1 / 26

Oregon Scholarship Services A Unique Public / Private Partnership

Oregon Scholarship Services is a unique public-private partnership between the Oregon Student Assistance Commission and various organizations. Our mission is to assist Oregon students and their families in attaining a postsecondary education and enhance the value, integrity, and diversity of Oregon's college programs.

wcruz
Download Presentation

Oregon Scholarship Services A Unique Public / Private Partnership

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Oregon Scholarship ServicesA Unique Public / Private Partnership

  2. Oregon Student Assistance CommissionThe state student financial aid agency To assist Oregon students and their families in attaining a postsecondary education and to enhance the value, integrity, and diversity of Oregon’s college programs. Mission:

  3. About OSAC • Stand-alone state agency • 7 member Board of Commissioners appointed by the Governor • 1958 — Citizen discovers dormant 1885 Oregon law establishing student aid program. Law lets 126 state legislators and judges each award a scholarship to Oregon Agricultural College • 1959 —State Scholarship Commission created • 1967-Commission begins administering Oregon Guaranty Student Loan Program • 2005 -Transfer of the student loan portfolio to Education Credit Management Corporation; agency decreases from 95 to 23 employees

  4. State Need GrantOregon Opportunity Grant • Established by Oregon Legislature in 1971 • Largest of OSAC’s state-funded programs • Primarily state general funds with smaller amount of Lottery funds and matching federal funds • Increase in funding approved by 2005 legislature = $78.1 mil for 05-07

  5. More Scholarship ServicesPublic Programs • Robert C. Byrd Honors Program - 300 students • Chafee ETV Foster Youth Scholarship - 100 students • National Guard Tuition Program - 52 soldiers • Rural Health Services - 20 participants • Nursing Services - 24 participants • Jobs Plus - 615 of 3,500 eligible participants redeemed vouchers • New – Troops to Teachers

  6. Oregon Scholarship Services • Duties: Encourage the establishment of scholarship programs by private agencies • Powers: Receive gifts of anytype, including gifts of stock and real property, for the purpose of establishing, continuing, and increasing financial aid • Partnerships: May enter into agreements with one or more community foundations in Oregon to assume the management of the privately funded student aid programs Oregon Revised Statutes & Administrative Rules

  7. Partners – Large and Small $10.8 million awarded from 320+ scholarship programs to 3,215 students (2004-05)(29% of all students who began the OSAC application process received awards) • The Oregon Community Foundation • The Ford Family Foundation • U.S. Bank, Wells Fargo Bank, Bank of America • Government • Employers, credit unions, utilities • Many individual donors • Colleges, universities, technical schools

  8. The Oregon Community Foundation Established – 1973 National Ranking - 12th largest community foundation in the U.S. in assets;  24th largest in annual grants awarded Tax Exempt Status - "tax exempt" under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; as "publicly supported" under section 170b(1)(A)(vi); and as "not a private foundation" under section 509(a)(1). Assets - $652 million (over 1000 permanent funds) Contributions Received - $145 million in 2004 Grants & Scholarships - $36 million awarded in 2004 Governance - 13-member volunteer board of directors

  9. Growth in Scholarship Awardees and Dollars Private and Public (Barbers/Hairdressers, Byrd, National Guard, Chafee Foster Youth)

  10. Scholarship Program Benefits • OSAC single application saves time and costs for students, donors, and the state • Hundreds of donors reach thousands of students • Thousands of students access millions of dollars in public and private scholarship aid

  11. Orchestrating Scholarship Services for Students and Donors • Outreach to high school, college, and nontraditional students • Unified application: print and on-line • Award notification • Scholarship guidelines for specific donors • Student need analysis • Selection committee assistance • Fund accounting • Electronic funds transfer to Oregon schools

  12. Establishing a Private Scholarship • Educate donors • Ensure their intent is met • Explain Administrative Services • Write the rules that designate awarding • Statement of Agreement – Irrevocable gift

  13. The Mechanics • Process applications – 7,200 viable 2004-05 • Review materials • Double data entry • Computer sort by program • Rank order by academics with corresponding remaining financial need

  14. Selection Committee • Copies of applications • Rank order lists • Selection criteria tool • Interviews

  15. The Scholarship Recipient • Award Letter (our contract with the student) • Conditions • Disbursement • Thank you

  16. The Four Seasons of Scholarships • Fall: Preparation • Winter: Application • Spring: Awarding • Summer: Disbursing

  17. Fall: Preparing Opportunities • Design paper and electronic application for new year • Update websites for counselors, students, parents • Meet with OCF and other donors to refine scholarship programs, goals • Develop presentations, appearances, handouts

  18. Winter: Accepting Applications • Early December: paper applications printed and shipped to schools; electronic “eApp” goes live at OSAC website • Conduct “Search, Apply & Compete!” scholarship workshops • Begin receiving applications, questions from students, parents, donors • Review early applications for the “Early Bird” scholarship

  19. Spring: Awarding & Awarding • March 1: absolute deadline for all applications • Throughout March, OSAC staff and seasonal workers and volunteers process and review up to 10,000 applications • In April, OSAC begins sending applications and summaries of student data to selection committees throughout the state • Most high school awarding happens in May; college scholarships named through June and early July

  20. Summer: Disbursing/Planning • June-July, finish awarding, sending award letters for student signatures • Troubleshoot programs/awardees • Disburse funds to students/colleges: • August for semester schools • September for term schools • Meet and assess past year, begin again to “prepare opportunities” • Invoice donors and ascertain next year’s scholarship commitments

  21. Administrative Charges • Assessed annually • Charge is a percentage of the amount awarded to the student OR • If OSAC does not disburse the award then a contract specifies an appropriate charge for processing

  22. Outreach Program initiated by private scholarship donors A ccess to S tudent Assistance P rograms I n R each of E veryone AspireOregon.org

  23. ASPIRE 2004-05 Statistics • 688 volunteers served in 59 high schools • 4,381 students matched with an Advisor • 22,062 non-mentoring services provided

  24. Employer Tax Credit • Oregon tax credit program for small and medium-sized businesses • Scholarships for their employees and dependents of employees • 50 cent tax credit for every $1.00 contributed

  25. For More Information visitGetCollegeFunds.org

More Related