Oregon Opportunity Grant
The Oregon Opportunity Grant (OOG) is Oregon's largest state-funded need-based grant program for students planning to go to college. Opportunity Grants are funded primarily by the state of Oregon. More than 56,000 students received OOG awards in the 2009-11 biennium. For the 2011-12 academic year, more than 29,000 students will receive awards of up to $1950.
Oregon students apply for the Opportunity Grant by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is also the application for most federal student aid programs. Students must complete a FAFSA each year to ensure access to both federal programs and the grants and scholarships that OSAC administers.
Deadline for 2012-13: February 1, 2012 (midnight Central Standard Time)
All funds have been awarded for the 2012-13 academic year. OSAC notified students of their awards by email in February and March. To ensure receipt of future email notifications, students should include an active email address on their FAFSA.
Opportunity Grants are awarded first-come, first-served, according to application date until funds are depleted. We encourage all applicants to submit their FAFSAs as close to January 1st as possible to be considered for a grant. However, simply filing a FAFSA by the deadline does not guarantee an applicant will receive an award. To improve potential grant eligibility, students should check their Student Aid Report (SAR) online as soon as it becomes available and resolve any errors right away.
TIP: Students do not have to wait until they have filed their taxed to submit their FAFSA for the new academic year. Students can submit a FAFSA now using their most recent tax information as the basis for estimating last year's income. After filing a tax return, students can go online and update income or tax information manually or import their tax return data directly from the IRS by using the online Data Retrieval Tool.
Annual Award Amounts for 2012-13: $1950.
A fixed award amount of $1950 is available for full-time, full-year attendance at any eligible Oregon-based postsecondary institution. Students' financial need must be at or above $1950 to be eligible. OSAC disburses a portion of the award to the student’s school account at the start of each term (quarter or semester).
You can use this estimator to estimate your potential eligibility for an Opportunity Grant. Grant amounts shown are estimates based on the information you provide in the estimator, not guaranteed awards.
Eligibility Criteria
- Be an Oregon resident and a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen. Members of Native American tribes with traditional ties to Oregon may be considered Oregon residents.
- Be an undergraduate student with no prior baccalaureate degrees.
- Be enrolled at least half time (i.e., at least 6 credit-hours) at a participating Oregon-based postsecondary institution.
- Have financial need, based on the difference between cost of attendance, federal aid, and financial resources of the student and student's family, if applicable.
- Have no defaults on federal student loans and owe no refunds on federal student grants.
- Not be incarcerated.
Other Information
OSAC awards Opportunity Grants according to a formula that includes the following:
- Average cost of attendance at an Oregon community college or an institution in the Oregon University System
- Student share ($5700 at a community college; $8700 at a public or private nonprofit 4-year institution)
- Family share (expected family contribution, or EFC)
- Federal share (Federal Pell Grants and/or assumed higher education tax credits)
Students may receive an Opportunity Grant for up to four years (12 quarters or 8 semesters) of full-time enrollment, providing they maintain satisfactory academic progress and file a new FAFSA each year. Awards are prorated for half-time enrollment. Students enrolled in courses of study leading to degrees in theology, divinity, or religious education are not eligible.