The Lewis & Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling is making a historic, nearly $400,000, investment in need-based scholarships in response to the Federal government’s elimination of the Grad PLUS loan program, which previously provided support to people training for careers in mental health, education, and other professions.
The new Bridge the Gap Scholarship is intended to prioritize access to high quality graduate programs by reducing the financial barriers that will be left once students can no longer depend on Grad PLUS loans to support their education. All incoming graduate students who plan to start in fall 2026 and who have documented financial need will receive an award.
Lewis & Clark is the first school in Oregon to respond in this bold way, recognizing the critical importance its graduate programs in education and counseling play in the future of Oregon’s education system and in Oregonians’ access to mental health services. Oregon ranks near the bottom nation-wide in both of these areas. Having prepared the most mental health professionals of any training program in the state over the last decade, and as a leader in preparing educators committed to equity and social justice, the Lewis & Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling is uniquely poised to address this state-wide challenge.
“At this moment, as the federal government is actively divesting in higher education, we have an obligation to show up and support our students,” says Andy Saultz, dean of the Graduate School of Education and Counseling. “We are an institution who prepares future educators and mental health professionals, and we are acutely aware that just because funding goes away doesn’t mean the need in the community magically disappears. The demand for professionals in these fields will continue to grow, and we are committed to increasing student financial support to historic levels to ensure we can maintain a healthy pipeline of future educators and mental health practitioners.”
Approximately 85% of our incoming students report some level of financial need. We have to flip the script on the potentially devastating federal cuts and show our students that we support them, and that we will do everything in our power to ensure they can still access our high quality graduate programs.
Andy Saultz, dean of the Graduate School of Education and Counseling
Every incoming graduate student with documented financial need and whose program starts in fall 2026, after the July 1 cut-off date for Grad PLUS eligibility, will be granted a scholarship. These one-year scholarships will be calculated on an individual basis, with those showing higher financial need receiving the largest awards.
The graduate school is planning additional fundraising efforts to further bolster the fund, with the intent to offer awards over the next several years.
The Bridge the Gap Scholarship is not a direct replacement for the Grad PLUS loan. While the Grad PLUS loan’s purpose was to provide support to cover living expenses, Bridge the Gap scholarship dollars will be applied directly to tuition. Rebecca Sexton-Lee, director of graduate admissions at Lewis & Clark, explains that this is a strategic choice to ensure that students can leverage the full amount of their award as scholarships applied directly to tuition are not taxed.
While we recognize this is not the one perfect solution to address all need, we are compelled to respond however possible to offer supplemental support to as many students as we can, as quickly as we can.
Danielle Torres, associate dean of the Graduate School of Education and Counseling
The Bridge the Gap Scholarship for graduate students is just one element of the multi-pronged approach that Lewis & Clark is taking to help mitigate the financial impact caused by the elimination of the Grad PLUS loan. The Office of Financial Aid is currently in the process of negotiating a preferred lender list to help students source private loans at reasonable interest rates. The preferred lender list will be announced in mid-April. In the meantime, prospective students can research private student loan options by going to financial aid’s Private Loan page and scrolling to the ElmSelect private loan search tool. That tool will show verified lenders that other Lewis & Clark students have used in the past.
“Currently, the interest rate for a Grad PLUS loan is right around 9%,” says Saultz. “Ideally, our lenders will be able to offer our students options in that ballpark. Most importantly, however, we’ll be able to connect students with responsible lenders who offer reasonable rates to ensure they don’t get caught up in predatory lending scenarios.”
The graduate admissions office will be communicating directly with incoming graduate students about the Bridge the Gap Scholarship.
Individuals, alumni, and community advocates interested in donating to the Bridge the Gap Scholarship Fund can do so easily online. Every gift, in any amount, will help ensure Lewis & Clark graduate students can continue to access high quality programs in education and counseling.
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