Oregon Scholarships, Grants and Student Loans

Oregon Financial Aid

The state of Oregon has over 100 trade schools, community colleges, 4-year colleges and universities and graduate schools to offer students pursuing a postsecondary degree. Whether students are attending a school like the University of Oregon, which ranks in US News & World Report’s list of best colleges, Linn-Benton Community College, or any other college or university in Oregon, chances are they will be in need of financial aid. Oregon offers financial aid in the form of scholarships, grants and student loans to help students attend the college of their choice.

Oregon Scholarships and Grants

Oregon scholarships and grants are an important part of the educational environment for Oregon students. Use the Campus Explorer Scholarship Search to find Oregon scholarships that will help you get the education you need.

The Oregon Student Assistance Commission administers 11 separate scholarship and grant opportunities to residents attending colleges in and outside of Oregon. Here is a list of all scholarships offered by the commission:

1. Oregon Opportunity Grant (OOG): Financially needy students are eligible to apply. Candidates are automatically considered for the grant after filling out and submitting their Free Application For Student Aid (FAFSA).
2. Access to Student assistance Programs in Reach of Everyone: A unique program that provides counseling to high school students who do not see an educational career after high school in their future. While not a scholarship in itself, students receive educational counseling at a low cost to help them apply for scholarships to get them into college.
3. Barber & Hairdressers Grant: Available to students who demonstrate significant financial need and are pursuing a certificate of barbering, hair design, cosmetology or manicure.
4. Employer Tax Credit Program (ETC): This financial aid program benefits both the employer and the employee returning to school by providing employers who establish an Employer-Sponsored Scholarship program with a tax credit of 50% of the award amount.
5. Chafee Education and Training Grant: Foster children who are enrolled in a degree granting postsecondary program or training program are eligible for this renewable $3,000 scholarship.
6. The Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship: Ninety students from the state of Oregon who have a GPA of at least 3.85 and meet the required ACT or SAT scores are eligible for this annual award of $1,500.
7. Oregon Student Child Care Grant: Oregon residents who have a child under the age of 12, or over the age of 12 with special needs and who are enrolled in an Oregon community college, or public and private colleges and universities are eligible to apply.
8. JOBS Plus Program: Participating students receive a voucher to help pay for training to help expand employment opportunities, professional licenses such as a real estate license, school-related fees, books and supplies required for school, and GED instruction and testing. The voucher may also be used for immediate family members attending college.
9. Nursing Services Program: Any nursing student who has taken out a federal loan in order to pay for their nursing education and who commit to working in rural or frontier area in Oregon where there is a shortage of nurses are eligible to apply for this loan repayment program.
10. Oregon Youth Conservation Corps (OYCC): Students must be enrolled at least half-time to receive this voucher that pays for various educational expenses.
11. Oregon National Guard State Tuition Program: A combination of federal and state funding to provide 100% of tuition costs to the community college or 4-year college or university of their choice to new recruits and reenlistments into the Army and Air National Guard.

Scholarships from Oregon Colleges and Universities

In addition to finding scholarships from the state, Oregon students may also find scholarships from the college or university in which they are enrolled. Oregon colleges offer scholarships based on financial need, merit, special talents, sports abilities, ethnicity, a combination of criteria, and more. Most schools keep scholarship applications in the office of financial aid, and/or online. An example, the University of Oregon offers the General University Scholarship Program to students with a 3.5 GPA or higher. The Portland Community College (PCC) even has the PCC Foundation, which grants over 100 students attending PCC with funds to help cover the cost of tuition and fees.

In addition, there may be more scholarships available at colleges and universities in Oregon located in cities that have a large number of colleges. This is why it is important to include cities in your college search. The top five cities in Oregon with the most colleges and universities are Portland, Salem, Eugene, Beaverton and Bend.

Other Scholarships in Oregon

Other students look for scholarships in Oregon should look no further than their community organizations. Associations, foundations and nonprofit organizations in the community offer scholarships to Oregon students based on a wide variety of criteria. To get you started on your in your search, here is a list of scholarship opportunities found in your area:

1. Oregon Association of Independent Accountants: Full-time students studying accounting in Oregon are eligible for this $1,000 to $2,000 scholarship.
2. Oregon Nurseries Foundation: Student pursuing a career in ornamental horticulture or a related field are eligible to receive over 10 scholarships offered by the Oregon Association of Nurseries.
3. Oregon Community Foundation: Offers a database of over 300 scholarships that fund the postsecondary education of 2,000 students.
4. USBANK Private Trust Scholarships in Oregon: This scholarship trust offers seven separate scholarships to residents of Oregon in addition to scholarships offered to specific counties within the state.
5. Rosalind Reed Dwight Scholars: Two scholarships are awarded each year to female undergraduate architectural students at the University of Oregon and Portland State University.
6. Credit Union Association of Oregon: Credit union members are eligible to apply for any of the two scholarships offered.
7. Pride Foundation: Students living in Alaska, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Washington are eligible to fill out a scholarship application that helps students determine eligibility for over 50 scholarships offered to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and straight-ally leaders and role models.

Oregon Student Loans

In order to determine which private, federal, and alternative student loans are offered at your school, visit the Student Loan Network.