Financial Aid
Financial aid is the money available to help students and their families meet college expenses. Sources may be federal, state, private or institutional.
Types of Financial Aid
- Scholarships: Money that doesn’t need to be repaid. May be merit (based on achievements) or need based.
- Work-study: Money that is paid for work performed while in school
- Grants: Money that does not need to be repaid, usually based on need
- Loans: Money that is borrowed and must be paid back, usually includes an interest rate charge
Scholarships
Below are a variety of scholarships databases including our Beyond CV Scholarship Database which includes local and national scholarships.
Federal and State Aid
FAFSA, the free federal financial aid form is required by most colleges if you are applying for scholarships and/or financial aid. Gather supporting documents and information prior to filing the form in October of your senior year.
- Form must be filled out electronically at www.fafsa.gov
- Both the student and parent will each need a PIN for login. Apply for the PIN at https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa/filling-out/fsaid
- For a list of Frequently Asked Questions about FAFSA visit the Federal Student Aid page
- FAFSA questions answered here.
ORSAA is for Oregon students that are undocumented including those with DACA or TPS status. The application opens up every year in October. For more information on whether a student would be eligible to fill out the ORSAA go the Office of Student Access and Completion page.
The Office of Student Access and Completion (OSAC) is a state program that helps Oregon students plan and pay for college. You can go their website to have access to one scholarship application that will allow you to apply to multiple scholarships. The application open up every year on November 1 with an early bird deadline of February 15 and a final deadline of March 1.
- Learn more at www.oregonstudentaid.gov
Oregon Promise Grant
Oregon Promise is a state grant program that helps to cover most tuition costs at any Oregon community college for recent high school graduates and GED® recipients. Oregon Promise award amounts for are available in the OSAC Student Portal.
Students applying for this grant must meet all of the following criteria:
- Complete an Oregon Promise Grant Application by the appropriate deadline. Find your deadline by going to the OSAC website
- Be a recent Oregon high school graduate or GED recipient
- Document a 2.5 cumulative high school GPA or higher; or a GED score of 145 or higher on each test
- Plan to attend at least half-time at an Oregon community college within 6 months of high school graduation or GED completion
- Be an Oregon resident for at least 12 months prior to attendance
- File a FAFSA or ORSAA application and list at least one Oregon community college
- Must not have more than 90 college credits completed or attempted
- Students may be subject to eligibility criteria based on their Expected Family Contribution (EFC). For 2018-2019 there is no EFC limit.
For more information on the Oregon Promise Grant go to the Office of Student Access and Completion website.
Institutional Aid
Check with the school you plan to attend at the school’s website or catalog for scholarships/financial aid opportunities. Check under Financial Aid and/or academic departments. This is where students typically can earn the most scholarship dollars!
Financial Aid Resources
The U.S Department of Education has a variety of resources about college preparation and federal student aid programs that can be printed through their Federal Student Aid website. Below are the topics they cover:
- Information on College Preparation and the Federal Student Aid Programs
- Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Information
- Loan Information
- Consumer Protection and Financial Literacy
