Financial Aid and Student Loans in Oregon

Oregon has many charms, from the renowned Columbia River gorge to towering Mount Hood. But it can be a pricey place to be a college student. With an average on-campus cost of attendance ringing up to $33,332 (2017–18), 55% of Oregon students graduate with student loans.

It makes sense to plan your student funding in a specific sequence, and we’ve put together a checklist to give you a framework for how you think about funding your education. First, look at grants and scholarships which you won’t have to repay. 

That’s why we’ve provided this overview of some of the potential opportunities for Oregon residents. There are far too many scholarships to list here in full, but you can search in more detail at resources like scholarships.com, fastweb.com, and scholarshipportal.com.

What scholarship programs does Oregon have?

You’ll need to put in some serious effort with your scholarship applications. Some require an essay answer that could be around 500 words long. 

The Oregon Office of Student Access and Completion (OSAC)

Check out the excellent advice and resources from the OSAC, run by the State of Oregon’s Higher Education Coordinating Commission. While you’re there, definitely fill out a scholarship application, which submits you for 500 scholarships with one application.

American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) Scholarship

College students entering their junior, senior, fifth or master’s degree year who are majoring in engineering or land-surveying can win a scholarship in this creative essay competition. It is not need-based.

To be eligible, you must:

• Be in an ABET-accredited bachelor’s degree program, if you are an undergraduate applicant
• Be in an ABET-accredited master’s degree program OR have received a Bachelor of Science in an ABET-accredited program, if you are a graduate student
• Have good grades in school – the Council only awards scholarships on academic merit
• Students must write a 500-word essay on the appointed topic. For instance, on the 2020 application the topic was: “Describe how consulting engineers make their community a better place to live both technically and socially.”

To apply, you submit your application to your state’s chapter (“member organization”) of the ACEC.

Bertha P Singer Nurses Scholarship

Nursing majors going into their second year can apply for the scholarship. This is a needs-based scholarship. The amount awarded depends on your financial situation and the funds available.

To be eligible, you must:

• Be an Oregon resident
• Be studying in Oregon
• Have a 3.0 GPA
• Have completed your first year of study
• Not be an employee or relative of an employee of U.S. Bank

PathwayOregon Award

For students headed to the University of Oregon, if you’re eligible for the Pell Grant, you are automatically eligible for the PathwayOregon program. This program covers the cost of all tuition and fees, assembling a mix of federal and state grants as well as university scholarships. The program doesn’t cover room and board, books, transportation, or other expenses.

To be eligible, you must:

• Have a GPA of 3.40 – candidates that don’t meet this criterion will be considered if there are sufficient funds. Be warned; competition is high.
• Be a resident of Oregon
• Have graduated from a high school in Oregon no longer than two years previously
• Be eligible for the Pell Grant

What grant programs does Oregon have?

Grants are generally need-based gifts that don’t have to be repaid. As with scholarship programs in Oregon, there are many grants that you may apply for.

Your FAFSA financial report or ORSAA report will tell you which grants apply. Below is a list of a few of the grant programs available in Oregon.

Oregon Opportunity Grant

The largest state grant in Oregon, it awards around 40,000 grants each year (based on needs). Community college students can get $2,700, while four-year degree students can get $3,300.

To be eligible, you must:

• Be an Oregon resident—out-of-state residents who belong to Native American tribes will also be considered
• Be an undergraduate with no prior bachelor’s degrees
• Have enrolled in half-time study at the very least
• Be able to prove financial need
• Not have any defaulted payments or owe any refunds in terms of state loans

Oregon Promise Grant

It covers tuition costs to any community college in Oregon. You’ll be awarded between $1,000 and $3,834 per annum if you qualify. You’ll be responsible for paying the co-pay of $50 per term. The funds must be applied to tuition costs.

To be eligible, you must:

• Have a cumulative high school GPA of 2.5 or higher.
• Be a resident of Oregon for at least a year before applying
• Have graduated high school or obtained your GED recently
• Plan to attend Oregon community college within six months of graduating

The application deadline depends on when you will graduate high school and when you’ll start in community college.

Oregon Student Child Care Grant

The grant was started to help student parents access childcare while completing their education.

Grants are available to:

• Parents of children under 12
• Parents of children over 12 with special needs
• Oregon residents who use a pre-approved provider for childcare
• Those with a satisfactory academic record
• Undergraduates

Award amounts are calculated by looking at how many children you have, their ages, and where you live.

What student loan programs does Oregon have?

Oregon doesn’t have any dedicated student loan programs. Instead, it offers scholarships and grants. If you’re looking for a student loan in Oregon, you’ll have to consider federal student loans, private student loans, or no co-signer student loans.

Federal student loans in Oregon

Prospective Oregon students can receive federal financial aid assistance by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). 

Private co-signed student loans in Oregon

There are many private student loan opportunities for those who need additional assistance on top of federal student loans. Many banks, credit unions, and dedicated lending companies offer private student loans, but almost all require a co-signer.

No co-signer student loans in Oregon

Funding U began because we identified thousands of students who were unable to qualify for a private student loan because they didn’t have an eligible co-signer. While we’re no longer the only provider of such loans, we offer no co-signer student loans to career-focused students currently enrolled full time in college. The requirements for receiving a loan are dependent upon the GPA of the student and the graduation rate of the institution they attend. To learn more about our no co-signer student loans click here.

What schools does Funding U lend to in Oregon?

Generally speaking, Funding U’s no co-signer loans are offered to students at eligible four-year, non-profit, undergraduate degree-granting universities (which means we do not lend to for-profit schools, 2-year schools, graduate schools, or trade schools). Our eligibility requirements are based on models that aim to predict how likely a student is to graduate, and because of that, we have minimum GPA requirements that students must meet and minimum 6-year graduation rates that schools must reach in order to be eligible. To find out more about how we determine our eligibility, click here.

Below is a table listing all of the schools in Oregon that Funding U is currently lending to, with additional details on which grades we are currently lending to, based on the school’s 6-year graduation rate.