Looking for Oregon School Grants And Scholarships?
Smart move.
The cost of post secondary education has more than doubled over the past two decades 1 outpacing inflation by an average of 5.6 percent each year over the last ten years 2.
Yet, the cost of not getting a college education is even steeper. Bachelor’s degree holders earn more than twice the income of high school graduates.
Without financial aid, many Americans would not achieve education beyond high school.
Financial aid can be divided into two groups; aid that does not have to be repaid and aid that does – usually with interest. Grants have several advantages over student loans and scholarships. Grants are awarded and do not have to be repaid, and grants generally have fewer stipulations for eligibility than scholarships.
Residents of Oregon are eligible to apply for a number of grants. The following is a list of Oregon State Grants with a brief summary and web address for more information.
Eligibility for many of Oregon’s grants is determined by the information provided in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form (FAFSA). The FAFSA is the primary application for the main federal grants (including the Pell grant), but it is also used on a state level as well.
Not surprisingly therefore, submitting the FAFSA as early as possible in the year you wish to attend to school is the best way to determine for which state and federal grant monies you are eligible.
Table of Contents
Oregon Opportunity Grant
Awarded solely on financial need, the Oregon Opportunity Grant is Oregon’s largest state-funded grant program for post secondary education.
Opportunity Grants are administered by the Oregon Student Assistance Commission, a state agency created to assist Oregon students attain post secondary education. More than 29,000 students will receive awards for the 2011-12 academic year.
To be eligible for the Oregon Opportunity Grant, the student must be a resident of Oregon, be an undergraduate, prove financial need, and be enrolled or enrolling in an eligible program.
Programs must either lead to a baccalaureate or associate degree or be at least one academic year in length and eligible for Department of Education Title IV programs. Oregon Opportunity Grants are awarded on a first come, first served basis with priority going to full-time students.
For more information, visit http://www.oregonstudentaid.gov/oregon-opportunity-grant.aspx
Oregon Achievement Grant
The Oregon Achievement Grant is available to students who have scored exceptionally well on nationally recognized college admission tests.
Eligibility requirements are similar to those for the Oregon Opportunity Grant; however, the Achievement Grant requires satisfactory progress for yearly renewal.
http://www.oregonlaws.org/ors/348.186
Medical, Nursing and Dental Program Grants
Students enrolled in professional medical, nursing or dental programs at the Oregon Health and Science University, the state’s only health and research university, are eligible for grants up to the amount of tuition and fees. Grants are awarded based on financial need.
However, the grant is not specifically for low income students, but rather a way to bridge the gap between even moderate family resources and the high cost of attending medical school. More details at http://www.oregonlaws.org/ors/348.265
The Chafee Education and Training Grant
This grant, administered by the Oregon Department of Human Services, helps current or former foster care youth obtain postsecondary education and training.
Applicants must be under the age of 21 to apply. http://www.oregonstudentaid.gov/chafeeetv.aspx
Supplemental Pathway Grants
These grants are awarded as part of the Pathway Oregon program. The University of Oregon developed the program to increase the opportunity for low income students to obtain an education. The program offers grants along with comprehensive support and advising.
Program grants are available to students enrolling in the University of Oregon.
The program also offers housing grants covering room and board to qualified students. Additional eligibility requirements can be found at http://pathwayoregon.uoregon.edu/?p=home.
The Deceased or Disabled Public Safety Officer Grant
This grant is awarded to dependents of public safety officers who were killed or disabled in the line of duty.
To be eligible, applicants must be Oregon residents, enrolled or planning to enroll in a full-time undergraduate program and show financial need.
Detailed information and a list of eligible public safety officers can be found at http://www.oregonstudentaid.gov/ddpso-grant.aspx.
Oregon Barber and Hairdresser Grant
These are available to Oregon residents attending a licensed school of cosmetology, barbering, esthetics or manicure.
Because funding is limited, grants are awarded on the basis of financial need and not a first come basis.
Students must be enrolled full time in an eligible program at least nine months in length or nine hundred hours. For more see http://www.oregonstudentaid.gov/barbers-grant.aspx
Oregon Student Child Care Grant
The Oregon Student Child Care Grant program was created to assist parents enrolled in post secondary education obtain quality child care while attending school.
Students should apply through the Oregon Department of Human Services.
To be eligible, students must have a child or legal dependent under the age of twelve, show financial need, and be enrolled in a post secondary education program at an Oregon community college or university. Subsequent grants are dependent on satisfactory academic achievement.
Students are ineligible if they are in default on student loans. More details at http://www.oregonstudentaid.gov/child-care-grant.aspx
The Women’s Opportunity Awards Program
The Women’s Opportunity Awards program offers grants to assist women who are the primary financial support for their families.
More than $1.5 million is disbursed through cash awards each year.
Recipients may use the award toward any costs related to their efforts to attain higher education, such as childcare, transportation, books, and fees.
More details at http://gradschool.uoregon.edu/other-uo-graduate-awards
Center for Intercultural Dialogue Grants
The Center for Intercultural Dialogue envisions a global community transcending cultural, religious, a geopolitical lines.
In an effort to engage, students, faculty and community members, the Center for Intercultural Dialogue offers Kickstarter Grants for research interest groups and small project grants for graduate students and faculty.
More details can be found at http://gradschool.uoregon.edu/other-uo-graduate-awards
Center for the Study of Women in Society Grants
The Center for the Study of Women in Society offers grant programs to support work on women and gender initiated by University of Oregon graduate students, faculty, and staff.
Grants are available to graduate students to support research or creative work on women and gender from a variety of disciplines.
More details can be found at http://gradschool.uoregon.edu/other-uo-graduate-awards
Center on Diversity and Community (CoDaC) Summer Research Awards
The Center on Diversity and Community (CoDaC) Summer Research Awards program offers a variety of grants to support the scholarly work of graduate students working to promote diversity and community involvement.
Information about the program and application instructions can be found at http://gradschool.uoregon.edu/other-uo-graduate-awards .
The Center for Latino/a and Latin American Studies Graduate Student Summer Research Grants
The Center for Latino/a and Latin American Studies awards grants to University of Oregon students, faculty, and community groups to encourage collaboration and interest in projects that have the potential to bring Latino and Latin American Studies in the forefront.
More details at: http://gradschool.uoregon.edu/other-uo-graduate-awards
The Oregon Sea Grant
This grant offers several different grants to students involved in research or projects that address questions about the earth’s oceans, coastlines and the surrounding natural and human communities.
Grants are available for expanded education expenses including travel expenses, research equipment, and costs related to promoting community involvement.
More details at: http://seagrant.oregonstate.edu/research/grant-opportunities
Many of Oregon’s colleges and universities offer university specific grants and departmental grants.
These grants are available to students pursuing an education within specific areas.
For example, the University of Oregon, College of Arts and Sciences awards several grants to students seeking degrees in one of the College of Arts and Sciences programs. Oregon State Grants are sometimes referred to as awards. Awards and grants are essentially the same.
Organizations supporting specific causes or groups often use the term award rather than grant. These awards usually have specific selection criteria based on the organization’s mission.
1 http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/cantwait/final_-_education_blueprint_-_an_economy_built_to_last.pdf
2 http://www.help.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Carey.pdf
