EIGHT - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, December 2, 2020
EOU goes ‘test-blind’ to
benefit incoming students
Eastern Oregon Uni-
versity no longer requires
standardized test results for
financial aid.
The change benefits
incoming students and their
families, especially those
from marginalized com-
munities. University schol-
arships and merit-based
awards will be determined
based on students’ grades,
rather than ACT or SAT
scores.
EOU Admissions Di-
rector Genesis Meaderds
said becoming test-blind
makes EOU’s admissions
process smoother and easier
to navigate for prospective
students.
“EOU has been test-op-
tional for years for ad-
missions,” Meaderds said.
“The challenge was that we
never were test-optional for
scholarships and financial
aid, so students were being
admitted, and then if they
didn’t have SATs or ACTs
on file, they were ineligi-
ble for many merit-based
scholarships.”
Meaderds met with a
committee of university
staff for a year to discuss the
change. The group reviewed
studies that found evidence
of racial and socioeconomic
bias in standardized tests.
Test anxiety or learning
differences can also impact
students’ ability to perform
in this setting. They also
found that a student’s high
school grade point average
(GPA) is actually the best
indicator of college success.
“Getting this changed
for financial aid is a big
deal because now students
can receive aid just based
on their GPA from high
school,” she said. “Students
love that because many of
them just don’t take those
tests.”
She listed barriers to
testing that have been ex-
acerbated by the pandemic.
Many students had to travel
out of state to a testing
center, pay significant fees
or acquire transportation
in order to take an SAT or
ACT placement test. Me-
aderds noted, though, that
EOU began the process of
going test-blind before the
COVID-19 pandemic made
standardized testing even
more difficult to access.
“It wasn’t a COVID
question, it was a student
access question,” Meaderds
said. “As an access to excel-
Looking a lot like Christmas
lence institution, EOU now
has a very simple process:
they apply, send transcripts
and get an admissions de-
cision, then they automat-
ically are eligible for aid.”
Admissions directors
from every university in
Oregon met last January
to release a statement that
none of the institutions
would require SAT scores
for admission. EOU has
now stepped up that com-
mitment, no longer requir-
ing test scores even for the
most selective scholarships.
“It’s been amazing
to communicate directly
with parents and students
about the awards they’re
immediately eligible for,”
Meaderds said. “EOU is
continuing what we always
strive for: providing access
to higher education. With
such a large portion of
our students coming from
one or more underserved
communities, this is just
continuing to live out that
aspect of our mission.”
Learn more at eou.edu/
admissions. EOU scholar-
ships are open for applica-
tion through Feb. 1 and can
be found at eou.edu/fao/
scholarships.
NEW LISTING!
Heppner city crew has lit up
the town. -Photos by Janelle
Ellis.
DEADLINE:
MONDAYS
AT 5PM
$20,000
$15,000
Owner/Broker David Sykes
$85,000
188 W. Willow
P.O. Box 337
Heppner, OR 97836
david@sykesrealestate.net
541-980-6674
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1175 WASHINGTON ST Fossil, OR school. Not far from city park.
350 Aiken St Heppner
Addition adjacent lot available for sale.
610 Garrigues St Heppner
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• Sykes Real Estate
Licensed Oregon Principal Broker
541-980-6674 Cell (call or text) • 541-676-9228 Office
david@rapidserve.net
188 W. Willow St • Heppner, OR 97836
Broker license: 990400057 • Real Estate Business license: 201106044
NEED HOUSES FOR SALE!
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NEW LISTING!
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SALE PENDING
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$149,500
$535,000
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127 N Main St Heppner
There are two homes on this property. The bigger one is a
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680 W SPERRY ST, HEPPNER
365 S Gilmore ST Heppner
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