PSU Magazine Fall 2005

~neration students succeed The largest U.S. high school class ever will graduate in 2009, lending urgency to the issue of access to higher education. However, econom– ics can shut the campus gates on promising students, notes Hoffman. The full cost of a college education includes more than tuition , which is less than 35 percent of a student's financial burden. Le and Webb can expect to spend approximately $17,000 per year for tuition, books, room and board, transportation , and other living expenses Portland State serves more students with high financial need than any other university in Oregon. Many, like Webb, are the first in their fami lies to attend college. Nearly 70 percent of PSU students receive financia l aid, mostly in the form of loans. Average loan debt at graduation approaches $18,000 and can take a decade or more to repay. lf the only aid a low-income stu– dent can procure is loans, the only alternative for some is to work more. Over 75 percent of PSU students work part or full time while tackling a fu ll academic schedule. The casualty 7 Living expenses $10,515 "Academic success," Hoffman says. "There's substantial evidence that inversely correlates the hours a stu– dent works and grade point averages. Increased work hours will decrease academic success. Earn more, learn less. " At Portland State availab le dollars for loans and work-study outnumber scholarships two to one. But gifts to the University's Building Our Future campaign are helping to narrow that gap. The campaign's scholarship goal totals $1534 million; over $12.85 million has been committed to date. Le and Webb enrolled as freshmen at Portland State in September, thanks to the new Hopes and Dreams Schol– arship created by an anonymous PSU Founda tion board member. The scholarship assists first-generation students with financial need. "I want students to believe that their dreams can become real ," the donor says. "These students are work– ing hard, they have talent and poten– tial. All that's missing is a little fina ncial assistance. I know this from my own experience. l look forward to hearing over the years how their lives worked out." "We had overwhelming response to our announcement of the Hopes and Dreams Scholar– ship," says Jo Lucke, PSU scholarship coordinator. "More than 130 qualified students from around the state app lied. There is defi– nitely an urgent need out there for this kind of assis– tance. " Fifteen recipients of the $2,500 awards began Average costs for an undergradu– ate student to take 14 credits at Portland State University. The Campaign for Portland State University classes on campus this fall. "I believe education is the greatest single socioeconomic facto r in our society. Providing opportunities to gain a h igher level of education can change lives," says Irving Levin, also a PSU Foundation board member. Levin and his wife, Stephanie Fowler, estab– lished a similar scholarship this sum– mer. The Irving Levin/Stephanie Fowler Scholarship will provide up to $4,000 a year for as many as four years for first-generation students with financial need and academic promise. "Many first-generation students face incredib le obstacles on the path to a university education," Fowler says. "We hope our schola rship pro– gram can move some of those obstacles out of the way. " The Hopes and Dreams Scholarship is helping to make a dream real for Le, who looks forward to becoming a pediatrician someday. "l was happy when I found out I got the scholar– ship-it will help a lot," she says. 'Tm excited to start college. I just hope I can meet everyone's expectations and do well. " -Katrina Ratzlaff Learn more about how the Building Our Future campaign is promoting student success on our Web site at www.pdx.edu/givinglplans.