Understanding Your Financial Aid Award

To view your financial aid offer, you will need to log in to myPSU . If you are a new student, you will need to activate your PSU Student (Odin) Account to log in. For help understanding financial aid terms, review our Financial Aid Glossary.

Log in to myPSU.
Navigate to the Finances page.
Under Financial Aid, select View more on your Financial Aid Dashboard.
Select the Award Year.

We've explained below, what each section in your offer means.

Financial Aid information showing dropdowns for expected enrollment status, housing status, and expected family contribution

1: Expected Enrollment Status & Housing Status: This section displays what your expected level of enrollment will be for the upcoming school year (full time or part time) and your future housing plans (on-campus, off-campus, or living at home). Full time enrollment = registered for 12 credits or more

2: Cost of Attendance: This is an itemized list of what it will cost the typical student to attend PSU.

Billable Items are the expected tuition and fees you will be required to pay PSU for your intended program. These charges are based on your Expected Enrollment Status listed above.
Non-Billable Items are secondary charges that students can expect to pay to attend the university. They include items like room, board, books and other indicentials. The amount in each category is determined annual student survey. If you expect to pay more for these items in the upcoming school year, then please see the section on managing your financial aid for more information

Grants and Scholarships to Pay for College and Net Cost

3: Grants and Scholarships to Pay for College: This portion details any grants and scholarships that you have been awarded. These could be federal grants like Pell or the Supplemental Opportunity Grant, or they could be state grants like Oregon Opportunity Grant. You may also be awarded other grants and scholarships from PSU, like the Tuition-Free Degree or the Rose City Scholarship. Regardless of their source, all of these funds represent ‘free’ money to attend PSU.

If you have been awarded an outside scholarship, it may not appear on your initial award letter. These scholarships are often processed over the summer and may not be available when you first look at your award letter.

4: Loans: This is a list of all of the student loans that you are eligible to receive. Unlike the previous section these are funds that you are expected to pay back, after you leave PSU. Portland State does not automatically award either Parent PLUS loans or Private Alternative Loans. See our website for more information on the differences between loan types.

This section may also display any Work Study funds that you have been awarded. Unlike other aid, Work-Study is paid to students who find a job either on campus or with one of our university partners. Be aware, Work-Study has its own set of deadlines, terms, and conditions.

Understanding Your Cost of Attendance

Tuition

The cost of courses; usually charged by the credit. This number can vary based on how a college defines full-time and part-time. At Portland State full-time enrollment is 12 credits or more; most students need to take at least 15 credits per term to complete their degree in four years (taking fewer credits extends this time frame). Students majoring in programs in The School of Business, Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science, College of the Arts and University Honors College are charged a higher rate per credit.

Fees

Students are required to pay a number of fees, which include the Building fee, Incidental fee, Health Service fee, Academic Student Recreation Center fee, and a one-time Matriculation fee. Other special course fees are charged based on the courses you enroll in, such as online course fees, lab fees, and art fees.

Housing & Meals

Sometimes referred to as “Room & Board,” this includes your cost to live on campus and your meal plan, or rent and food if you live off campus.

Books & Supplies

These are materials you’ll need for your classes including textbooks, lab materials, art supplies, software, notebooks and pens and pencils. You can save money by using the PSU library, renting books and supplies, or finding deals.

Transportation

Your transportation costs will vary depending on whether you live at home, on campus or off campus. This can include the cost of public transportation to get to and from campus, costs to get around Portland, or costs to park on campus and pay for car maintenance. If you are from outside the Portland area your costs might also include an estimate to go home for breaks.

Personal Expenses

Personal expenses could include things like toiletries, clothes, eating out or other entertainment.

Health Insurance

PSU requires all students enrolled in five or more credits per term to have comprehensive health insurance. If you already have comparable health insurance, you can waive the PSU Health Insurance Plan. Students who do not apply to waive it are automatically enrolled in the PSU Health Insurance Plan.

Covering Costs

Grants & Scholarships

You do not have to repay these funds. The grants and scholarships listed on your offer are based on your academic record, FAFSA or ORSAA, and state residency. Grants and scholarships are calculated using the information we have available. If your final academic records or your aid application change, your eligibility for financial aid programs could change.

Grants listed are offered to you based on your family’s financial need as determined by your FAFSA or ORSAA. Grant eligibility and/or amounts can change each year based on your enrollment level (full time or part time) and/or your Student Aid Index (SAI) as determined by your FAFSA or ORSAA.
Scholarships listed are usually based on academic merit (GPA or test scores), financial need, or both. The scholarships included in your offer are PSU Scholarships and/or external scholarships you reported to us.

Loans

Federal student loans listed on your offer are based on your FAFSA and grade level at PSU. Federal student loans are low-interest loans that require repayment after you are no longer enrolled at PSU. Loans can help you to cover the difference between your grants, scholarships and personal financial resources and what you need to pay for college. Federal student loans offer a variety of repayment plans to incorporate into your short- and long-term financial goals. Financial Wellness Center coaches are a great resource to discuss options before taking on loans.

Student Employment

Federal Work Study funds are not guaranteed; you earn Work Study if you are hired for a student job on campus that is designated as a Federal Work Study job and can help offset your total cost of attendance. Work Study jobs are also available with community service and non-profit agencies off campus that have contracted with PSU. We encourage everyone to look at PSU’s job opportunities at pdx.edu/careers.

Academic Services & Resources

Multicultural Retention Services (MRS) provides academic support, advising, referrals, and advocacy to students who are first generation, low income and/or from diverse and multicultural backgrounds: pdx.edu/multicultural-retention-services. TRIO Student Support Services provides academic support, advising referrals, advocacy to students who are first generation, low income and/or from diverse backgrounds: pdx.edu/trio-student-support-services.

Have Questions?

Contact the Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships to get answers to your questions.

Connect with us via Chat, email, phone, or make an appointment (in-person or virtual).

Contact Financial Aid

Connect with the Financial Wellness Center

To get help with your student account, understanding your costs, or creating a budget to plan how you’ll pay, visit the Financial Wellness Center.

Drop in to the FWC