Oregon College Savings Plan Announces Multiyear Scholarship for Underrepresented and Diverse Students up to $25,000

 The Oregon College Savings Plan announces the opening of the Diversity in Leadership Scholarship for underrepresented and diverse Oregon high school graduates pursuing higher education in the state. Awards may be used to attend a range of Oregon institutions, including apprenticeships, trade schools, community colleges, colleges or universities. Applications opened Sunday, November 1, 2020 with a deadline of Monday, March 1, 2021, for the following academic year.

The scholarship is being administered through the Oregon Community Foundation’s (OCF) scholarship program—one of the largest of its kind in the country. There will be two new recipients each year, with awardees receiving $10,000 for their freshman year and $5,000 for each of the next three years of full-time enrollment, or until completion of degree (whichever comes earlier). When fully rolled out, the program is anticipated to fund $50,000 in scholarships each year to a class of eight students.

“In a time of economic stress and inequity, Treasury’s ‘Diversity in Leadership Scholarship’ acknowledges the need for higher education to be more accessible and inclusive to all,” said Oregon State Treasurer Tobias Read. “We see this scholarship as a vital investment in Oregon’s future, making it easier for students typically underrepresented in higher education institutions to pursue their dreams.”

“This scholarship allows the Oregon College Savings Plan to advance our commitment to sparking change and encouraging diversity,” said Michael Parker, Executive Director for the Oregon Treasury Savings Network. “As more graduating seniors are considering staying closer to home because of stretched financial resources and COVID, we want to remove financial obstacles for regional students from all backgrounds, and increase access to a quality and affordable education right here in Oregon.”

Students that meet eligibility criteria will be given the opportunity to share their personal statements and background during the application process. Additionally, scholarship recipients interested in a career in public policy, public finance, or a related field will be offered an interview for Oregon State Treasury’s Straub Fellowship during their junior and senior years.

To apply for the scholarship or to find more information, please visit OCF’s website:  https://oregoncf.org/grants-and-scholarships/scholarships/

The scholarship announcement follows the launch of another Oregon College Savings Plan collaboration, the Oregon Scholars program. This first-of-its-kind partnership allows undergraduate students to double the impact of their college savings with a dollar-for-dollar match at participating schools.

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The Oregon College Savings Plan is a state-sponsored savings program that comes with special tax advantages and can be opened by just about anyone—parents, family, friends, even future students. The money saved in the Oregon College Savings Plan grows tax-free and can be used for qualified expenses at any accredited, post-secondary institution or trade school. To learn more and to open an account, please visit www.oregoncollegesavings.com or call 866-772-8464.

The Oregon Treasury Savings Network, part of the Oregon State Treasury, was launched in January 2001 to administer the Oregon College Savings Plan. It has since expanded to administer the Oregon ABLE Savings Plan and national ABLE for ALL Savings Plan, and the first state-run retirement program, OregonSaves.