Scholarships
Oregon Coast Community College students have opportunities to apply for a number of different local, regional and national scholarships to help defray the cost of their college education. Peruse the links below to learn more about the scholarships that might be right for you.
OCCC Foundation Scholarships
The application period for the 2024-2025 school year has closed. The application for the 2025-2026 year will open February 1, 2025.
The OCCC Foundation awarded $100,000 in scholarship funds for the 2023-2024 school year to 49 recipients from funds supported by local donors and the Foundation’s investment fund. Awards ranged from $1,000 to $4,500.
The application for the OCCC Foundation Scholarships is open each year from February 1st until April 1st.
These scholarships are made possible by generous contributions from individuals and organizations within our community. To learn how you can be a part of this important work or for more information, email us or call 541-867-8531.
OCCC Foundation scholarships may be used for tuition, fees, and books at OCCC only and will be applied to the scholarship recipient’s account at the beginning of each term. Courses taken through other community colleges cannot be paid for with OCCC Foundation scholarships.
Información en Español
Los estudiantes de Oregon Coast Community College tienen la oportunidad de solicitar diversas becas locales, regionales y nacionales para ayudar a sufragar el costo de su educación universitaria. Examine los enlaces a continuación para obtener más información sobre las becas que podrían ser adecuadas para usted. Si necesita ayuda con la información a continuación o si tiene preguntas sobre ayuda financiera, no dude en comunicarse con la Oficina de Asuntos Estudiantiles por correo electrónico student.affairs@oregoncoast.edu o al teléfono 541-867-8501.
Becas de la Fundación OCCC
La Fundación OCCC otorgó más de $ 90,000 en fondos de becas para el año escolar 2022-2023 a 40 beneficiarios de fondos apoyados por donantes locales y el fondo de inversión de la Fundación. Los premiados recibieron becas entre $ 500 y $ 4,000.
Si necesita ayuda, comuníquese con la Oficina de Asuntos Estudiantiles por correo electrónico studentervices@oregoncoast.edu o al teléfono 541-867-8501.
Las becas de la Fundación OCCC pueden usarse para matrículas, cuotas y libros solo en OCCC y se aplicarán a la cuenta del beneficiario de la beca al comienzo de cada período. Los cursos tomados a través de otros colegios comunitarios no se pueden pagar con becas de la Fundación OCCC.
Other OCCC Scholarships
Featured Scholarships
Betty Gray Early Childhood Scholarship
Funded through an endowment established with the Oregon Community Foundation, this scholarship provides support for students seeking a degree or certificate in early childhood education. There are multiple application due dates throughout the year.
The Gribler Loving Trust
Apply by July 19, 2024 – Download Application
Olga (‘06) and Bill Gribler (‘85), residents in Newport since 1947. Bill taught music and entertained throughout the community on the piano, violin, and accordion. Olga worked for the telephone company and later the Bank of Newport. Together they enjoyed digging clams at the beach, hunting and traveling. They established this generous scholarship through the Pacific Communities Health District Foundation to address the ongoing need for quality nurses in our rural area.
The recipient will be awarded up to $3,000 a year for up to two years, which will be issued upon proof of enrollment/acceptance in a nursing program at an accredited college/university or other educational institution. A new application is required annually. Check back for details.
Pride Foundation Scholarships
These scholarships are for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ) and ally students of any age from Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, or Washington. This support is for students pursuing any kind of post-secondary education — including community college, public or private colleges & universities, trade schools/apprenticeships, or certificate programs. Click the headline to visit the website and learn more.
Other Scholarship Resources for OCCC Students
Below are listed some of the most frequently won private scholarships by OCCC students just like you.
| Scholarship | How much | Application | Deadline | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. OSAC By filling out one application, you apply for several scholarships. | Average is $3,100 | Oregon Student Access | February |
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| 2. Ford Family Foundation This scholarship provides up to 90% of your college costs! | Up to 90% of your unmet financial need | Oregon Student Access | February |
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| 3. US Bank Almost all banks and credit unions have scholarship programs. | $1,000 | USBank.com | May |
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| 5. Oregon Community Foundation The OCF awards offers many unique scholarship programs. | $500 to $3,000 | Oregon Student Access | February |
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| 6. Jack Kent Cooke Foundation This scholarship is competitive, but it’s worth the effort! This rigorous scholarship is based on aspects of achievement, financial need, persistence, leadership and service to others. Contact your Academic Advisor for help applying. | Up to $40,000 per year | Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship | December |
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Want more?
There and many, many, many more scholarships out there. How do you find them? Use a scholarship search site. Our favorites:
How to Find Scholarships
1. Do some research
Finding scholarships is all about searching through a lot of scholarships to find the few that are right for you. So your first step is to conduct research online.
The key to this step is to be creative and open-minded about the possible sources of scholarships – did you work for a grocery store? That chain might offer a scholarship. Were you in a club during high school? The club could offer a scholarship. Are you studying to be a nurse at a hospital? Check with the hospital where you want to work – they might offer a scholarship!
| Places to look | |
|---|---|
| Sites that relate to your school or region |
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| Ask people you know |
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| Search the web for scholarships that relate to you |
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| Scholarship search sites | |
2. Understand the criteria
While searching, you’ll be asking yourself if the scholarship might be right for you. When you spot a scholarship that might be a good match, ask yourself:
- Do I meet the minimum criteria?
- Do I meet any of the preferred criteria?
If you answer yes to one or both, add it to your list of scholarships to apply for.
If you don’t meet ALL of the criteria, but still feel you are a good candidate for the scholarship, feel free to apply. If the scholarship description states that you will be disqualified if you don’t meet some of the criteria, then don’t waste time applying for it.
Criteria translation
It’s not always clear what the scholarship criteria is asking for. Below is a table of some common terms you might see, and examples of what it really means.
| Scholarship lingo | What it means |
|---|---|
| Academic merit | This means you have good grades and good test scores. Generally this includes a GPA ranging between 3.0 and 4.0. But don’t be discouraged to apply if you don’t have perfect grades. |
| Demonstrates financial need | Some scholarships give preference to students who need more help paying for college. They will look at your FAFSA information (we’ll explain the FAFSA later) to determine your level of financial need. If you’re not sure you meet this criteria, apply for the scholarship anyway. |
| Enrolled in a degree-granting program | This means you have declared a degree and are taking credit classes that apply to that degree. If your major is undeclared, or you are taking classes for fun without the goal of getting a degree, you would not meet this criteria. |
| Preference given to applicants of a specific race or ethnicity | This can include students of Hispanic, African-American, Asian, Native American and multi-ethnic backgrounds. The word “preference” indicates it is not the only determining factor for the scholarship. If you don’t meet the preferential criteria, still apply – the scholarship committee will pick the best applicant. |
| Intend to enroll full-time | This means that you plan to be enrolled full time (12 credits or more) while receiving the scholarship. You don’t have to be currently enrolled or admitted to the school when you apply for the scholarship. |
| First generation college student | This means that your parents did not receive a four-year college degree |
3. Prioritize your list
Now it’s time to prioritize: You probably don’t have time to apply for all of the scholarships that you qualify for. So spend time on those that you best fit or the few where you match most all of the qualifications. Ask yourself these questions to narrow your list:
- Is there any fine print that would disqualify me?
- Will I be in school at the time the money is awarded?
- Are there any restrictions that will make it so I can’t use the money?
How to avoid scams
For some reason, there are a lot of fake scholarships out there. Be careful about giving out sensitive information. If a scholarship website asks for any of the following information, it’s a red flag and you shouldn’t apply:
- Credit and debit card numbers, bank information.
- Social Security Number.
- Social media contact information. You should not need to provide Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter accounts to apply.
- Scholarship fee not within a private organization or membership.