Funding Your Education

Money is available for every level of education after high school. But you have to find and apply for it. More info is here. Here are the basic types:

Federal Financial Aid: federal student loans have to be paid back. But federal grants don't, and work-study jobs are paid part-time work at your school. The Financial Aid Office at your school can help you apply for federal aid (FAFSA). Use their help! Never pay to apply for federal financial aid: FAFSA is free.

State aid (scholarships and grants). Find scholarships/grants for your state here. Your state of residency for tuition purposes is usually where you live, but check with the school before you move somewhere to go a school with different costs for in-state and out-of-state residents. The rules are different for each state.

Scholarships from non-profit organizations that support access to education. They often offer networking and mentoring support as well. Some resources (such as scholarship finders) are open to all. Examples: Ford Foundation (Ford Family Foundation for undergrads in OR and CA, Ford Foundation Fellowships for grad students anywhere); Dream.us (undocumented students): APIA Scholars (Asian and Pacific Islanders); Point Foundation (LGBTQ); Hispanic Scholarship Fund; Great Minds in STEM Scholarships.

Government organizations that fund research have programs that pay students (often very well) to do research. There are different opportunities at each level of your education. Some pay you wherever you go to school. For others, you'd go to specific sites (travel is usually paid). Key organizations: the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine.

Resource websites don't give you money, they help you find it; non-profit ones are projects to improve access to education. This site is an example. They have more resources than regular scholarship search sites. Key ones to know: Pathways to Science (from the National Science Foundation); BigFuture (from the College Board); CareerOneStop (U.S. dept. of Labor). If you use commercial scholarship search sites, reliable ones include Fastweb! and Scholarships.com. A list of good options is here. Never pay for a scholarship search; they should be free.

Talk to support programs you are eligible for (such as TRiO or LSAMP), and the school(s) you attend or want to attend. Every accredited nonprofit university has some money for students (you should go to an accredited nonprofit college or university). Some programs at the university have their own scholarships, or paid teaching or research assistantships. But applying to the school or graduate program may not automatically apply you all the funding it offers. Search "scholarships" and "assistantships" on the university's website, or contact Admissions at the university, tell them the degree program you are applying to (BS, BSW, MPH, PhD, etc.), and ask what university scholarships or departmental funding you can apply for.

These are some of the key scholarships that EXITO scholars typically seek each year.  Both Portland State and OSAC have portals that allow you apply for multiple scholarships at once.

Overwhelmed where to start?  Start with OSAC (Oregon residents) or PSU scholarships.

Need additional support?  

Reach out to the Financial Aid office at your college or university for help with the FAFSA form you need to file to get federal financial aid, and for support understanding and applying for student loans and grants. If you are or have been legally male, you usually have to register with Selective Service or fill out an exemption form (Status Information Letter) to get FAFSA aid. (Info for trust territory residents, non-U.S. citizens, trans folks, disabilities).

Reach out to the Financial Wellness office for support on making budgets, figuring out how much money you need, and where you can save money. 

Most states and most universities have a single application you can use to apply to many or all of the scholarships they offer. Find these links as soon as you can. The Financial Aid Office should know them. For instance, the state scholarship link for Oregon state residents is OSAC, and the university link for Portland State University students is PSU Scholarships. If you are applying to graduate or professional school, check the program webpage and the institution's webpage for scholarship information when you apply--there are often scholarships available, but often you have to apply for them separately.

Reach out to mentors and advisors in your field of interest, student support staff, and cultural resource centers at your college or university to find out about scholarships and paid opportunities for people with your interests  and in the groups you identify with (i.e. Latinx, Asian, Pacific Islander, LGBT, Black chemists and chemical engineers...there are specific resources available for many fields, identities, and communities!) 

Reach out to peers and near-peers at your college or university to find out about opportunities and resources there, and ways to save money locally on rent, utility bills, and other costs. Search Rose City Resource for the Oregon/SW Washington area, and call 211 or go to 211.org (in English and en Espanol) anywhere in the U.S. to find ways to save $ and get support.