Oregon Private College Week Begins July 24

PORTLAND, OR — Beginning July 24, one dozen private, nonprofit colleges and universities in Oregon for one week will open their doors and offer prospective students informational tours with the hope that one of the participating institutions will gain a few new matriculants.

Officially declared by Oregon Gov. Kate Brown in May, Oregon Private College Week is designed to draw attention to what's being offered at the state's lesser-known schools, tout the benefits of receiving a secondary education from a non-public institution, and further promote the state's goal to see 40 percent of Oregonians with bachelor's degrees or higher by 2025.

Oregon Private College Week is the result of the latest collaborative project by the Oregon Alliance of Independent Colleges and Universities, which serves as a promotional hub for its member institutions by providing advocacy, facilitating cooperation, and encouraging collaborations with the government and public sector, as well as among the colleges themselves.

"It's important for prospective students to find the school that's the best fit for them, that best supports their college and career aspirations," Alliance President Kristen Grainger said in a statement. "Campus visits are the best way for students to get a sense of a particular school and envision themselves as a part of that community."

Between July 24 and July 28, 12 Alliance-member campuses will welcome hundreds of hopeful students and their families to facility tours and admission information sessions.

Sessions will be held twice daily at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Future students who preregister for four sessions — and then attend all four — will see their enrollment application fee waived. The deadline for preregistration is 10 a.m. July 19. Walk-ins will be welcomed after, of course, but the fee waiver will no longer be available.

The following Alliance-member colleges and universities are participating (click the link to be re-directed to the school's registration page):

• Concordia University — 2811 N.E. Holman St. in Portland (website);
• Corban University — 5000 Deer Park Dr. S.E. in Salem (website);
• George Fox University — 414 N. Meridian St. in Newberg (website);
• Lewis & Clark College — 0615 S.W. Palatine Hill Rd. in Portland (website);
• Linfield College — 900 S.E. Baker St. in McMinnville (website);
• Marylhurst University — 17600 Pacific Highway in Marylhurst (website);
• Northwest Christian University — 828 E. 11th Ave. in Eugene (website);
• Pacific University — 2043 College Way in Forest Grove (website);
• Reed College — 3203 S.E. Woodstock Blvd. in Portland (website);
• University of Portland — 5000 N. Willamette Blvd. in Portland (website);
• Warner Pacific College — 2219 S.E. 68th Ave. in Portland (website); and
• Willamette University — 900 State St. in Salem (website).

According to Alliance officials, the organization's member colleges and universities offer degrees in more than 260 fields of study and enroll 19 percent of the state's undergraduate students. Watch the Alliance's two-minute video for more fast facts about the state's private and nonprofit schools.

Image: ihsanadity via Pixabay.com