Early Findings on Oregon’s New College Grant Program

college grads throwing their caps in the air

Oregon Promise was created by the Oregon Legislature and is administered by the Office of Student Access and Completion (OSAC) of the Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC). According to the OSAC website, this statewide grant program seeks to “encourage Oregon residents who are graduating high school students and recent GED graduates to immediately continue their education by providing funding to attend community college in Oregon,” with the first awards available for students entering college in fall 2016. Oregon Promise is designed to cover most or all community college tuition for eligible students after other state and federal grant aid has been applied.

This report, "Fulfilling the Promise? Early Findings on Oregon’s New College Grant Program," explores the implementation and signs of progress of Oregon Promise in its first year. To examine the program, Education Northwest collected survey data from nearly 1,500 students, as well as focus group and interview data from 27 high school counselors, administrators, and college access professionals across the state.


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