Update on OSAC programs

Despite starting the 2024 year off with the much-maligned FAFSA Simplification Rollout that was full of delays and glitches, Oregon and OSAC have overcome many of the hurdles to wrap up the year with many successful stories.

1. The 2024-25 FAFSA filing rates for Oregon met and surpassed the prior year FAFSA filing rates.
2. Many publicly funded grants administered by OSAC saw a higher number of applicants applying for and going to college.
   • The Oregon Opportunity Grant (OOG) saw more students attending college in Fall 2024 compared to the prior year. Oregon community colleges had a significant increase in OOG recipients with more community college students choosing to attend fulltime, compared to the prior year.
   • The Oregon Promise Grant (OPG) saw the applicant rate bounce back to pre-pandemic levels for Class of 2024. While the high volume of applicants required a final SAI cap of 25,000, a higher rate of students attended community college this fall compared to the prior year.
   • Both the Oregon National Guard State Tuition Assistance (ONGSTA) program and the Oregon Tribal Student Grant (OTSG) saw record numbers of applicants and eligible students attending college this fall.
   • Lastly, the Oregon Student Child Care Grant saw an infusion of additional money from GEER funds over the past three academic years and has been able to increase the number of student parents receiving assistance paying for child care. There was also an increase in applicants for the program.
   • Additional GEER funds allowed OSAC to pilot a retention and completion grant to assist students who needed additional funds to stay in college or complete their degree.
3. While more students attending college or university is a wonderful outcome, some programs are also on track to potentially spend beyond their allocated budget. OSAC will be requesting additional funds from the Oregon legislature for OOG, OPG, ONGSTA, and OTSG to avoid severe cost controls for the 2024-25 aid year. Prior to the start of the Fall 2024, OSAC previously implemented some cost controls to curb spending such as implementing a SAI cap at 25,000 for OPG and an August 1 filing date cutoff for OOG, but even those were not enough with the increased rate of students attending college and university this fall. It’s great to see more and more Oregonians attending a higher education institution in the state of Oregon and attending at fulltime more often than not.

Apply now!

This grant program helps parents who are enrolled in an Oregon postsecondary institution afford safe, dependable care while allowing them to pursue their undergraduate degree. Applications are due by June 2 and will be reviewed throughout the summer. Interested parents should visit https://oregonstudentaid.gov/grants/oregon-student-child-care-grant/ for more information. 

Transcript Tips

Happy New Year! It’s now time to provide transcripts for the OSAC Scholarship Application. Whether you are supporting applicants or uploading transcripts on behalf of high school seniors, learn how to avoid major pitfalls in the application process. 

High School Seniors – Class of 2025

We highly recommend that high school seniors select the option for their high school registrar to provide their transcript. If the student does not see that option available for their high school transcript (in Section 3 of the OSAC Application), then there is no active Partner Portal user at their school with the correct permissions. The student can talk to their high school registrar and ask them to request a new account or reactivate an existing account:

For any high school registrars that do not currently use the OSAC Partner Portal to upload transcripts, please sign up by contacting PartnerPortalSupport@hecc.oregon.gov.

If the high school registrar already has a Partner Portal account, they can log in to make sure their account is active. There may be students waiting on your high school’s list.  Registrars should start uploading transcripts once first trimester, first semester or second quarter grades are available. If you have login issues or need to reactivate your account, contact PartnerPortalSupport@hecc.oregon.gov.

College Students

Students: Log in to the OSAC Student Portal to provide transcripts in the OSAC Scholarship Application.

• Are their college Fall 2024 grades available yet? If yes, then it’s time for the student to upload their transcript! (If they did NOT attend college in the fall, the transcript must include grades through the most recent completed term.)
• Official or unofficial? Either one is fine. The transcript must include the student’s full name, school name, and all completed coursework.
• Did they attend more than one school or transfer? The student must submit a transcript for each college they have attended in the last 10 years and/or since they graduated from high school or obtained their GED.
• Did the student change their name? The name on their transcript(s) must match their Profile in the OSAC Student Portal account. They should include previous names in their application materials. The student can update the “Basic Information” section in their Profile at any time.
• Learn more about transcripts: Transcripts | Oregon Student Aid

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