Oklahoma colleges boost support for scholarship

The system budgeted about $267.7 million for those programs, which include tuition waivers and institutional and private scholarships. Loans are not included in that total.

More than 68 percent of students who attend the state's public colleges receive some form of financial aid, according to a 2010 report by the State Regents for Higher Education.

More than half of the total financial aid awarded to Oklahoma students in 2008-09 was in the form of loans, according to the report. The other 48 percent came from scholarships, grants and work study.

Tuition and mandatory fees will increase by an average 5.9 percent this year. Other costs, including housing and meal plans, also are increasing.

College administrators said they are looking for creative ways to help offset rising costs. A number of schools have added book checkout or rental programs and increased work-study options.

Six or seven years ago, Cameron University added an emergency loan program. Students can borrow as much as $250 for emergency situations that could hinder their ability to attend classes. Last year, 15 students took out a combined 17 loans, said Glen Pinkston, Cameron's vice president for business and finance.

“It's about accessibility and affordability to our students,” Pinkston said.

In 2010, Cameron's graduates had the third-lowest debt load of 572 like institutions surveyed, according to a report by U.S. News and World Report.