The university has awarded more than $39.5 million in scholarships to students for the 2017-18 academic year, a key component of OSU President Ed Ray’s Student Success Initiative.
Roughly $24.5 million of the total is spread among 7,271 scholarships to returning students. The rest is for awards to 2,532 new/incoming students, including 34 who received a $10,000-per-year Presidential Scholarship, OSU’s most prestigious undergraduate scholarship.
Approximately 35 percent of this year’s first-year students are receiving scholarship support.
Scholarships for science students at an all-time high
College of Science students received the second highest amount of scholarship funds in the university.
More than $7.5 million in scholarship money is going to College of Science students, the college’s highest total ever, said Roy Haggerty, dean of the college. That is triple the amount awarded two years ago. Reasons for the jump include increases in university scholarships and in the number of high-achieving students enrolling in the College.
Nearly $5 million is allocated to 1,344 scholarships for returning students. The rest is for awards to 570 incoming/new students, including nine who received a Presidential Scholarship.
This year more than half of the college’s first-year students received scholarship support.
“Scholarships enable the college to attract, retain and inspire top science students, most of whom go on to high-achieving careers in industry, graduate school, medical school and other professional programs after graduation,” Haggerty said.
“Oregon State’s financial-need-based scholarships also help academically talented low-income and first-generation students from Oregon and elsewhere stay and excel in college.”
First-generation students typically have a greater financial need so scholarships are a crucial part of their educational equation, said Haggerty, who was first in his family to attend college.
“In our College, the number of first-generation students has risen from 20 percent to 29 percent in the last five years,” he said. “Many scholarship students in the College of Science attest to the value of scholarships in easing the financial burden on their families and enabling them to focus on academics, research, volunteer activities and post-college career goals.”
College of Engineering netted the highest amount in scholarship support. Thirty-five percent of engineering students are receiving scholarship support. They are receiving $12.7 million, with $7.9 million divided among 1,948 scholarships to returning students. Nineteen of the 804 their incoming scholarship students are Presidential Scholars.
In third place is the College of Business. It was awarded more than $3.7 million in scholarships, including roughly $2.3 million spread among 761 scholarships to returning students. The remainder is awarded to 276 incoming students, including one Presidential Scholar. About 29 percent of this year’s first-year business students are receiving scholarship support.
