Not only is Oregon home to beautiful waterfalls, mountains, and beaches—it’s got plenty of eye catching scholarships as well. Oregon is also unique in that it offers the OSAC, a single application for more than 600 scholarships (due the first day of March each year). Definitely check that out, as well as the additional Oregon scholarships below to help finance the cost of your college degree!
How to win Oregon scholarships
Oregon is a very diverse state, ranging from snow capped mountains to desert terrain to a lush coastline to its booming metropolitan areas. It’s a fact that Oregon has something for everyone! So, in order to win Oregon scholarships, you should connect these distinctive features of Oregon to your own unique qualities.
For example, perhaps you have taken an interest in veterinary medicine due to growing up next to a horse farm in the Oregon farmlands. Maybe visiting the ocean has led you to want to focus on marine biology. Or perhaps spending the day in Portland made you want to become an entrepreneur. Whatever your interest, it is important that you are connecting back to Oregon as a way to help you achieve your goals.
By embracing your passions and connecting back to Oregon as the root of your career goals, you can make an extremely compelling case for why you deserve to win an Oregon scholarship.
Writing resources for writing Oregon scholarship essays
Winning Oregon scholarships may require you to write an essay about yourself. Therefore, read over our Scholarships360 ultimate guide to finding and winning scholarships and our overview of common scholarship essay prompts to help ensure you are prepared to win Oregon scholarships! Everything you need is at your fingertips with Scholarships360 from guides on how to start a scholarship essay to how to write a 500 word essay. Best of luck!
Oregon student debt snapshot
According to the Department of Education, in total, Oregon residents owe $20.1 billion in federal student loan debt. Student borrowers owe an average of $37,017 each (those numbers do not include private loans). Around 47.0% of loan borrowers are under the age of 35. As you are starting your higher education journey, remember that scholarships allow students to take fewer loans. Make sure that you apply to as many scholarships as you qualify for!
Keep on reading to learn more about merit scholarships at Oregon universities as well as top Oregon scholarships!
Merit scholarships at Oregon colleges and universities
University of Oregon
- Eligibility: Incoming freshmen with a strong application of academic accomplishments
- Amount: Varies
- Deadline: Admission to the University of Oregon
Oregon State University
- Eligibility: Newly admitted freshmen based on high school grades, rigor of coursework, class rank, information provided in application and essay prompt response
- Amount: $3,000 up to $10,000
- Deadline: Admission to Oregon State University
Lewis & Clark College
- Eligibility: Top entering first-year students based on academic program and performance
- Amount: Varies
- Deadline: Admission to Lewis & Clark College
University of Portland
- Eligibility: Freshmen with a qualifying GPA and qualifying standardized test scores
- Amount: Varies
- Deadline: Admission to the University of Portland
Willamette University
- Eligibility: All students who apply for admission with strong academic achievement based on cumulative GPA, SAT and ACT scores and course selection
- Amount: Starting at $22,000
- Deadline: Admission to the Willamette University
Oregon Tech
- Eligibility: Incoming freshmen who meet a variety of eligibility requirements based on the particular scholarship
- Amount: Varies
- Deadline: March 1
Southern Oregon University
- Eligibility: First year students based on GPA
- Amount: Varies
- Deadline: September 1
Consider in-state tuition and tuition reciprocity
In-state tuition allows residents of a state to receive cheaper tuition for a college or university in their state. Additionally, many universities and colleges reserve scholarships and financial aid for in-state students, which helps reduce the cost of attending college for those who live there.
Here are a few well-known Oregon universities and their in-state vs out-of-state tuition costs:
- In-state tuition: $15,669
- Out-of-state tuition: $43,302
- In-state tuition: $13,791
- Out-of-state tuition: $36,567
How do you get in-state tuition?
Having an Oregon residency status dramatically reduces the cost of tuition for Oregon institutions. In order to become an Oregon resident for tuition purposes, you will need to live in Oregon for 12 consecutive months while taking eight credits or fewer per term while demonstrating that you are in the state for a primary purpose other than education. Some examples of how to do this include working or volunteering. Additionally, you will need to establish a domicile which includes obtaining an Oregon driver’s license, an Oregon car registration, paying taxes to Oregon, etc. Be sure to double check with your intended Oregon institution on their residency requirements as it may differ from institution to institution.
Does Oregon offer tuition reciprocity?
Oregon is a member of the Western Undergraduate Exchange, which is a tuition reciprocity program between Western states.
Oregon State University offers a WUE scholarship which means that select students from WUE states will receive a tuition discount that reduces the cost of their base tuition to no more than 150% of base tuition for resident students. However, this scholarship is extremely competitive and not automatically awarded. Only about 30% of WUE state students are offered this scholarship.
Oregon scholarship spotlight
OSAC Scholarships
- Eligibility: Current and future Oregon students who can apply for multiple scholarships at one time
- Amount: Varies
- Deadline: Varies
Reach Your Peak Scholarship
- Eligibility: Oregon high school juniors and seniors
- Amount: $1,000
- Deadline: End of November
Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber Scholarship
- Eligibility: Students of Hispanic ancestry with a 3.0+ GPA
- Amount: Varies
- Deadline: End of January
Al Forthan Memorial Scholarship
- Eligibility: An Oregon high school senior who has experienced addiction or who has been raised by a parent or guardian who has experienced addiction
- Amount: $10,000
- Deadline: February 1
Renaissance Foundation Scholarship
- Eligibility: Students who are first in their family to attend college, with demonstrated financial need and a minimum 3.0 GPA
- Amount: $16,000
- Deadline: February 1
Grieg Lodge Scholarship
- Eligibility: Students from Multnomah, Clackamas, Columbia, Washington, or Yamhill counties, with relations to Nordic countries
- Amount: $2,000 up to $4,000
- Deadline: Mid-February
Black United Fund of Oregon Scholarship
- Eligibility: Students who identify as Black that represent the student community served
- Amount: Varies depending on school
- Deadline: Varies
Ford Family Foundation Scholarships
- Eligibility: High school seniors from Oregon or Siskiyou County, California that have faced significant barriers such as financial hardship to attend college
- Amount: Up to $40,000 per year
- Deadline: March 1
Harrington Family Foundation Scholarship
- Eligibility: Oregon students who act as leaders in their communities and plan to attend an Oregon higher education institution
- Amount: $20,000
- Deadline: Mid-March
Incight Scholarship
- Eligibility: Washington, Oregon or California residents with documented ADA defined disability
- Amount: Varies
- Deadline: Mid-April
Celebrate The West Art Awards
- Eligibility: Students submit an original two-dimensional artwork inspired by their state
- Amount: $1,500, $750, and $500
- Deadline: End of April
OSAA Athlete Award
- Eligibility: Graduating seniors who have earned a varsity letter and have a 3.5+ unweighted GPA
- Amount: $1,000 up to $5,000
- Deadline: End of May
Act Six
- Eligibility: Students who live in Portland or Salem area
- Amount: Full ride to select local schools
- Deadline: Varies
Pride Foundation Scholarships
- Eligibility: Students who identify as LGBTQ+ and have faced systemic barriers to educational access
- Amount: Varies
- Deadline: Varies
Additional Oregon resources
OSAC Scholarships
A great website for Oregon students to visit in order to easily apply for multiple scholarships at one time. In addition, the OSAC website contains helpful resources and information regarding all things college including the FAFSA. Be sure to bookmark this website and submit the OSAC scholarship application!
FAFSA Guide
Remember, the FAFSA opens up in October and the sooner you complete it, the better. The FAFSA deadline in Oregon is March 1st of each year. If you are looking for step-by-step guidance on the FAFSA, you can check out our FAFSA guide for assistance.
Frequently asked questions about Oregon scholarships
What are OSAC scholarships?
What scholarships does Oregon State offer?
How do I find Oregon scholarships?
Does Oregon offer free college?
Do I need to be an Oregon resident to receive Oregon scholarships?
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