Oregon’s PathwayOregon tuition scholarship program faced a high-stakes problem for students experiencing homelessness when Bell Cambridge failed two courses in spring, creating a bill the scholarship would not cover. The program’s tuition waiver change now opens doors for hundreds of similar students by removing the repeat-course financial barrier. Cambridge described how, for Pathway students, repeating classes after failing can derail progress because funding rules historically did not cover repeat coursework. With the waiver in place, she said the path to finishing a degree becomes more realistic. The change matters for retention and completion metrics in higher education because students with unstable housing face compounded risks when short-term academic setbacks create long-term financial consequences.