August 9, 2017
Page 5
Yes, You can Afford College Terence Keller
Cascade
Connections
by Dr. Karin Edwards
When someone from an under-
represented background is consid-
ering whether to attend college, a
number of factors come to bear on
that decision. Am I prepared for
college? Are there people like me?
Will I feel welcomed and support-
ed? Will I have enough time to
focus on my studies? Can I bal-
ance college with all of my other
responsibilities?
And, most importantly, can I
afford it?
Fortunately for us here in Ore-
gon, we have taken steps to ensure
that the answer to that last ques-
tion is “yes.” When Gov. Kate
Brown signed the Oregon Prom-
ise into law in 2015, it effectively
removed cost as a barrier to entry
into higher education. Any stu-
dent who qualifies for the Oregon
Promise can attend most in-state
community colleges tuition-free.
Unfortunately, though, too few
students of color are taking advan-
tage of this promise.
Of the more than 7,000 Or-
egonians who received Oregon
Promise funds for the 2016-17
academic year, only 88 were Af-
rican American (1.3 percent of the
total); 68 were of Native Ameri-
can descent (1.0 percent); and 277
were Asian American (3.9 per-
cent). All three of these groups are
represented in Oregon Promise
in smaller proportions than in the
general population. In fact, among
all communities of color, only
Hispanics and self-identified mul-
tiracial people participated in the
program at rates surpassing their
portion of the general population.
For a program designed spe-
cifically to help people from dis-
advantaged populations, this is a
problem.
There are likely a host of rea-
sons why more people of color
aren’t taking advantage of this op-
portunity – too many for me to ad-
dress in this column. But whatever
the reason, the answer is the same:
If you qualify for the program,
sign up, get registered for classes,
and start your journey into higher
education. It’s that simple.
Now, you may have heard that
the state Legislature wasn’t able
to fully fund the Oregon Promise
during the recent legislative ses-
sion – and that’s true. The likely
result will be that program grants
won’t be available to students
from wealthier families, but for
most students from traditionally
underrepresented backgrounds,
that won’t be a problem.
You’re eligible for the Oregon
Promise if you meet the following
criteria:
• Be a recent Oregon high
school graduate or GED recipient
• Document a 2.5 cumulative
high school GPA or higher; or a
GED score of 145 or higher on
each test
• Plan to attend at least half-
time at an Oregon community
college within 6 months of high
school graduation or GED com-
pletion
• Be an Oregon resident for
at least 12 months prior to atten-
dance
• File a FAFSA or ORSAA ap-
plication and list at least one Ore-
gon community college
• Have no more than 90 college
credits completed or attempted
Taking part in Oregon Prom-
ise is simple. But it’s one thing
to discuss attending college in
the abstract, and quite another to
connect college – and the Oregon
Promise -- with a gainful career.
Take Portland Community Col-
lege’s Welding Technology Pro-
gram, based out of the college’s
Swan Island Trades Center, for
example. In two years, a student
can earn an Associate of Applied
Science degree in Welding Tech-
nology; and in less than one year,
a student can attain a certification
in general welding, flux-core arc
welding, gas metal arc welding,
gas tungsten arc welding, pipe
welding, or shielded metal arc
welding.
Under the Oregon Promise, all
of these outcomes are available to
qualified students tuition-free. And
what does this mean to a student’s
future? The Oregon Bureau of La-
bor Statistics reports that the state
is in the midst of a welding job
boom, with the number of welder
positions expected to be 15 percent
higher by 2020 than it was in 2010.
That’s a gainful career. That’s
a living-wage occupation. That’s
an incredibly versatile skill set
that someone could put to work
virtually anywhere. And it doesn’t
stop at welding. PCC has literally
dozens of programs that can pre-
pare you for a good career, or help
you on your way to a bachelor’s
degree, a master’s degree, or even
more.
That’s the Oregon Promise, and
that’s how PCC can help make it a
reality. I encourage more students
of color to take advantage of this
opportunity and take the State of
Oregon up on its promise.
Dr. Karin Edwards is president
of Portland Community College’s
Cascade Campus. To learn more
about the Oregon Promise pro-
gram, visit oregonstudentaid.gov.
To learn more about PCC, visit
pcc.edu.
Career Connections – Congratulations to Portland’s own Gabriel Romero, Jennifer Truong,
Kelly Han, Laloni Wilson, and Peter Za, chosen for Bank of America’s Student Leaders eight-week,
paid internship program, a program which recognizes community-minded high school students and
connects them to employment, professional development and service opportunities.
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