Oral Roberts University Eliminates over $500,000 in Student Account Balances
TULSA, Okla.—Oral Roberts University (ORU) announced this week the cancellation of over $500,000 to date on current student accounts. As a result, 646 qualified students received notice from the University that their account now carries a zero balance. This benefit will provide these students with a fresh financial start as they begin the Fall 2021 semester.
“I am very excited to make this announcement to our amazing students at ORU,” President William M. Wilson stated. “We were able to take over $500,000 of the Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds given to us as institutional aid to directly help our students in this way. This is in addition to several millions of dollars ORU students have received from the government in other COVID relief funds over the last year. We are always mindful of the cost of a college education, which is why at ORU, we are committed to the value of our educational model. We are grateful to have this occasion to assist so many students in their journey to become Whole Leaders for the Whole World.”
The elimination of the student account balances was accomplished through ORU’s institutional portion of the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF), awarded under the American Rescue Plan. ORU’s decision to utilize a portion of its HEERF institutional funds to eliminate unpaid account balances especially benefited students who owed monies that could have been a barrier to continuing their educational endeavors.
Alison Vujnovic, Assistant Vice President of Enrollment Management - Residential, expressed the excitement felt by ORU students receiving the information, “For these qualified students, this was great news. This development came at a time when many students remained undecided about college. Now, this roadblock is removed, and they can continue their academic journey.”
This is another celebratory moment for ORU, after making national headlines earlier this year when their basketball team became the NCAA “Cinderella Team” during March Madness. ORU’s research into a cure for cancer recently resulted in the University’s first patent. This year, the successful capital campaign called “Whole Leaders for the Whole World” is bringing extensive campus renovations and planned ground-breaking for several structures as well as ribbon-cutting for several educational centers. ORU is also recognized by US News and World Report as the #1 Best Value Regional College in the West.
Wilson also added, “ORU continues to be one of the most affordable universities in the nation, and all of our capital improvements come from donations, not student tuition. As a person who has paid for multiple university degrees myself, I realize that student debt is a severe problem for many young people,” he stated. “We are doing everything we can to assist our students financially and we’re thrilled to erase this over half a million dollars from student accounts owed to the University.”
Those seeking further information about HEERF funds for college, or other resources available, can learn more at oru.edu/today.
# # #
ABOUT ORAL ROBERTS UNIVERSITY
ORU is an interdenominational Christian Spirit-empowered university located in Tulsa,
Oklahoma. It is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Under the
leadership of Dr. William Wilson, ORU is preparing its students spiritually, mentally
and physically to be whole leaders for the whole world. It offers over 150 majors,
minors and pre-professional programs ranging from business and biology to engineering,
nursing, ministry, and more.
ORU is ranked by U.S. News & World Report as
• #1 Best Value Regional College in the West
• #1 in Undergraduate Teaching
• #3 in Best Colleges for Veterans
• #5 in Best Regional Colleges in the West
The Wall Street Journal ranks ORU as the #5 university in the nation for student engagement, which measures
interaction with faculty, collaborative learning, critical thinking, how the university
supports students applying what they learn to the real world, the extent to which
classes challenge students, and whether they would recommend the school to others.
For more information, visit www.oru.edu.