The first signs of trouble for Oregon came in 1990 with the passage ofBallot Measure 5, which capped property taxes and catalyzed a steady decline of support for universities. The state has effectively shifted the burden of paying for college to students, who now cover 61 percent of the cost of attending Oregon’s public universities, up from 26 percent in 1990. Only a dozen other states ask students to pay more, according to the most recent national data.