FINISH IN FOUR
Paths to a lifetime of opportunity open for students when they graduate from college. You can help pave their way to a degree.
Students come to Oregon State University with enormous potential, but sometimes talent and hard work aren’t enough for them to stay in school. The bottom line is financial, and some just don’t have the resources they need.
This has to change.
Among the highest goals in the university’s strategic plan for 2024-30 is that OSU will increase its graduation rate to 80% and equalize graduation rates among students with diverse backgrounds.
Toward that end, the university is launching a new program that will make it possible for more Oregon resident students to graduate in four years with little to no debt. Renewable, four-year scholarships are our top priority for student success funding.
This ambitious effort is without precedence at OSU, and its success relies on the engagement of our entire community – university, supporters, staff and students. Join us.
MEETING NEED WHERE IT IS
Here’s the reality for OSU students with the fewest financial resources – students whose families can’t afford a dollar toward tuition. They may qualify for federal and state resources, but add up costs for tuition, room, board, books, etc., and they will still have a financial aid gap – in fact, the average unmet need for students seeking financial assistance is $13,500 per year.
Is it any wonder that the graduation rate for OSU’s low-income students is more than 11 percentage points below their higher income counterparts?
We can change this, together.
OSU’s new Finish in Four program will provide four-year scholarships for low-income Oregon resident students, but the program is more than financial aid: it’s part of a multifaceted, university-wide effort designed to help students thrive. Program participants will be part of a supportive cohort that builds a sense of belonging. They’ll receive financial education as well as academic counseling.
FILLING THE FINANCIAL GAP
You can help eliminate the need gap for OSU’s highest need students, allowing them to graduate in four years with little or no debt.
Finish in Four scholarships will offer students an additional source of funding on top of any existing financial aid packages, helping them bridge the difference between the resources they have and the actual cost of an OSU degree.
- $16,000 gift: Provides a $1,000 scholarship to a student for every term for four years.
- $100,000 gift: The minimum amount needed to create an endowed Finish in Four scholarship, which will provide a $1,000 scholarship for one student every term – in perpetuity.
- $1 million gift: Creates an endowment that provides $10,000 in scholarships every term, in perpetuity.
Donors who create an endowed scholarship may choose to support students in a specific college; they also may name their scholarship to honor a family legacy, business or loved one.
10,000
Number of OSU undergraduates in 2023-24 who qualify for federal educational grants for low-income students
47%
Percentage of OSU students unable to meet school expenses with family contributions, their own work earnings and grants
$21,221
Average debt among OSU graduates
To learn more about Finish in Four and how you can support OSU students, contact:
MIKE MORAN
Senior Director of Development
Scholarships and University Initiatives
503-201-0185
OSU must pursue every possible means of ensuring each student graduates. Students are the heart of our university. They are why we are here. We must support their dreams for a better life for themselves and their families, for fulfilling work, for lives of impact. When we do, we position Oregon for a future that is more equitable and prosperous – and that will benefit every one of us.
OSU must pursue every possible means of ensuring each student graduates. Students are the heart of our university. They are why we are here. We must support their dreams for a better life for themselves and their families, for fulfilling work, for lives of impact. When we do, we position Oregon for a future that is more equitable and prosperous – and that will benefit every one of us.