Oregon Sports Lottery Graduate Scholarship Program

As part of the Oregon Sports Lottery, funds were made available for graduate scholarships beginning in the Fall of the 1992-93 academic year. The objective of this program is to encourage highly qualified individuals to pursue graduate work in selected fields at Oregon institutions by expanding the resources available for financial aid to graduate students in the hope they will remain in Oregon. It is expected that the program will also contribute to increasing the number of underrepresented minority and women students at the graduate and professional level and help to alleviate the anticipated shortage of individuals trained at the doctoral level. The funds are to be allocated so as to have a substantial impact in recruiting and retaining Oregon's best students.

If this program is funded for 2005-06, the Oregon Sports Lottery Graduate Scholarships will be annual cash awards made to full time graduate degree students at PSU. They will be disbursed in three equal amounts at the beginning of each quarter (Fall '05, Winter '06, Spring '06). The amount of the awards will be up to $12,000 per year for master's students and up to $15,000 per year for doctoral students, with adjustments made if the applicant has additional support. Preference will be given to students in areas supported by doctoral programs at PSU. If the student is receiving financial aid, this award will affect the aid package. If the Oregon Sports Lottery Graduate Scholarship Program is continued, the awards can be renewed by application for up to one additional year for master's students (two years total) and up to two additional years (three years total) for doctoral students.

Complete nomination packets will be accepted from departments or graduate degree programs only, not from students directly, and departments/programs are encouraged to nominate only their most outstanding students for these awards.

A student is eligible for nomination for an Oregon Sports Lottery Graduate Scholarship if the following requirements are met:

  • The student is a United States citizen or permanent resident;
  • The student is regularly admitted (or has applied to and will be regularly admitted by Fall 2005) to a master's or doctoral degree program at Portland State University;
  • The student has an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0, and/or a graduate GPA of at least 3.5;
  • The student is a full time graduate degree student at PSU and successfully completes a minimum of 9 credits required for her/his graduate degree program in each term of the award.
  • Nomination packages must include the department chair or program director's guarantee of a graduate assistantship, including tuition remission, funded by the department or program for the terms of the student's award.

If this program is funded for 2005-06, scholarships may be awarded on the basis of merit only and/or on the basis of merit plus need. At the time this information is being prepared, it is not certain that any award funds will be available for the 2005-06 academic year.

Application Instructions

Complete nomination packets must include all of the following items. Incomplete nominations will not be reviewed.

  • A Letter of Nomination from the department chair or program director, including a statement of support indicating how the interest of the applicant fits with the departmental/program areas of instruction and research and the department/program's willingness to provide the appropriate level of academic support. This commitment can take many forms but it must include a graduate assistantship, including tuition remission, funded by the department/program for the terms of the student's award.
  • An Application Form (form OGS sch1 2/05) completed by the student. (A copy of a 2005-2006 Roberts, Low, and/or Jorgenson scholarship application will suffice.)

    Get Application Packet

  • A copy of all transcripts (official or unofficial) from all previous colleges, excluding PSU. (If the nominee is also applying for the Roberts, Low, and/or Jorgenson awards, she/he may photocopy transcripts to include with this nomination packet.) Transcripts cannot be copied from the Admissions Office files.
  • A one page statement from the student of career and educational goals specifically in relation to this program's goals.
  • Two Letters of Recommendation from current or former instructors specifically addressing the goals and criteria of this program.
  • Nominated students requesting consideration on the basis of need are required to file the 2005-2006 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (available in the Financial Aid Office and on the Web at http://studentaid.ed.gov) naming PSU as a recipient of application data (Section 6 #86; PSU code # 003216) AND to provide a separate statement regarding their specific financial need circumstances.

Deadline

Complete nomination packets must be delivered by the nominating departments to the psu office of graduate studies (Unitus Building, 6th floor) no later than Friday, April 15, 2005.

At the time this application is being prepared, we do not know whether this award will be funded. While we will accept nominations, no awards will be made unless and until funds are available.