Seventy college students from the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs are at risk of losing financial aid this academic year — not because they are ineligible, but because their applications for the Oregon Tribal Student Grant (OTSG) remain incomplete ahead of the September 30 priority deadline.

CTWS Higher Education Coordinator Gerald Smith has been sounding the alarm, urging affected students to log in to OregonStudentAid.gov immediately and submit any missing materials before the month ends.

What Is the Oregon Tribal Student Grant?

The Oregon Tribal Student Grant is a state-funded scholarship program available to enrolled members of Oregon’s nine federally recognized tribes. It is designed to help cover tuition, fees, and other college expenses — and for many students, it is a critical piece of making higher education financially possible.

The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs consistently represent one of the largest groups of OTSG recipients in the state. Since the program’s launch, it has expanded access to college for tribal students across Oregon, including those attending community colleges and four-year universities.

Who Is at Risk — and Who Is Not

According to KWSO, students who applied directly through the local CTWS Tribal Scholarship process are fully compliant and do not need to take additional action. The students at risk are those who pursued the OTSG through the state portal separately and left portions of the application incomplete.

Common reasons applications remain incomplete include missing verification documents, unsigned forms, or required steps on the OregonStudentAid.gov platform that were left unfinished after the initial application was started.

What Students Need to Do

If you are a CTWS tribal college student who applied for the OTSG independently of the local tribal scholarship, take these steps now:

  • Log in to OregonStudentAid.gov
  • Check your application status for any outstanding items
  • Contact the CTWS Higher Education Department if you need guidance
  • Submit all materials before September 30, 2026

The September 30 deadline is a priority deadline, meaning students who complete their applications by that date will be reviewed for award consideration. Students who miss it may lose funding for the 2026–27 academic year.

Don’t Wait

With only two weeks remaining, time is short. Students who are unsure of their status should contact the Warm Springs Higher Education Department directly or visit OregonStudentAid.gov as soon as possible. This is a correctable situation — but only if action is taken before the deadline.