Fewer UO students receiving opportunity grant
■ Budget cuts left several
students without Oregon
Opportunity Grants in their
2002-03 financial aid offers
by Katie Ellis
for the Emerald
Because of a decrease in state
funding, a large number of Ore
gon students did not receive the
Oregon Opportunity Grant in
their 2002-03 financial aid pack
age.
The Oregon Opportunity Grant
was created in 1971 to give low
income students access to higher
education. At its inception, the
grant was designed to cover tu
ition, books and additional costs.
According to the Oregon Stu
dents Association, the grant is
currently covering less than 11
percent of annual educational
costs for the eligible students
who receive it. It is estimated that
nearly 10,000 students were
turned away in 2001-02.
Director of Student Financial
Aid Elizabeth Bickford said the
grant provided students with
$1,254 for the 2001-02 school
year. The amount of money stu
dents receive from the grant usu
ally increases every year but for
the first time in at least 20 years
the grant did not increase, she
said.
With a rising number of stu
dents attending Oregon schools,
the number of students receiving
assistance from the grant de
creased. Some students who re
ceived the grant for 2001-02 year
did not receive it for next year.
Bickford said most of the stu
dents who turned in the complet
ed financial aid application form
by mid-March received the grant,
but many students who applied
later were not as fortunate.
Whether the grant will increase
for the 2003-04 school year largely
depends on the economy and the
state’s budget. However, Bickford
advises students who will be ap
plying for 2003-04 school year to
submit their applications early.
Katie Ellis is a freelance
reporter for the Emerald.
Students who take time off have options for housing contracts
■ Many property managers
lease on a nine-month basis,
but with some planning,
students can leave penalty-free
By Diane Huber
for the Emerald
Students planning to study
abroad, intern or move away from
Eugene for a term next year may
have difficulty finding a place to
live during the terms they are here.
Most property managers lease
their apartments and houses near
campus — meaning students sign a
nine-month contract. If the renter
breaks the contract, he or she usual
ly must continue paying rent until
June or until the unit is filled.
“Some owners are concerned that
if a tenant moves out in April, they
will not be able to re-rent until Sep
tember,” Chinook Properties owner
Greg Young said.
For that reason, most property
nanagers are hesitant to rent
Diaces month-to-month to stu
ients, he said.
If students want to begin their
lomework now, here are a few op
ions for finding a place to live.
Regress to residence halls
Students may have already grad
lated from residence hall life, but
t’s never too late to go back. Resi
dence halls are surprisingly flexible
n terms of how long students need
:o stay, as long as students have an
‘educational reason” for breaking
:heir three-term contract, Associate
Director of Residence Life Sheri
Donahoe said.
“The residence hall contract is
For the nine-month University cal
3ndar. But if they have an educa
tional reason, we release students
af their contract,” she said.
Students must provide Univer
sity Housing with verification of
the program they are involved in,
and they are free of their contract.
But the process is already under
way for next year’s living assign
ments, so Donahoe advises students
to apply soon.
For more information, see
http://housing.uoregon.edu/.
Consider Family Housing
University Family Housing of
fers several options for low-cost
apartments with a month-to
month contract, including West
moreland and Spencer View apart
ments. The only requirement is
that tenants must be enrolled stu
dents over 21, though applicants
with children are considered first,
Donahoe said.
She said getting a space in the
one-, two- and three-bedroom apart
ments can be competitive.
“It depends on who’s coming to
school that term,” she said. “Every
term is different.”
It s best to apply now for next
year, she said, and applicants will
then be put on a waiting list until
space opens up.
For more information, see
http://housing.uoregon.edu/.
Prepare to dial
Nick Reich, office assistant at the
University’s Rental Information Of
fice, recommends calling around to
different property managers to see if
they have any month-to-month con
tracts. He said most landlords and
property managers require students
to sign a nine-month lease, but there
are a few exceptions.
“It’s just a matter of finding them,”
Reich said.
And the farther away from cam
pus, the more housing options.
“If you’re willing to commute, you
have a much better chance,” he said.
Reich also suggests checking the
paper for listings. Students do break
their leases, especially later in the
year, and landlords are eager to fill
those spots. There are also always
listings of people looking for a room
mate to fill a space in their house.
Be creative
Some students plan ahead so they
have someone to take their room if
they know they’ll be moving. Others
play it by ear. Bryan Ellis returned
from studying abroad after fall term
and drove around town until he
found a house with a month-to
month sign in the window.
Mike Rozak returned from study
ing in Russia in December. He found
his link to his new living arrange
ment at New Max’s Tavern.
“I was quaffing Pabst and chatting
with those around me, and an unlike
ly conversation with a woman led to
her providing me with the phone
number of her ex-boyfriend, who was
looking for a roommate,” he said.
Diane Huber is a freelance
reporter for the Emerald.
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