Hillsboro families earning $80,000 or less a year have a new path to a private university education at no tuition cost.
Willamette University, located in Salem, announced Wednesday, Sept. 2 that its new Oregon Access Scholarship will cover full tuition for eligible Oregon students from families earning $80,000 or less starting in fall 2027. The university estimates roughly half of all Oregon families would qualify based on the income threshold.
Hillsboro's median household income is $103,207, according to city data. Because that is a median, a share of local households earns less, though no Hillsboro-specific breakdown of families below $80,000 is available.
What the scholarship covers
The scholarship pays tuition after federal Pell Grant and Oregon Opportunity Grant funds are applied. At Willamette's current rates, annual tuition runs about $56,640 for the Salem campus. Room, board and fees are not included. The university's total on-campus cost of attendance for 2026-27 is $74,812, according to its tuition page.
The award is renewable for up to eight semesters as long as students continue to meet eligibility requirements. A parallel scholarship, the PNCA Oregon Arts Access Scholarship, covers tuition for the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, which is part of Willamette University.
No cap on recipients
William Mullen, Willamette's vice president for enrollment management, told KGW there is no limit on how many students can receive the award.
"As long as we have enough seats for students, we can scale this so there's no certain limit to it in terms of the numbers," Mullen said.
Mullen said the scholarship does not change Willamette's admission standards. About 40% of the university's current students are from Oregon.
Salem Reporter described the awards as non-competitive, meaning students are not vying against each other for a limited pool.
Deadlines for Hillsboro students
Students applying for fall 2027 must meet three deadlines:
- Admission application: Nov. 1, 2026
- All required application materials: Nov. 13, 2026
- 2027-28 FAFSA or Oregon Student Aid Application: Dec. 1, 2026
Both first-year and transfer students are eligible. Full details are available on Willamette's Oregon Access Scholarship page.
The Hillsboro School District serves about 18,781 students across 34 schools, including four high schools: Glencoe, Hilhi, Century and Liberty. Seniors and their families planning for fall 2027 enrollment have less than two months to submit an admission application.
