Merit Scholarships for First Year Students
SOU’s Office of Admissions automatically considers most first-year applicants for merit-based scholarships when they apply for fall term admission by the February 1 priority date.
Students who submit their admission application after February 1 may still be considered for scholarships, subject to funding availability.
Please note: Merit-based scholarship consideration is available only for fall term starts and does not apply to resident-by-exception populations, including American Samoa and the North State Promise program.
Additional scholarships may be awarded to students who complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the Southern Oregon Scholarship Application (SOSA).
2026-2027 First Year Scholarships for Oregon Residents, WUE‡ State Residents, and Non-Residents:
Raider Scholar*
Minimum GPA: 3.95+
Oregon residents: $5,000/yr
WUE residents: $3,000/yr
Non-residents: $12,000/yr
Laurels Scholarship*
Minimum GPA: 3.75 to 3.949
Oregon residents: $3,000/yr
WUE residents: $2,000/yr
Non-residents: $10,000/yr
Churchill Scholarship*
Minimum GPA: 3.5 to 3.749
Oregon residents: $2,000/yr
Minimum GPA: 3.25 to 3.749
WUE residents: $1,000/yr
Non-residents: $8,000/yr
Siskiyou Scholarship*
Minimum GPA: 3.00 to 3.499
Oregon residents: $1,000/yr
WUE residents: n/a
Non-residents: n/a
Additional First Year Scholarships for Oregon Residents, WUE‡ State Residents, and Non-Residents:
Southern Oregon Scholarship Application (SOSA)
The SOSA is a general scholarship application for over 80 scholarships. Available to all incoming and current SOU students. Must be admitted to SOU to apply. Deadline extended – March 15th
Departmental Scholarships for Oregon Residents, WUE‡ State Residents, and Non-Residents:
Several departments operate their own scholarship programs. Students who have declared a major should check with their department about how to apply for departmental scholarship opportunities.
* Admitted students who apply before February 1st are automatically considered for merit-based scholarships upon admission to SOU. Scholarship is renewable if recipient maintains full-time status AND good academic standing.
‡ Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) Tuition Savings
Residents of the 16 participating WUE states automatically receive Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) tuition rate upon admission to SOU, a savings of almost $13,000 per year! Not available to students eligible for North State Promise or California Exchange tuition rates.