Western Oregon University Attempts to Attract Concordia Students, Waives Fees

After Concordia University’s unexpected announcement that they are closing this spring, Western Oregon University has been taking action to attract current and incoming Concordia students. At a WOU open house this Friday, February 21 at the McMenamins Kennedy School Gymnasium in Portland, Concordia students will be able to apply for the university with no application fee. Additionally, WOU will be awarding current and incoming Concordia students at least $1000 toward their tuition.   

Concordia University, a nonprofit liberal arts Lutheran college in Portland, recently announced that they will be closing their doors this spring due to money issues. This statement came very unexpectedly, especially since the university just recently held a large fundraising event that ended up raising $355,000. The closing of Concordia leaves thousands of students and faculty confused and with nowhere to go. To compensate, many Oregon universities have been attempting to attract these students to their schools with incentives, such as waiving application fees and providing tuition assistance.   

The announcement has been met with some questions and anger from the public and Concordia’s students. Some are asking about the school’s stance on LGBTQ issues and whether they played a role in the school’s closure. Some students have even filed a lawsuit to get their money back for the tuition they paid for spring term, stating that they would not have paid the tuition if they had known about the school’s financial situation.  

Concordia Supported LGBTQ Students: ELCA affiliated Lutherans support LGBTQ people, however Concordia’s parent organizations is the more conservative Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. The LCMS gave the university a $4 million bailout in November. But, the Board minutes for November also state a condition, “Resolved, that the chairman of the board inform the leadership of the Concordia University System and Concordia University, Portland, that it will not again approve any financial action for the benefit of the university until the university has substantively addressed the issues regarding the Gender and Sexuality Resource Center and brought its articles and bylaws back into conformity with the requirements of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.”  

By Cara Nixon