University of Oregon

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Scholarships & Financial Aid

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School Says - General Information
At the University of Oregon (UO), you'll be part of a community dedicated to making a difference in the world. Whether you want to change a community, a law, or one person's mind, the UO will provide you with the inspiration and resources you'll need to succeed.

You'll discover that many of the UO's academic programs are internationally recognized for academic excellence. The architecture, sustainable design, chemistry, economics, English, psychology, molecular biology, biochemistry, physics, neuroscience, special education, entrepreneurship, and sports business programs all rank among the top ten in the U.S. Programs in comparative literature, finance, historic preservation, and mathematics rank in the top twenty in the U.S.

With a student-teacher ratio of 19:1 and an average class size of 22 students, you'll find it's easy to connect with faculty members and your peers. You'll also have all the resources of a major research university, with 271 comprehensive academic programs (including new programs in cinema studies, African studies, Latin American studies, and queer studies) and more than 250 student organizations.

Set in a 295-acre arboretum, the University of Oregon is aesthetically and environmentally green. Academic programs and student activities will bring you to the forests, mountains, and rivers of Oregon's wilderness areas. The world's first green chemistry teaching methods were developed by UO students and faculty. The Lillis Business Complex was the first certified green business school facility in the United States. Students have access to nationally recognized programs in sustainable business, architecture, and technology. Our Campus Recycling Program is a national award-winner, and the university recently signed an agreement to eliminate the UO's carbon footprint.

You'll learn to see the world differently, attending classes alongside students from all fifty states, three U.S. territories and eighty-five countries. You'll learn from people with religious, cultural, and ethnic heritages different from your own. Your global degree options include 28 languages, as well as international, ethnic, religious, African, Asian, Latin American, Judaic, and Russian and East European studies. The UO offers 165 study programs in 95 countries. You'll experience the history, arts, social institutions, customs, and beliefs of new cultures, all while earning credit toward your UO degree. The IE3 Global Graduates Program offers new UO alumni professional experience in internships worldwide.

School Says - Student Body
The Associated Students of the University of Oregon offers more than 250 student organizations, including cultural organizations, fraternities and sororities, student government, campus ministries, political groups, performing arts groups, international student clubs, and honor societies. Learn more at asuo.uoregon.edu.

The UO Student Vote Coalition led the nation in registering student voters in each of the past three presidential elections. The UO also ranks 11th in the nation for current Peace Corps volunteers.

School Says - Academics
The UO is on a quarter system, and you'll spend about one third of your education on each of three areas of course work: the general education requirements, requirements for your major, and elective credit. Your general education requirements will include courses in the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities, as well as multicultural course work.

Freshman Interest Groups (FIGs) bring together a small group of first-year students interested in the same academic area in three related interdisciplinary courses. Freshman Seminars are small-group discussion courses taught by some of the UO's most outstanding faculty members. These academically rigorous FIG programs provide a helpful transition to college-level course work.

The Professional Distinctions Program gives you a competitive edge in the job market by complementing your major course work with a practical area of concentration. You'll build skills through career workshops, internships, and other professional experiences.

The Robert D. Clark Honors College offers the academic rigor of a small liberal arts college with all the resources of a major research university. The Clark Honors College (CHC) is a community of scholars-exceptional students and premier resident faculty members-who are actively engaged in the life of the mind. Your courses in the CHC will include 21 or fewer students, and complement any major. The CHC application process is competitive, with 200 spots available each year and applications averaging more than 1,000.

Upon acceptance to the UO, qualified students will be invited to join the College Scholars program. You'll have access to specialized courses, internship opportunities, and special scholarships. Faculty members provide assistance to develop your plan to achieve department honors or professional distinctions upon graduation.

School Says - Admissions
The early notification deadline for fall 2011 is November 1, 2010. The standard admission deadline for fall 2011 is January 15, 2011. To be eligible for freshman admission, you must have a high school GPA of at least 3.00, be a graduate of a standard or accredited high school, and submit SAT or ACT scores. A cumulative GPA of 3.4 or better on a 4.00 scale and completion of at least sixteen units of academic course work qualifies you for automatic admission.

We require the following college-preparatory courses: Four years of English in preparatory composition and literature; three years of mathematics including first-year algebra and two additional years of college-preparatory mathematics; two years of science in such areas as biology, chemistry or physics; and three years of social science that could include one year of U.S. history, one year of global studies such as world history or geography, and one elective. Two years of the same second language in high school or two college terms of the same second language are also required.

Other factors considered for admission include the strength of high school course work, grade trend, class rank, and senior-year course load. Academic potential and special talents also are considered.

To apply, submit a completed application for admission, transcripts, SAT or ACT scores, and nonrefundable $50 application fee to the Office of Admissions.

For information and an application, contact:
Office of Admissions
1217 University of Oregon
Eugene, OR 97403-1217 USA
Phone: 541-346-3201
Toll-free: 800-BE-A-DUCK
Website: http://admissions.uoregon.edu

School Says - Campus Life
The UO is located in the center of Eugene (metropolitan area population 343,140), a classic college town that's small enough to bike across but large enough to offer diverse art, music, and social venues. The Hult Center for the Performing Arts and the Grammy-winning Oregon Bach Festival lure a variety of nationally acclaimed musical acts each year. Rolling Stone included Eugene in its list of top ten college towns that rock.

Eugene loves the outdoors, offering more than 100 city parks, 250 miles of bicycle trails, rock climbing areas, and beautiful public gardens, all within the city limits. Getting here is easy. Eugene is served by several major airlines and is on the main north-south Amtrak artery connecting Seattle and San Diego.

With 19 NCAA Division 1 teams, as well as 44 club sports, youÂ'll have your choice of sports to play or teams to cheer for. The excitement begins in the fall, when you'll root for the Ducks' football team at Autzen Stadium. In the winter, the men's and women's basketball teams thrill the crowds at the state-of-the-art Matthew Knight Arena. In the spring, UO track stars compete at the world-famous Hayward Field, often the site for NCAA championships and U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials.

Three campus museums are valuable resources in the sciences and visual arts. The Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art offers exhibitions of classical and contemporary art. The Museum of Natural and Cultural History features Native American artifacts, archaeological finds, and historically and scientifically significant items. Students appear in music, dance, and theater performances in newly refurbished facilities, including proscenium and "black box" performance spaces. Films, lectures, and cultural events are an everyday part of campus life.

School Says - Cost Aid
Resident
Undergraduate tuition and fees for the 2009-10 academic year: $7,428. On-campus residence halls, including room and board: $8,640 per academic year for double occupancy. Books and supplies: $1,050. Personal expenses: $2,412. Total: $19,530.

Nonresident
Undergraduate tuition and fees for the 2009-10 academic year: $23,718. On-campus residence halls, including room and board: $8,640 per academic year for double occupancy. Books and supplies: $1,050. Personal expenses: $2,412. Total: $35,820.The UO makes a concerted effort to enable you to attend, regardless of your family's income. Financial aid in the form of grants, loans, and employment is available to qualifying students. 63% of our students receive scholarships and financial aid that are awarded through the federal government, university, and academic departments.

Eligibility information
To apply for financial aid, you must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in early February. The UO's federal school code is 003223.

Incoming freshmen will be considered automatically for Dean's Scholarships, Staton Scholarships, Laurel Scholarships, and General University Scholarships by completing the UO admission application by January 15. The Presidential Scholarship and Diversity Excellence Scholarship require separate applications due January 15. For more information, visit financialaid.uoregon.edu.
- Dean's Scholarships are awarded each year to academically successful entering freshmen and range from $1,000 to $7,000 per year.
- General University and Laurel Scholarships are awarded each year and range from $1,000 to $2,000 per year.
- Presidential Scholarships are awarded each year to Oregon's brightest incoming freshmen in the amount of $7,800 per year, renewable for up to four years of study.
- Diversity Excellence Scholarships (DES) awards are tuition-remission scholarships with awards ranging from partial to full tuition and fee waivers.
- Staton Scholarships in the amount of $5,500 are awarded each year to incoming Oregon students with extraordinary financial need, and are renewable for up to four years. Students must apply for admission by January 15, 2011 and complete the FAFSA to receive consideration.
- Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) offers selected freshmen from certain western states the opportunity to study at the University of Oregon for 150 percent of UO resident tuition.

Students Say - Academics
Ask University of Oregon students what they like best about their school and a surprising number will mention intercollegiate athletics. Press them a bit harder, however, and they'll start to identify the school's many outstanding academic programs: a business school with "a great faculty" and "amazing facilities;" solid and popular foreign language programs, including robust offerings in Japanese and Chinese; an "esteemed" and "extremely challenging" journalism school; a "very strong program in psychology and neuroscience;" an architecture program that "is increasing in popularity;" and a music program that students tout as "one of the best in the country." The school also offers "a strong study-abroad program" that provides a "good outlet for all of the creative types at the university to pursue wild adventures or projects around the world," "tons of opportunities for internships," and "a whole world of unrecognized undergraduate lab research opportunities. Any, let alone all of these opportunities would give any student a foot in the door for a future in research." In other words, an ocean of opportunities awaits anyone here willing to seek it out. UO "is a place where you can get involved as deeply as you care to in social causes/politics, where you can become closely connected to your professors and their research, and where a sense of community (on campus and off) permeates your entire educational career." University of Oregon: come for the football and basketball, stay for the "incredible academics."

Students Say - Campus Life
Life at UO is amazing all year round, undergrads report. In the fall "there is football, warm but crisp weather, and our campus is gorgeous." During the winter "there are basketball games and a lot of indoor parties." Spring and summer "are gorgeous" and the best time to enjoy the area's many outdoor opportunities, because "the rain keeps people inside during the fall and winter." Hometown Eugene "is great for the outdoors.... There are mountains to hike, rivers to float, and lakes to swim in all within 15 minutes. The coast is an hour away; the mountains are only an hour away (if you ski during the winter)." The school's outdoor program "has several trips each week. Depending on the season, they have rock climbing, snow excursions, white water rafting, and camping trips." Eugene is also great for cultural life. "The Hult Center and other venues host extensive arts and entertainment opportunities including the annual Bach Festival, numerous other music festivals, art walks, the Saturday Market crafts fair-the list is extensive." Enthusiasm for sports permeates the campus, and "there's always a party going on" if that's what you're looking for. In short, "Whatever interests students hold, Eugene and the university usually have something going on that captures their attention."

Students Say - Student Body
There is a significant blend of students with different ethnicities, religious views, sexual orientations, and genders at the University of Oregon, where students tend to be "laid-back, environmentally conscious, and politically inclined...usually to the left." The population includes "more than its fair share of nerds, preps, theater kids, hippies, and maybe more pot smokers, but everyone seems to be super friendly, and most people just want to get along." The student body is "pretty white-bread," though, partly in reflection of the state of Oregon's demographics (the state is 93 percent white). "If they lowered out-of-state costs, more people would attend who are from ethnically diverse cities," one student suggests. A "large Asian and Middle Eastern population" accounts for much of the racial diversity here.

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