 5.88% increase. This included restoration of 2020 Special Session cuts, but was $2.2 million less than the full continuing service level funding request.
2019-21 and 2020 special session funding
In the second special session of 2020, the Oregon Legislature approved a 2.5% cut to the Statewides for the current biennium. Compounded to a single fiscal year, this equated to a 5% cut in FY21.
The Oregon legislature approved a $19.2 million funding increase (15.4%) for the Statewides for the 2019-21 biennium. This increase includes $14.4 million to cover continued service level costs and address past budget shortfalls and $5.2 million for new initiatives, including $2 million to the OSU Extension Service for fire resilience and recovery and a total of nearly $2.7 million to the Agricultural Experiment Station and Extension for water quality and quantity programs. The legislature also approved $375,000 for organic agriculture Extension, and one-time funding of $125,000 for a continuing Agriculture Experiment Station berry research position.