Financially Smart from the start
1) If you are eligible to complete FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, you should fill out FAFSA every year. If you are eligible to fill out the Oregon student aid application, ORSAA, you should fill that out every year, too. Certain financial aid programs operate under a first-come, first-served basis.
2) Every OSU student should complete their ScholarDollars application, the one-stop shop for OSU and college and program scholarships. This unlocks financial opportunities that you may not have known about. The funds become available each November with a final application deadline of February 15.
3) A long-term academic plan keeps you organized and on track to your degree – or degrees. You’ll create an academic plan not just for your term, but for a longer view, too, so that you can get classes and prerequisites in the proper sequence, identify opportunities for a double major or minor or even an international study program.
4) We'll help you create a term-by-term “paying for college” plan and budget. We’ll look at tuition and fees and your food and shelter budget and make some charts and forecasts, so you’ll have a clear idea each term of what you’ll need for financial aid, scholarships and employment to stay financially secure.
5) Canvas, the organizational software that every OSU student uses, also links you to the wide range of available financial resources available – worksheets, videos, campus programs and more. Get familiar with this great tool.