Oregon Promise

Oregon Promise was created to offer financial help to every Oregon graduating high school student who meets the minimum requirements and wishes to attend a 2-year community college in Oregon. The concept is to make higher education accessible to all Oregon students. The program is administered by the Office of Student Access and Completion (OSAC).

Oregon Promise Intro VIDEO (1:40 minutes)

Requirements:

GPA 2.5 or higher;

Oregon resident for the past 12 months;

A recent graduate: must attend college within 6 months of completing high school.

Award Amounts:

Tuition costs up to $3,687 after the student has applied any Pell Grant and Oregon Opportunity Grant that is awarded.

What Oregon Promise covers:

Up to 12 credits in the fall, winter, and spring quarters; no coverage for summer classes;

Must be enrolled for at least 6 credits

Must maintain satisfactory GPA based on individual community college standards.

Funds up to 90 credits attempted. Click Here for a VIDEO on the 90-credit limit

Covers tuition only

Student expenses after Oregon Promise Grant is applied:

$50 copay

Room and Board

Books

Incidental fees

Any amount that the student's college charges above 'average' tuition

How to apply:

Complete the FAFSA (or ORSAA for undocumented students) and list at least one Oregon community college

Create an account in the OSAC Student Portal

Complete the Oregon Promise application in the OSAC Student Portal by the deadline.

Verify your GPA or GED score by following instructions in the OSAC Student Portal.

Deadlines

For the Fall 2017 term, you must complete your Oregon Promise application by July 3 at 5 PM. Click here to see all deadlines.

Changes for 2017-18 (from OSAC website)

The major change is that the Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC) now has the authority to establish certain cost controls for Oregon Promise, when necessary. Due to the limited funding available for 2017-19, the HECC will limit eligibility for the Oregon Promise Grant to new applicants who meet certain income-related criteria. This change will not impact continuing students who started in the Oregon Promise program in 2016-17. The HECC has established criteria for this new process in administrative rule.

Another important change is that certain students may be eligible for a waiver of the 6-month enrollment requirement for Oregon Promise, including students who experience significant hardship, students who enter into service with certain career and technical student organizations relating to farming, and certain new Oregon National Guard recruits. More information about these opportunities will be available soon.

Each year, the HECC will look at the funds available and determine if and where to establish an eligibility limit for each new group of applicants, based on their Expected Family Contribution. The HECC may decide to adjust or eliminate the EFC limit future years, if sufficient funds are available.

Available Funding

The State has invested a total of $40 million in the Oregon Promise Grant for 2017-19. The $40M investment allows Oregon to extend grants for 2016-17 awardees and add grants for eligible new students who will enter community college in the next two years. This will help to cover the cost of providing the grant to eligible Oregon students, but the funding falls approximately $8 million short of the projected cost to fully fund Oregon Promise in 2017-19.

Eligibility

In order to be eligible to participate in Oregon Promise, a student must meet the application requirements, including:

· Complete an Oregon Promise Grant Application by the appropriate deadline.

· File a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)* or Oregon Student Aid Application (ORSAA) and list at least one Oregon community college.

· Be a recent Oregon high school graduate or GED recipient.

· Have a 2.5 cumulative high school GPA or higher.

· Be an Oregon resident for at least 12 months prior to college attendance.

· Have no more than 90 college credits completed or attempted.

· Beginning with Fall 2017 applicants, students may be subject to eligibility criteria based on their Expected Family Contribution (EFC).

* Some students may be selected to verify information on their FAFSA. If a student has been selected for verification and they have questions, they should contact their college’s financial aid office. Students must complete verification before they can receive their Oregon Promise award.

Maintain eligibility by:

· Maintaining at least half-time continuous enrollment (i.e. 6 or more credits) during fall, winter, and spring terms each year. Oregon Promise does not include summer term and only covers up to 12 credits per term and a maximum of 90 credits attempted.

· Accepting all state and federal grant aid offered through the community college financial aid office.

· Completing a First-Year Experience as directed by the community college where the student attends. The First-Year Experience will vary depending on the college. If students have questions they should contact their college financial aid office.

Award Amount

For full-time students, awards range from $1,000 to $3,540 per year (in 2017-18). Your Oregon Promise award amount depends on your remaining financial need after you receive other state and federal grants. A $50 co-pay is automatically deducted from the award each term.

These factors determine your Oregon Promise award amount:

1. Federal Pell Grant and Oregon Opportunity Grant Award Amounts - Oregon Promise covers your remaining tuition amount (up to the average cost of 12 credits per term) after any Federal Pell Grant and Oregon Opportunity Grant funds have been applied.

2. Number of Credits Taken - You must enroll in at least 6 credits per term to receive Oregon Promise. Oregon Promise covers up to 12 credits per term. Students are financially responsible for paying for any additional credits above 12. Oregon Promise award amounts are based on standard enrollment ranges.

3. Tuition at Your Community College - Oregon Promise will cover up to the average tuition charged by an Oregon community college ($3,540 in 2017-18). Some community colleges have a higher or lower tuition cost than this average. If the tuition cost is above the average, the student is responsible for the difference. If the tuition cost is below this average, Oregon Promise pays up to that college’s actual tuition cost.

4. $50 Co-Pay - A co-pay of $50 per term is automatically deducted from your Oregon Promise award amount.

5. 90 Credit Limit – Once you have attempted a total of 90 college credits, you are no longer eligible to receive Oregon Promise. If you are close to the 90 credit limit (81 or more total credits), then your award amount may be reduced during your final term of Oregon Promise eligibility. Learn more about what the 90 credit limit includes.