University Scholars Program Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

The following information applies to OSU University Scholars Program scholarships awarded to incoming freshmen and transfer students based on their application for admission. For college, departmental, and external scholarships, students should contact the awarding organization or academic department with any questions.

OSU University Scholars Program FAQ

By submitting the application for admission to OSU, incoming freshman and transfer students are automatically considered for University Scholars Program scholarships. OSU also offers need-based scholarships that require students to submit the FAFSA or ORSAA before the priority deadline of February 28th. In addition, both newly-admitted and continuing OSU students can apply for college and departmental scholarships starting November 1st through OSU ScholarDollars.

Incoming freshmen who apply for admission and submit high school transcripts by November 1st will receive early notification of their University Scholars Program scholarship eligibility in December. Incoming freshmen and transfer students who apply for admission by February 1st and submit their transcripts by February 15th will be notified of their University Scholars Program scholarship eligibility by the end of March.  Students who apply after February 1st will be considered for scholarships on a funds-available basis.

Deadlines for scholarships through OSU ScholarDollars vary, but most deadlines are in mid-February. We recommend students submit their ScholarDollars application no later than February 1st each year to maximize their opportunities.

You will first need to sign up for ONID. Enter your student ID number (found on your letter of admission) to set up your ONID username and password. First-time users will be asked to enter their name and six-digit date of birth. After you have set up your ONID account, visit the Financial Aid website, select Financial Aid Self-Service Portal, and follow these steps:

  • Log in using your ONID username and password
  • Select the appropriate academic year (i.e. 2023-2024)
  • View your Award Offer
  • Using the dropdown menu to the right of the scholarship name, select “accept”.

University Scholars Program scholarships awarded based on the application for admission are renewable for up to three additional years (four years total). The terms and conditions of OSU scholarships are sent with the initial award letter. Students also can view their renewal requirements here.

Some scholarships offered by OSU are not renewable and the award letter will indicate such. Students should always check with the Scholarship Office, awarding agency, or their academic department to determine which scholarships are renewable.

Renewal criteria for University Scholars Program scholarships can be found here

If you do not meet the enrollment requirements and/or the annual renewal requirements for your scholarship, your scholarship will be canceled, and the Scholarship Office will notify you via email. Once your scholarship is canceled, your eligibility will no longer be reviewed by the Scholarship Office, and all future terms of payment will be forfeited. The only option for reinstatement is to submit an appeal by the posted appeal deadline. You must appeal immediately following the cancelation of your scholarship.

The Scholarship Office tracks GPA and completed credits from term to term and notifies students of their progress toward renewal, but scholarships will disburse each term as long as you are enrolled full-time. Annual completed credits and GPA for renewal are verified at the end of each spring term. 

If you are only taking courses at OSU, your cumulative institutional GPA will be reviewed for renewal purposes. If you are currently enrolled in the Degree Partnership Program (DPP), or ever have been in the past, your overall cumulative GPA will be reviewed for renewal purposes. 

Students cannot receive credit for the same course more than once, so only one attempt will count towards your annual renewal requirement. Courses completed with a D grade or higher cannot be repeated in the same academic year to count toward the annual credit completion requirement. If you receive an F grade, an incomplete, or do not pass the course, the repeated attempt will count as long as you earn a passing grade.

OSU University Scholars Program (USP) scholarships awarded based on a students application for admission cannot be combined with other USP scholarships of the same type. However, scholarships award by third-party donors, OSU academic departments/colleges, or alumni/donors can be combined with USP scholarships. For example, if a student is awarded the Finley Academic Excellence scholarship and is then selected for the prestigious Presidential Scholarship, the Presidential Scholarship replaces the initial Finley Academic Excellence Scholarship. However, if a student is awarded the Finley Academic Excellence Scholarship, then receives the College of Engineering Dean's Scholarship, the student can keep both scholarships.

The Diversity Achievement Scholarship, the National Scholars Award, and the International Baccalaureate Scholarship can be stacked with other USP Scholarships.

College credits earned while in high school or while enrolled at another institution do NOT count toward the annual credit completion requirement for renewal. If you are enrolled in the Degree Partnership Program (DPP), the credits earned at your partner institution will count toward the annual credit completion requirement.

To be eligible to receive a payment of your USP scholarship in a given term as a Degree Partnership Program (DPP) participant, you must meet the following enrollment requirements as outlined in the terms and conditions of your award:

  • Enroll in at least 6 credits at OSU, and
  • Enroll in at least 12 credits total between OSU and your partner school, and
  • Select OSU as your home institution for financial aid purposes

If you do not meet all of these requirements in a given term, you may be eligible to retain your scholarship for future terms. More information on USP Scholarships and DPP enrollment can be found here.

Some third-party scholarships and college/departmental scholarships may have different requirements regarding DPP enrollment. We recommend you check with your awarding organization or department to verify the requirements for your specific award(s).

Yes, you can take online courses as long as you do not change your primary campus to Ecampus. Ecampus students are not eligible for University Scholars Program scholarships awarded at the time of admission. If you have college or departmental scholarships, we also recommend checking with your college or department to verify campus requirements.

It depends. All undergraduate students are assessed resident tuition rates during summer term. Non-resident University Scholars Program (USP) scholarships designated specifically for non-resident tuition, such as the Provost and WUE Scholarships, cannot be applied to resident tuition. Therefore, non-resident USP scholarships cannot be applied to summer term. 

Resident USP scholarships and other USP scholarships that are not tuition rate specific may be applied to summer term as long as you are enrolled in 12 or more credits. You may submit a request to have one of your 12 payments applied to summer by emailing [email protected]. Note: If you receive a scholarship payment in the summer term, your annual credit completion requirement for renewal purposes will increase by 12 credits.

OSU uses a student's unweighted high school GPA to determine their eligibility for USP scholarships.

No, your scholarship renewal will show as "estimated" on your financial aid offer until final spring grades have been posted. Once your eligibility for renewal is determined, the Scholarship Office will update your scholarship status to "accepted" (or "canceled" if you did not meet renewal requirements).

If you do not meet the cumulative GPA and credit completion requirements for renewal, did not meet full-time enrollment in a given term, are requesting a hold for a break in enrollment, or have to withdraw from a term for unforeseen circumstances (medical, family, etc.), you can submit a Scholarship Appeal. Appeals must be submitted by the appropriate deadline to be considered.

If you are awarded a non-resident University Scholars Program scholarship and your residency status changes prior to the start of your first term at OSU, you will be re-evaluated for resident University Scholars Program scholarships based on the resident awarding criteria. If your residency status changes after the start of your first term at OSU, you will become ineligible for non-resident University Scholars Program scholarships and will not be re-evaluated for resident University Scholars Program scholarships.

Yes! Oregon State University offers a variety of merit-based scholarships that are open to all incoming freshman and transfer students, including undocumented students. Students are considered for these awards based on their residency, GPA, and more. To apply for incoming student scholarships, students must complete the scholarships portion of the admissions application and have a complete application (application and transcripts) submitted to the Office of Admissions by the scholarship deadline (February 1st). Colleges and departments also may award scholarships to new OSU students. Eligibility for scholarships awarded by academic programs varies based on department, student status, GPA, etc. Certain academic departments may use the information from the admissions application to award scholarships, while others may require a separate application to be considered. Not all college or departmental scholarships may be available to undocumented students depending on the funding source of the award.

Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) Program FAQ

The Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) Program is the largest regional interstate tuition savings program in the United States. More than 160 public colleges and universities in 20 states and territories participate in the program. Through the WUE program, eligible students can attend an undergraduate program outside their home state and pay no more than 150 percent of that institution’s resident tuition rate.

17 U.S. states and territories are currently eligible to participate in the WUE Program at Oregon State University: American Samoa, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands.

OSU’s WUE Scholarship is Oregon State’s most competitive merit-based scholarship for new undergraduate students who are residents of a WUE-eligible U.S. state or territory. Recipients are selected based on a holistic review of their admission application. The selected students will receive a tuition discount that reduces the cost of their base tuition to no more than 150% of on-campus base tuition for resident students. OSU’s WUE Scholarship is renewable for up to four years (twelve terms) of support total.

To be eligible to be considered for OSU’s WUE Scholarship, students must meet all of the following criteria:

  • New first-year or transfer undergraduate admit for a Summer or Fall term (Continuing students and students admitted for a Winter or Spring term are not eligible, and OSU students admitted prior to Fall 2021 are not eligible)
  • Planning to attend the OSU-Corvallis or OSU-Cascades campus (Ecampus, Portland, and LaGrande students are not eligible)
  • Permanent resident of one of the WUE-eligible U.S. states or territories

No. Each institution that participates in the WUE program chooses their recipients and administers their awards based on their own unique requirements and processes. Therefore, even though a student may be offered a WUE Scholarship by one institution, they may not be awarded WUE at any of the others. More information about each institution's specific requirements and processes for their WUE programs can be found on the WUE website.

OSU’s WUE Scholarship is a tuition discount, so the actual value of the award will vary depending on the number of OSU credits you enroll in each term. For example, if you enroll in 15 OSU credits in the fall, winter, and spring terms, the WUE Scholarship will have a value of approximately $15,000 annually. But if you enroll in only 12 credits per term, you will see savings of about $12,000 annually.

Initial WUE Scholarship offers will appear as an estimated value of $15,000 on your financial aid offer summary. This estimate is based on OSU’s estimated cost of attendance, which is based on expected enrollment of 15 credits per term.

The WUE Scholarship tuition discount will be applied to your account at the beginning of each term after your tuition has been charged, and the scholarship’s actual value will be based on the number of credits in which you are enrolled for that term. Any changes to your enrollment throughout the term may impact the value of your WUE Scholarship discount. You must be enrolled full-time (12 or more credits) to be eligible for the WUE Scholarship’s tuition discount.

Here’s an example of the WUE Scholarship’s tuition discount for a student admitted to Fall 2022 based on the number of credits in which they are enrolled each term: (This example is based on tuition information for the 2022-2023 academic year only. Please visit the Tuition & Fees webpage for up-to-date tuition information.)

Enrollment

Non-Resident Base Tuition

WUE Discount

WUE Base Tuition Charge

12 credits

$8,843

$4,409

$4,434

13 credits

$9,552

$4,761

$4,791

14 credits

$10,261

$5,113

$5,148

15 credits

$10,970

$5,465

$5,505

If you are enrolled in more than 15 credits, if you are enrolled in any Ecampus courses, if you are an OSU-Cascades student, and/or if you are participating in OSU’s Degree Partnership Program, your base tuition charges and the value of the WUE Scholarship tuition discount may vary.

No. The discount associated with OSU’s WUE Scholarship only applies to the cost of on-campus, base non-resident tuition. Differential tuition, campus fees, and room and board charges are not eligible for the discount, so students receiving OSU’s WUE Scholarship will be billed for the full cost of any differential tuition, campus fees, and room and board.

No. The discount associated with OSU’s WUE Scholarship only applies to the cost of on-campus, base non-resident tuition. Ecampus tuition is billed separately and is not eligible for the WUE Scholarship’s discount.

If you are a newly admitted student who has been awarded the WUE Scholarship and would like to discuss alternative scholarship options related to Ecampus and/or Degree Partnership Program enrollment, please contact the Scholarship Office at [email protected]

Yes. DPP students are eligible for OSU’s WUE Scholarship as long as they register in at least 6 OSU credits, at least 12 credits total (between OSU and their partner school), and designate OSU as their home school each term. The WUE Scholarship’s tuition discount, however, can only be applied to OSU credits. Credits taken at the partner school are not eligible for the WUE Scholarship’s tuition discount.

If you are a newly admitted student who has been awarded the WUE Scholarship and would like to discuss alternative scholarship options related to Ecampus and/or Degree Partnership Program enrollment, please contact the Scholarship Office at [email protected].

The impact of your WUE scholar status on education abroad program cost will depend on the program you participate in. For programs administered by OSU where participants pay a resident or non-resident program fee, WUE scholars are charged at the resident rate. Some education abroad programs have the same program fee for all student regardless of their residency. For those programs, the WUE scholars will pay the same program fee as other students. For more information on the cost of education abroad programs, please contact the OSU Global Opportunities Office at osugo@oregonstate.edu. 

OSU’s WUE Scholarship cannot be stacked with a Provost Scholarship. If a student is selected for the WUE Scholarship, they will not be eligible to also receive a Provost Scholarship. If a student is not selected for the WUE Scholarship, they will be automatically considered for the Provost Scholarship instead.

OSU’s WUE Scholarship can be stacked with all other OSU scholarships, including the Diversity Achievement Scholarship, the National Scholars Award, the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Scholarship, and scholarships awarded by the Office of Financial Aid, the colleges, and/or the departments.

Requests to defer your WUE Scholarship to a term within the same academic year as your original term of admission are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. For example, if you are originally admitted for Fall 2023, you can request to defer your WUE Scholarship to Winter 2024 or Spring 2024. You must submit a written request to the Scholarship Office at [email protected]

You cannot defer your WUE Scholarship to a future academic year. You will be re-considered for the WUE Scholarship based on your new admit term and the WUE Scholarship requirements for that year. For example, if you are admitted for Fall 2023 and choose to defer your enrollment to Fall 2024, you will be re-considered for the WUE Scholarship based on the WUE Scholarship requirements and awarding process for Fall 2024. Scholarship requirements and processes are subject to change each academic year.

No. Students from WUE-eligible states and territories who are admitted to a Summer or Fall term are automatically considered for the WUE Scholarship at the time of admission based on a holistic review of their admission application. We do not re-evaluate students’ scholarship eligibility after they have been admitted. 

No. The WUE Scholarship’s tuition discount cannot be applied to Summer term. If a non-resident student chooses to attend Summer term, they will automatically be charged resident tuition rates. Because the WUE Scholarship is a discount applied to non-resident tuition, it cannot be applied to resident tuition. Non-resident students’ tuition will be less for Summer term even without the WUE Scholarship’s tuition discount.

No. Each institution that offers the WUE tuition discount administers the WUE tuition discount differently based on their own requirements and processes. Therefore, a student may be eligible at one institution, but not eligible at another. All new undergraduate students admitted to OSU for the Summer or Fall term who are from a WUE-eligible state or territory are considered automatically for the WUE Scholarship based on OSU’s requirements and evaluation process.

It depends. We encourage students who believe they are or will be eligible for Oregon residency for tuition purposes to contact OSU’s Residency Office at [email protected] as early as possible. Recipients of the WUE Scholarship must be non-resident students paying on-campus, non-resident tuition rates to remain eligible for the WUE Scholarship tuition discount. Any changes to a student’s residency classification or tuition rates may result in cancellation of the WUE Scholarship. Please note that students typically cannot count time enrolled while receiving the WUE Scholarship at OSU towards building in-state residency.