Financial Aid and Scholarships

Grants for college are a form of financial aid that does not usually get repaid. They are typically need-based and can cover a variety of education-related expenses, such as tuition and fees, room and board, and books and supplies. There are grants available from the federal and state government and university-based grants.

After you have been admitted to Oregon State and have submitted your FAFSA, you will be notified if you qualify for any federal or state grants. Additionally, OSU offers the following university-based grants:

Need-based grant: This limited, need-based grant is awarded by OSU’s Office of Financial Aid to eligible Ecampus students who completed the FAFSA application.

Financial Hardship Grant: Oregon State Ecampus offers a grant to online degree-seeking students who are experiencing unforeseen financial difficulty that interferes with their academic progress. Learn more about Ecampus Financial Hardship Grant eligibility and application guidelines.

Ecampus Military Grant: Ecampus provides financial assistance to active duty military members who entered the service while they were residents of Oregon and are using military tuition assistance to help pay for their online classes. Read more about eligibility requirements.

Scholarship funds do not need to be repaid and are awarded based on factors such as academic merit, life experiences, involvement in certain activities or financial need. The awards may require that the recipient meet certain requirements while receiving the support, such as maintaining a minimum grade point average or engaging in a certain activity.

ScholarDollars is Oregon State’s online scholarship system. It’s your one-stop shop to search and apply for nearly 2,000 scholarship opportunities available only to OSU students. Almost $10 million in scholarship funding is awarded each year. Students submit just one application to be considered automatically for all scholarships they meet the criteria for.

A few tips:

• Complete your ScholarDollars application between Nov. 1–Feb. 1 to maximize scholarship opportunities.
• Update your application anytime to enhance your chances. Did your GPA increase this year? Update that application. Did your income change? Update that application.
• Check with your academic advisor for scholarships that might be available through your college.
• ScholarDollars allows you to search a database of external scholarships too.

A student loan is a form of financial aid that must be repaid. It may be borrowed from the federal government or a private lender to help pay for costs such as tuition, supplies, books and living expenses. To qualify for federal student loans, you must submit the FAFSA.

A few tips:

• You must be enrolled in at least 6 credits as an undergraduate student or 5 credits as a graduate student or certificate-seeking student to qualify for federal student loans.
• Be aware of borrowing limits.
• You must meet the federal eligibility requirements in order to continue to qualify for student loans.

VA education benefits

Oregon State honors many of the VA education benefits available to active duty military service members, veterans, spouses and dependents. To maximize your benefits, we recommend that you contact OSU's veteran certifying officials at veterans@oregonstate.edu or visit the university’s military and veteran resources website for more information.

Ecampus military grant

Ecampus provides financial assistance to active duty military members who entered the service while they were residents of Oregon and are using military tuition assistance to help pay for their online classes. Read more about eligibility requirements.