Seattle Pacific reaches out to Concordia University-Portland students

Seattle Pacific University will offer students at Concordia University-Portland special scholarships and an expedited application process to help them finish their degrees. Concordia, located in northeast Portland and one of the largest private universities in Oregon, announced this week that they will cease operations in May 2020.

SPU announced it will offer eligible Concordia undergraduate students up to $7,000 in transfer scholarships if they apply by April 1, in addition to other merit and need-based financial aid. SPU will accept 100% of Concordia credits, offer an expedited application process, and waive normal application fees. More than ten Concordia undergraduate programs match similar ones at SPU, and several more programs are also being reviewed.

“We were saddened to hear of Concordia’s closure, as we share with them a Christian higher education mission,” says Nate Mouttet, vice president of enrollment management and marketing. “Faculty and staff across campus quickly responded with offers to help their undergraduate and graduate students finish their areas of study.”

For Concordia graduate students, SPU is easing some of their transfer graduate credit requirements as well as waiving the application fee and offering an expedited transfer process. Similar graduate and doctoral programs in business and education are offered at both institutions, and SPU graduate faculty have been in contact with Concordia faculty to find ways of helping their online graduate students.

This is the third time in recent years SPU has supported students transferring from a campus that is closing. In 2016, SPU supported 12 students who transferred from Trinity Lutheran College, and in 2019 provided a pathway for 24 students from the Art Institute of Seattle to pursue the completion of their degrees.

Posted: Thursday, February 13, 2020