Pacific Offers Support for Concordia Students

We are deeply saddened to learn of the announced closure of Concordia University Portland.

As community members and higher education professionals, we hope that all displaced Concordia students find the right college or university to complete their degrees.

Since the announcement of closure, we have been working with Concordia’s faculty, staff, and administration to help support students who will need to transition to another university to complete their programs. We are working with all students interested in finishing their degrees at Pacific University. To make this unexpected transition as smooth as possible we have created a webpage with helpful information and resources.

We have a simple, straightforward application for Concordia students, to streamline the admission process, and are waiving application fees for those who apply. 

Students will be considered for Pacific merit scholarships, grants, and part-time financial aid. Concordia Portland undergraduate students in good standing, and incoming undergraduate students admitted by Concordia will be accepted for admission and will qualify for merit scholarships, in the range of $12,000 to $24,000 per year. As always, students are also eligible for need-based financial aid.

We also know that this unfortunate news, coupled with the recent closures of Marylhurst University, Oregon School of Arts and Crafts and the Art Institute of Portland, may cause some to question the financial strength of other private and public higher education institutions in Oregon, including Pacific. 

For the last 18 years, Pacific has operated with positive net operating revenue each year. In fact, at the end of our last fiscal year, June 30, 2019, we posted the highest net gain in over two decades. We continue to make sound financial choices to support students in undergraduate and graduate programs across our four campuses. While traditional-aged college student populations may be declining, we continue to innovate and offer programs and degrees from highly qualified and notable faculty that prepare students to thrive in today’s world. 

Our most recent report from the credit rating company Moody’s reinforces that stability: "Pacific University's good credit quality (Baa2) reflects its good strategic positioning supported by management's discipline to consistently generate solid operating surpluses through careful programming oversight leading to strong growth in net tuition revenue and sound annual debt coverage." As further evidence of our strength, U.S. News and World Report lists Pacific University No. 47 on their list of 50 Best Value Schools among National Universities, a ranking that combines the level of quality in comparison to price.

I encourage you to browse through the State of The University presentation from November 2019 to learn more about our fiscal health and our exciting future as we chart the course to 2030 to continue to serve students, our alumni and our community.