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A Bachelor's AND a Master's, Tuition Waived — for the Family

Oregon waives tuition at its public universities and at OHSU for the family of a service member who DIED ON ACTIVE DUTY, died of a service-connected disability, is 100% SERVICE-CONNECTED DISABLED, or received the PURPLE HEART. The scope is the striking part: UP TO FOUR YEARS' FULL-TIME CREDIT HOURS toward a baccalaureate AND UP TO TWO YEARS toward a MASTER'S. Very little in this corpus reaches postgraduate study. The waiver may be reduced by other aid. You must be an Oregon resident.

Verified August 27, 2026

What this benefit is

Oregon waives tuition at its public universities and at OHSU for the family of a service member who DIED ON ACTIVE DUTY, died of a service-connected disability, is 100% SERVICE-CONNECTED DISABLED, or received the PURPLE HEART. The scope is the striking part: UP TO FOUR YEARS' FULL-TIME CREDIT HOURS toward a baccalaureate AND UP TO TWO YEARS toward a MASTER'S. Very little in this corpus reaches postgraduate study. The waiver may be reduced by other aid. You must be an Oregon resident.

What it's worth: Tuition waived for up to four years of a bachelor's and two of a master's

  • UP TO FOUR YEARS' full-time credit hours toward a BACCALAUREATE.
  • PLUS UP TO TWO YEARS' toward a MASTER'S DEGREE. Postgraduate coverage is rare in this corpus.
  • Qualifying routes: the member DIED ON ACTIVE DUTY, died of a service-connected disability, is 100% SERVICE-CONNECTED DISABLED, or received the PURPLE HEART.
  • At ORS 352.002 public universities and OHSU.
  • THE APPLICANT MUST BE AN OREGON RESIDENT.
  • THE WAIVER MAY BE REDUCED BY OTHER AID — so a large scholarship does not stack on top of it.
  • Statutory basis: ORS 350.285.

Who is entitled to it

  • You are in one of the groups this reaches.
  • You meet one of the routes.
  • The member died on active duty or of a service-connected disability.
  • The member is 100% service-connected disabled.
  • You are enrolled or applying.
  • Oregon public universities and OHSU.

Not sure whether that describes you?

Answer a few questions about this benefit specifically — we only ask what this one actually depends on, and we stop as soon as we know.

How to claim it

  1. 1Apply through the university's veterans or financial aid office, citing ORS 350.285.
  2. 2Ask about the master's entitlement at the same time as the bachelor's. Two years of postgraduate tuition is the part people do not know to claim.
  3. 3If the member received the Purple Heart, that is a route in its own right — no death or 100% rating needed.
  4. 4File other aid carefully: the waiver may be reduced by it, so a scholarship can displace rather than add.
  5. 5Establish Oregon residency before applying; the applicant's residency is what is tested.
Form
Application through your Oregon public university
File with
Your Oregon public university
Annual
Claimed once a year.
Worth knowingThe Purple Heart route needs no death and no rating. A family whose member came home wounded and recovered may still be inside this.

Sources

This finder provides an informational match, not a government eligibility determination. The responsible agency decides your application.