Financial Aid and Scholarships

To learn about local scholarship opportunities, visit the Hood River County Education Foundation website. 

Oregon Student Aid

Current or future Oregon students can apply for grants and scholarships, get help completing financial aid applications, and learn how to prepare for college, training, and careers. The HECC Office of Student Access and Completion administers financial aid and college and career access programs for Oregon.

State (OSAC) Scholarships

The OSAC Scholarship Application gives current and future Oregon students one easy application to apply for multiple scholarships at once. OSAC awards more than $10 million in scholarships annually through more than 600 scholarships.

Oregon Student Grants

The state of Oregon offers several grants for college that generally do not have to be paid back. These funds come from the federal and/or state government. For many grants, eligibility is based on your own and/or your family's financial need, which is determined by submitting the FAFSA or ORSAA as soon as possible after the application opens each year. The 2026-27 FAFSA and ORSAA are both open as of October 1. Some grants consider additional factors. Most grants have their own application and deadlines.

Oregon Promise

The Oregon Promise is a state grant that helps cover tuition costs at any Oregon community college for recent high school graduates and GED test graduates. Students must apply during their senior year or immediately after completing the GED test.

• Oregon Goes to College
• Questbridge
• Ford Family Foundation Scholarships
• The Gates Scholarship
• Elks Most Valuable Student
• Scholarships for HBCUs, HSIs, and minorities
• Immigrant's Rising Scholarship and Fellowship List

WUE provides students with greater access to college with reduced tuition rates at participating schools.

Going to college out of state may mean paying up to three times as much as attending a school or university in your home state/territory. The Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) was established in 1987 to make college more affordable and accessible to students in the West.  

Through WUE, students from the WICHE region can choose from hundreds of undergraduate programs across the West and pay no more than 150% of the institution’s resident tuition rate.

Today, more than 170 public colleges and universities offer reduced tuition rates through WUE to qualifying students. Participating schools offer these discounted rates to help students avoid the full cost of pursuing higher education outside their home state and minimize the impact of student loan debt.

Visit this WUE savings finder webpage.

Many universities have generous grant and scholarship programs. Some are automatically applied based on the admission application, while others require a separate application. Check individual college and university websites for specific details and deadlines.

Scholarships offered by organizations, businesses, private citizens, and more. These scholarships can have a wide range of criteria, requirements, and value. Students should apply for as many private scholarships as possible throughout high school and during college.