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Students and Families: Applications Now Open for Grants and Scholarships
Students and Families: Applications Now Open for Grants and Scholarships

Eugene, Oregon | The Higher Education Coordinating Commission, Office of Student Access and Completion (OSAC) encourages students statewide to apply now for grants and scholarships at OregonStudentAid.gov. OSAC awards more than $80 million each year in state-funded grants and privately funded scholarships to help students meet their college expenses. More than 500 privately funded scholarship opportunities are available to eligible Oregon students with a wide range of interests and needs, in addition to the state-administered Oregon Promise and the Oregon Opportunity Grant.

OSAC SCHOLARSHIPS: Students must apply online at OregonStudentAid.gov and submit a completed OSAC scholarship application and all other required materials by March 1 at 5:00 p.m. Students may explore over 500 scholarships and apply for up to 40 with one application, and there is no cost to apply. Scholarship funds are available for graduating high school seniors, college undergraduate and graduate students, GED and homeschooled students, community college and vocational school students, single parents returning to school, and more. Students who submit their applications by February 15 at 5:00 pm may be entered in a drawing to win a $1,000 OSAC Early Bird scholarship.

OREGON PROMISE: Current high school seniors and GED recipients can now apply for the Oregon Promise grant, which covers some or all tuition at Oregon community colleges. Students must enroll in a community college within 6 months of graduating from an Oregon high school or receiving a GED. Minimum GPA and GED requirements apply. Visit OregonStudentAid.gov for eligibility details and rolling application deadlines or see the Oregon Promise fact sheet here. Students who graduate from high school early in fall 2016 (between July 1 and December 1, 2016) who plan to attend community college in Winter 2017 must apply for the Oregon Promise by December 1. Students in the high school class of 2017 who plan to attend community college in Fall 2017 must apply by July 1; those who apply by April 1 will receive early notifications. See the fact sheet above for additional details on applications and eligibility. This funding opportunity is subject legislative approval in 2017.

OREGON OPPORTUNITY GRANT AND OTHER STATE AND FEDERAL AID: The Oregon Opportunity Grant is Oregon’s largest state-funded, need-based grant program that helps students pay for college at public community colleges, public universities and participating private institutions statewide. Students should complete either the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the Oregon Student Aid Application (ORSAA) for the upcoming school year. The ORSAA is Oregon’s alternative to the FAFSA for students who are not U.S. citizens nor eligible non-citizens, including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) students. OSAC uses data from the FAFSA or the ORSAA to determine students’ eligibility for the Oregon Promise, the Oregon Opportunity Grant, and numerous scholarships. Information from the FAFSA is also used to determine eligibility for federal aid, including the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Direct Loans, and Federal Work-Study.

To take advantage of scholarship and grant opportunities, visit OregonStudentAid.gov to begin an application or learn more about all available grants, scholarships, and other financial aid. Also see Plan and Pay for College on the HECC website.

Contact: Endi Hartigan, Communications and Policy Specialist | Office: 503-378-6769 | Cell: 971-701-4032 | endi.hartigan@state.or.us
Source: Bob Brew, Deputy Executive Director and Director of Office of Student Access and Completion | bob.k.brew@state.or.us