Gov. Deval Patrick on Boston Public Radio. Credit: Abbie Ruzicka / WGBH

Gov. Deval Patrick says he’d welcome a plan in Massachusetts that would allow students to attend state colleges and universities without paying tuition or loans out of pocket.

Last week, the Oregon legislature gave initial approval to a bill last week that would allow students to repay the state with a percentage of their future earnings.

Gov. Deval Patrick says he’d welcome a plan in Massachusetts that would allow students to attend state colleges and universities without paying tuition or loans out of pocket.

Last week, the Oregon legislature gave initial approval to a bill last week that would allow students to repay the state with a percentage of their future earnings.

Thursday, Patrick told Boston Public Radio that he’d like to see Massachusetts lawmakers consider the attend-now, pay-later model.

“I like the idea and we’ve talked about this briefly in the past of service obligations,” he said.

Some higher-ed observers say the landscape has changed, and the state’s political climate would be receptive to the Oregon plan.