Oregon’s PathwayOregon scholarship program includes a tuition waiver mechanism that is expanding access for students who experienced homelessness after course failure created barriers to continuing. Bell Cambridge, an University of Oregon student, said the scholarship could not cover repeat courses, leaving her facing two failed classes and a major financial setback during her freshman spring term. The waiver addresses a structural gap tied to how repeat coursework is funded, which can derail persistence for students carrying financial risk from unstable housing histories. For higher education institutions, the policy reinforces the need to align aid rules with academic support realities, especially around course retakes and completion pacing. The change is framed as opening doors for hundreds of eligible students, shifting program flexibility in ways that can reduce preventable stops in degree progression.