Scholarships administered by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education are designed to help Oklahomans access and complete higher education by reducing financial barriers, supporting student success, and preparing learners for meaningful careers that strengthen Oklahoma’s communities and workforce.

Using the authority granted to it by the Oklahoma Constitution and state law (70 O.S. § 3206(i)), the State Regents have created the State Regents Workforce Ready Scholarship to help support students pursuing education in high-demand occupations across the state.

This scholarship is designed to advance the State Regents’ constitutional and statutory mission by supporting students pursuing education and training in workforce areas essential to Oklahoma’s economic growth and workforce needs. The State Regents Workforce Ready Scholarship is awarded to Oklahoma residents enrolled at a public college or university within the state whose academic programs correspond with in-demand occupations, targeting fields aligned with documented high-demand occupations as determined through State Regents’ labor market analyses.

Recipients of the scholarship receive financial support to assist with tuition, fees, and book expenses, with award amounts varying based on the institution attended. The scholarship shall be administered in accordance with applicable statutes and rules promulgated by the State Regents.

Scholarship Eligibility

To be considered for the State Regents Workforce Ready Scholarship, applicants must fulfill all of the criteria listed below:

1. Applicants are required to be full-time undergraduate students, registered for a minimum of 12 credit hours per semester, and must sustain full-time enrollment at an accredited public institution within Oklahoma.
2. Under exceptional circumstances, applicants may seek an exemption from full-time enrollment, provided the applicant has enrolled in a minimum of 6 credit hours. Such an exemption must be based on unforeseen factors including employment obligations, caregiving responsibilities, disability, or other well-documented and substantiated conditions, consistent with applicable federal and state law. The State Regents will evaluate exemption requests and may grant approval on either a semester-by-semester basis or until the applicant returns to full-time enrollment.
3. Applicants must be enrolled in a degree-seeking program aligned with a high-demand occupation or an emerging, high-demand field with projected job growth as defined by the State Regents.
4. Scholarship recipients must hold a minimum 2.0 Cumulative GPA.
5. Scholarship recipients are required to demonstrate completion of a work-based learning experience. The State Regents defines work-based learning as a planned, structured learning experience that provides students with real-life or simulated work experiences, allowing them to develop and apply academic, technical, and essential skills. Such experience may include apprenticeship, pre-apprenticeship, clinical experience, cooperative education, externship, fellowship, internship, job shadowing, practicum, residency, service learning, or work-based simulations.

Scholarship Application Process

Eligible students must submit a complete application consisting of the following:

• Career pathway portfolio documenting participation in a work-based learning (WBL) experience, as defined by the State Regents. A career pathway portfolio could include a partnership agreement or contract, student placement documentation, training plans, project notes, photos, and/or other proof of an existing working relationship.
• Documentation demonstrating high-demand alignment. Acceptable sources may include:
  • Oklahoma Employment Security Commission Critical Occupation List
  • News articles
  • Job postings
  • Occupational Outlook Handbook Summary
• A letter of support from a career services professional, faculty advisor, or business/industry advisor.
• An official transcript.

All applications must be submitted through the designated application process by the published deadline. Applicants are encouraged to creatively demonstrate their career pathway portfolio.

Applications will be evaluated through a blind review process conducted by volunteer members of the State Regents’ Economic Development Council. If further documentation is required, applicants will be notified via the email provided in their application.

Scholarship Selection and Award Notification

Recipients are selected in the spring semester and receive their award in the following fall semester, provided they continue to meet eligibility requirements. Award notifications are sent to applicants and institutions by the end of January, with payments made to financial aid offices in the following fall semester. Scholars are recognized at a State Regents meeting in March/April.

This scholarship is a one-time award and may be transferred to another institution within the Oklahoma state system of public colleges and universities, which comprises 25 institutions. The scholarship is contingent upon available funding. If the Oklahoma Legislature does not allocate funds, or if there is a reduction or termination of any funding source for the required payments under this scholarship, the award will not be granted.

Scholarship Benefits

State Regents Workforce Ready Scholars will receive a one-time scholarship to offset the cost of tuition, fees, and books. The amount varies by institution and is not renewable; recipients will only receive this award once. Payment is made directly to the institution on behalf of the student. If the award exceeds the cost of attendance, funds may be distributed across two semesters.

Research Institution	Regional Institution	Two-year Institution
$7,000	$5,000	$3,000

Contact Information

If you have questions or need additional information about the State Regents Workforce Ready Scholarship, please contact Dr. Lucia Dickinson, Coordinator for Workforce and Economic Development, at ldickinson@osrhe.edu or call 405-225-9180.