(NAME-MCE) University of Oregon opens doors to achievement with PathwayOregon

[Anselmo Villanueva]

----Original Message-----
From: Public & Media Relations
Sent: Wednesday, January 02, 2008 11:44 AM

Subject: University of Oregon opens doors to achievement with PathwayOregon

(This release is available on the Web at: http://tinyurl.com/2awtd7.)

University of Oregon opens doors to achievement with PathwayOregon:
PathwayOregon helps cover tuition and fees for lower income Oregonians
starting as freshmen next fall

EUGENE, Ore. -- (Jan. 2, 2008) -- University of Oregon President Dave
Frohnmayer announced today details of a promise to cover tuition and
fees for lower-income Oregonians entering the university as freshmen
next fall.

The promise, called PathwayOregon, guarantees that qualified Oregonians
from lower income families can attend the UO tuition free by covering
any remaining tuition costs not picked up by federal and state financial
aid. It also provides students with comprehensive academic support and
in some cases room and board. PathwayOregon is the first pledge of its
kind at a public university in Oregon.

"At a time of fluctuating state support, escalating tuition and
increased student debt, we are committed to providing more Oregonians
than ever the financial boost they need to study at the state's flagship
university," Frohnmayer said. "I am proud to present PathwayOregon as a
cornerstone of that effort."

Lower income Oregonians who are eligible for federal Pell Grants and are
entering the UO next fall as freshman qualify for the program, which
ensures that a combination of federal, state, and institutional grants
and scholarships cover tuition and fees. A handful of PathwayOregon
students will also qualify for room and board bonuses, which provide
annual grant funding equivalent to the cost of a double room and
standard meal plan at a UO residence hall.

While PathwayOregon is the first such plan in the state, it is similar
to programs offered around the country. Few if any, however, offer the
comprehensive academic and social support built into PathwayOregon, said
UO Senior Vice President and Provost Linda Brady.

"PathwayOregon students will receive personal guidance from a
PathwayOregon adviser, who will help them settle into the university,
reach achievement goals and ultimately launch careers," Brady said. "By
removing the burden of tuition and fees, we are providing these students
with the chance to engage in their studies without additional
financial concerns."

To qualify for PathwayOregon, Oregonians must be from lower income
families, be eligible for the federal Pell Grant, submit a completed
admissions application by Jan. 15, be admitted as freshmen, have a Free
Application for Federal Student Aid on file with the UO by March 1 and
submit on time an application for one of two university scholarships.

Details on PathwayOregon can be found at
http://www.uoregon.edu/~pathway/.

About the University of Oregon

The University of Oregon is a world-class teaching and research
institution and Oregon's flagship public university. The UO is a member
of the Association of American Universities (AAU), an organization made
up of 62 of the leading public and private research institutions in the
United States and Canada. Membership in the AAU is by invitation only.
The University of Oregon is one of only two AAU members in the Pacific
Northwest.

Contact: Phil Weiler, senior director, Office of Public and Media
Relations, 541-346-3873, pweiler at uoregon.edu

Link: PathwayOregon, http://www.uoregon.edu/~pathway/

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UNIVERSITY OF OREGON NEWS
Office of Public & Media Relations
1239 University of Oregon * Eugene, OR 97403-1239
Phone: (541) 346-3134 * Fax: (541) 346-2537
mailto:pmr at uoregon.edu * http://pmr.uoregon.edu