Such schemes include 'Better A Life' Scholarship, 'Why Not?' Scholarship, Anna F. Jones Scholarship, and Ben Walker/Mikael Nickolauson Thurston High School Memorial Scholarship. As many as 77% of the students at CGCC get some sort of financial aid, and the total amount of assistance/loans provided is more than $707,709 in a year. More information regarding the financial assistance schemes can be accessed on CGCC’s official financial aid page at http://www.cgcc.edu/financial-aid. The total percentage of candidates applying to Columbia Gorge Community College who receive the Federal Grant is 50%. Meanwhile, 51% of the applicants receive the Student Grant, while 50% of the students get the Pell Grant. And, for the Pell Grant awardees, the average aid amount is $3,610. Among other things, the annual family income of the applicant plays a major role in determining the total financial aid they are actually eligible to receive. Apart from financial grants and scholarships, candidates can also avail of monetary benefits like student loans to fund their education. But, they should understand that student loans are borrowed at a certain rate of interest, unlike grants and scholarships. While grants and scholarship schemes do not require repayment, student loans should be repaid by the applicants within a given period. Every year, around 10% of the applicants to Columbia Gorge Community College opt for student loans.