The skanner., May 04, 2011, Page 9, Image 9

news
Scholarship Commission Creates One-Stop Shop for Students
By Brian Stimson
of the Skanner news
L
ast week, a group of IT professionals
were frantic. Every year for 15 years,
the small group awards a scholarship
to a high school senior in Oregon or
Washington who is pursuing a degree in
technology.
This year, they had had zero applicants.
“Hard to believe since we are giving away
money, and no one is interested,” wrote
Walter Yeaw. “What’s wrong?”
It’s impossible to know how many schol-
arships go unused or underused – with, say,
only one applicant – but one Oregon com-
mission is helping to ensure scholarships
are as widely available as ever.
Every year, the Oregon Student
Assistance Commission, helps distribute
about $17 million in scholarship awards to
Oregon residents pursuing higher educa-
tion. Of the 400 or so scholarship programs
that the commission administers, not one
went unawarded, says executive director
Josette Green.
“Our agency is unique across the nation,”
she said.
To apply for any of the scholarships
administered by the commission, a student
needs to fill out only one application. That
common application is then used for any of
the scholarships they are eligible, although
some require additional application materi-
als, such as essays. Awards range from
small $500 gifts to those that cover the
entire cost of a 4-year education.
Unfortunately for students starting in the
fall, the deadline for this year passed on
March 1. But don’t despair, says Green. It
just means students have that much time to
prepare for next year, which has its advan-
tages.
Applications received by the “early bird”
date of Feb. 15 are eligible for money not
available to applicants who wait to the last
minute.
Despite having more than about 11,000
applicants each year, Green says they’re
interested in reaching out to many more
Oregon students. Because the commission
handles Oregon Opportunity Grants and
other financial aid, they receive over
180,000 FAFSA forms.
So why aren’t more students applying for
scholarships?
Green says it comes down to a number of
factors.
“Students self-select themselves out,” she
says.
Many believe their GPA isn’t high enough
or that the awards only go to the top stu-
dents in the class. Not true, says Green, who
says many scholarships are awarded to mid-
dle of the road students.
Reason number 2 that students don’t take
the time to apply: Time. Green said some
students are put off by the notion of writing
an essay or filling out the (one) application
it takes for Oregon residents (many scholar-
ships are eligible to current Oregon resi-
dents who are attending schools out of
state).
And reason number 3: Ignorance. Many
students simply aren’t aware of the many
pots of money that are waiting to be award-
ed to them.
“Students here are very fortunate,” she
said. “Other states do not have this
resource.”
Free Food-Sharing workshops
A free hands-on workshop
about all things related to
food from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
on May 21, at the
Brentwood-Darlington
Community Center, 7211
SE 62nd Ave. Choose from
one of five interactive proj-
ects to engage in for the
morning.
We’ll come back together
as a group to share experiences and a deli-
cious lunch. Open to anyone interested.
RSVP required by Monday, May 16th to
outreach@ourunitedvillages.org
or
503.546.7499.
The workshops will
include information about
growing plants from seed;
skills for growing and
homebrewing kombucha
and other teas; calculating
and planning food stores;
growing, pruning and har-
vesting fruits; and container
gardening to maximize
small spaces.
Child care (9 and under), transportation,
and interpretation provided upon request.
Sponsored by Community Outreach of Our
United Villages. For more information visit
www.ouvcommunityoutreach.org.
may 4, 2011 The Portland Skanner Page 9