Deadlines approaching to apply for millions in scholarships

SOU students seeking private and state-funded scholarships for the 2020-21 academic year must apply by March 2 with Oregon’s Office of Student Access and Completion (OSAC). Students who fill out the application at OregonStudentAid.gov may be awarded from a yearly pool of over $112 million.

There is no cost to apply for as many as 40 of the 600 privately-funded scholarships available at OSAC – though most require the applying student to be an Oregon resident. The Office of Student Access and Completion is part of Oregon’s Higher Education Coordinating Commission.

Applying requires the completion of either the 2020-21 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or Oregon Student Aid Application (ORSAA), which is used in determining eligibility for the Oregon Promise, the Oregon Opportunity Grant and numerous scholarships.

SOU students may also apply for need- and merit-based scholarships through the Southern Online Scholarship Application (SOSA). The deadline for the SOSA is March 15.

For more information on OSAC, SOSA, and other financial aid options, SOU students may contact SOU’s Financial Aid Office in the Stevenson Union, or through the university’s financial aid website.

Story by Blair Selph, SOU Marketing and Communications student writer