We had another record-breaking year! Over $65,000 in scholarships were awarded to the 23 women in our Class of 2026.

The 10 candidates in the Miss division (ages 18-28) earned an average of $3,004 and the 13 candidates in the Teen division (ages 14-18) earned an average of $2,703 in scholarships. The highest earner received $7,266 and five others received over $5,000 in scholarships.

In addition to the $31,500 in scholarships awarded through the competition, we offered multiple opportunities for candidates to earn scholarships guaranteed before competition day.

As a result of our Build Your Own Scholarship Program and our Director’s Non-Finalist Awards, 21 out of 23 candidates walked away with over $500 in scholarships.

An additional $10,000 cash prize went to our Shining Stars (ages 4-12), which brings our total for 2026 to over $75,000 in scholarships and prizes.

These scholarships would not be possible without the continued support of our generous sponsors.

Our mission is empowering women to lead by providing opportunities for college scholarships, personal and professional development, and community service.

We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and we believe every young woman should have access to the amazing opportunities we offer. That is why we are accepting applications from women ages 14-28 in nearby counties who do not have a scholarship program in their area.

If you live in Curry, Douglas, Jackson, or Josephine County, we want you to participate with us in 2027. We are prepared to make our program accessible to you, so you can earn scholarships and have a great experience.

We believe in fostering a culture of mentorship and cultivating safe spaces for creativity and individuality among developing leaders.

2026 - $65,432

2025 - $41,349

2024 - $20,493

2023 - $17,259

2022 - $18,805

2021 - $28,490

2020 - $20,496

2019 - $17,482.50

2018 - $26,827

2017 - $20,992

2016 - $18,369

2015 - $28,768

2014 - $32,314

2013 - $29,445.90

2012 - $24,772

We’ll stop here, but you should know our program’s history dates back to 1947. That means 2027 is the 80th Anniversary of the first Miss Roseburg. How cool is that?

Candidates in our next competition on March 6-7, 2027 must meet all the requirements for one of the age divisions listed below. Anyone that will be 18 years old for the entire month of September 2027 may choose between the two age divisions.

Miss Candidates

United States Citizen

Female

Age 18-28 (Must be NO OLDER than 28 on September 30, 2027 and NO YOUNGER than 18 on September 1, 2027)

Must Reside, Attend School, or Work Full-Time in Douglas, Curry, Jackson, or Josephine Counties

Not Currently (Nor Have Ever Been) Married

No Legal Dependents

Teen Candidates

United States Citizen

Female

Age 14-18 (Must be NO YOUNGER than 14 on September 30, 2027 and NO YOUNGER than 18 on September 1, 2027)

Reside in Douglas, Curry, Jackson, or Josephine County for at least 6 months prior to date of local competition

Attend School in Douglas, Curry, Jackson, or Josephine County

Not Currently (Nor Have Ever Been) Married

No Legal Dependents

If you are not eligible to compete, please consider becoming a volunteer instead. We also have a Shining Star program for ages 4-12.

Below is our tentative 2027 program timeline. If you have a busy schedule, please do not let that deter you from participating. We are very flexible and used to working with ambitious and involved young women.

Most of our events will be held in Roseburg, Oregon. However, we are prepared to offer virtual rehearsals and virtual mentoring upon request. We want to support participants who are unable to drive to Roseburg every weekend, so they can benefit from this amazing program and earn scholarships.

• November 30, 2026 - Application Deadline

• December 6, 2026 - Orientation and Headshots

• December 12, 2026 - Closet Day by Appt

• December 20, 2026 - Bingo Fundraiser

• January 3, 2027 - Individual Rehearsals by Appt

• January 10, 2027 - Group Rehearsal #1

• January 17, 2027 - Group Rehearsal #2

• January 23, 2027 - Pajama Party

• January 24, 2027 - Group Rehearsal #3

• January 31, 2027 - Group Rehearsal #4

• February 7, 2027 - Group Rehearsal #5

• February 21, 2027 - Group Rehearsal #6

• February 28, 2027 - Dress Rehearsals #1

• March 5, 2027 - Dress Rehearsals #2

• March 6, 2027 - Teen Competition Day

• March 7, 2027 - Miss Competition Day

The Miss Douglas County Scholarship Program is accepting women from FOUR counties in Oregon: Curry, Douglas, Jackson, and Josephine. Our program used to serve only Douglas County, but we are growing and we want more women to benefit from the amazing opportunities we offer.

In 2027, we are actively working to make our program more accessible to eligible women outside Douglas County, who do not have an equivalent Miss America program in their area.

If you live in Curry, Jackson, or Josephine County, you should know that we are ready to make this experience possible for you.

We created an online portal full of resources so you can practice all the phases of competition at home. There are instructions and guides to walk you through everything from fundraising for scholarships to completing paperwork to planning your competition wardrobe.

You do not have to do it alone. Our team of mentors are available via text, call, or video chat to help you every step of the way. If you are unable to drive to Roseburg to participate in our weekly rehearsals on Sunday afternoons, you can schedule Zoom meetings with our mentors to get individual help and run through things with experienced volunteers.

Our primary method of communicating with participants is using a group on the Band app. You will be able to see and interact with everyone in the program. You will have access to our shared Calendar with details on every event.

The most important events that will require you to travel to Roseburg are as follows:

• Candidate Orientation and Headshots on 12/6 from 10:00am-4:00pm in Winston. We will make this worth the drive. We will cover everything you need to know about preparing for the scholarship competition. You will get to meet our mentors and decide who you want to work with remotely. It will be a fun day of group activities, foundational discussions, and you will get a free professional headshot taken by our photography sponsor. We will also provide lunch. Parents are encouraged to attend.

• Dress Rehearsals at UCC’s Jacoby Auditorium on 2/28 from 12pm-3pm or 3pm-6pm, and 3/5 from 5pm-7pm or 7pm-9pm. We are separating the Teen (age 14-28) and Miss (age 18-28) onstage competitions this year, so the dress rehearsals will be separate as well. We understand that a Friday evening dress rehearsal may be difficult for those traveling, so we are open to excusing absences. Participants will feel more confident if they attend both dress rehearsals, but 2/28 would be the more important out of the two.

• Competition Day at UCC’s Jacoby Auditorium on 3/6 or 3/7. The scholarship competition for ages 14-18 will be on Saturday, 3/6. The scholarship competition for ages 18-28 will be on Sunday, 3/7. Each participant will complete a private interview by appointment in competition order. Teen interviews will start at roughly 9am on Saturday. Miss interviews will start at roughly 8am on Sunday. We recommend driving up the night before the competitions, attending dress rehearsal, and staying Friday-Sunday.

We recognize that traveling to Roseburg could be a barrier for some participants and we are prepared to provide support to those with financial need. Depending on the number of participants outside Douglas County, we will coordinate carpooling to Roseburg for weekly rehearsals and competition weekend. We will work with our hotel sponsors to secure discounted rooms for out of town participants and participants can share rooms to split hotel costs as needed.

Another valuable resource is our program’s extensive “closet” of 500+ wardrobe options in a variety of sizes and styles that participants can rent for $5-$20 per item to save money on competition wardrobe. We will be offering days to shop the “closet” on Saturdays in December. Everything in our closet is inventoried so you can review photos and details online prior to making the drive.

This whole experience is an investment in yourself. If you put in the work to fundraise through the Build Your Own Scholarship program, apply to our extra scholarships, and utilize our mentors to help you practice for the scholarship competition regularly, you will walk away with more confidence, new skills, scholarships, and friendships to last a lifetime.

If you compete in March 2027 and win… a lot will happen!

• You will receive a crown, a sash, and one of these titles for 2027: Miss Douglas County, Miss Umpqua Valley, Miss Douglas County’s Teen, Miss Umpqua Valley’s Teen, Miss Roseburg, or Miss Roseburg’s Teen. Yes, we are crowning six winners.

• You will advance to the state competition and compete for Miss Oregon or Miss Oregon’s Teen from June 13-19, 2027.

  • Miss Oregon week is in Seaside and usually runs from Sunday-Sunday. Candidates check in on Sunday, complete their private interviews on Monday or Tuesday, compete in preliminary competitions on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. The final competition is on Saturday, along with a special Miss Oregon parade. Candidates will be in rehearsals all week during the day. There are special events and activities throughout the week. Miss Oregon week is often described as a once in a lifetime experience and we will be there to help you every step of the way. The winners of Miss Oregon and Miss Oregon’s Teen will advance to compete at Miss America and Miss America’s Teen in Orlando, Florida.

• You will have the opportunity to serve your community and act as one of our brand ambassadors until we crown the next titleholders in March 2028.

  • We have a few events that we expect our titleholders to volunteer at every year, such as the Douglas County Fair in August and the Festival of Trees in December. There are also several parades that our titleholders usually ride in, like the Veteran’s Day Parade in November and the Graffiti Cruise in July.

  • Beyond a handful of required events, our titleholders are empowered to make their year of service their own. We often talk about the legacies that our titleholders leave behind. Titleholders have the opportunity to inspire others with their service and their leadership style. As a potential candidate, we challenge you to think about the kind of leader you want to be and brainstorm creative ideas to promote our program. You can accomplish anything if you are passionate about it.

We strongly believe that nobody should have to spend money to earn scholarships, which is why we strive to make our program as affordable and accessible as possible for our candidates and their families. However, Miss America does require a couple expenses that we must enforce at the local level.

Below is a breakdown of what you can expect to spend as a candidate in our next program:

• Club Miss America Membership Fee - $49.99

  • You can think of this as a registration fee assessed by the Miss America Opportunity. They require this fee to officially register as a candidate in a local competition.

• SpotFund Fundraising Requirement - $30

  • This is not technically an expense for you, but the Miss America Opportunity requires candidates for local competitions to fundraise a minimum of $30. We recommend sharing a link to the fundraising page you create on social media and asking for donations.

• Competition Wardrobe - Prices Vary

  • We highly encourage candidates to rent competition wardrobe from our program’s extensive collection of gowns, interview attire, shoes, and other items. Our “closet” includes hundreds of items in a variety of sizes and styles. We receive new donations all the time, including high-quality designer dresses, so you can always count on our “closet” for competitive wardrobe options. We assess a small rental fee of $5-$20 per item to help us cover maintenance costs, such as dry cleaning and repairs.

  • Rebel Athletic has a partnership with the Miss America Opportunity, so they want all candidates to wear items from a specific clothing line during the Health and Fitness category of competition. The items in that clothing line range from $35-$290 each and the cheapest possible outfit is $80. We believe that is too expensive to be a requirement, so we will allow you to order a similar athletic outfit in red from Amazon or another retailer. If you go that route, please send us a photo before you order it so we can confirm it looks similar enough. We have a few Rebel Athletic outfits in our program’s “closet” that may be available for rent too.

• Tickets to the Show - $22.50+

  • Your family and friends can purchase tickets to watch the competition in person at UCC’s Jacoby Auditorium. We offer a discount for tickets purchased online in advance and then the price goes up a little at the door. All seating is reserved. In 2026, we charged $22.50 online and $25 at the door. We also offer a livestream option, which is $25 per screen.

As you review this list of anticipated expenses, please keep in mind that this experience is an investment in your personal and professional development. Our goal is for you to walk away with scholarships, leadership skills, and the confidence to accomplish your educational and career goals. The sky is the limit with our Build Your Own Scholarship Program. You can start fundraising on September 1st and walk away with money for college guaranteed. In 2026, 21 participants earned over $500 and the average amount earned was $2,800. If you are willing to put in the work, the benefits will outweigh the costs. We promise!

You absolutely do not need experience to be successful in our program. We welcome newbies with open arms! Our whole program is actually structured so you can join with no experience and be prepared by competition day.

We are a mentorship program and our goal is to help you become the best version of yourself. Every candidate will have access to mentors who will offer support and guide them through the program. These are your designated people for questions and extra help outside of rehearsals. We offer weekly rehearsals leading up to the competition so you can practice every phase of competition and get individual help from our volunteers. You will receive mock interviews, talent run-throughs, walking practice, and help with paperwork. Rehearsals are also a lot of fun because you get to spend them with our titleholders and your fellow candidates. That is where the sisterhood comes in!

You can expect to gain a lot as a first-time candidate. You will make new friends, gain confidence and new skills, earn scholarships, and feel more connected to your community. Our program is unique because of the amount of scholarships we give away ($65,000+ in 2026) and the amount of time that our volunteers will invest in helping you. We believe it is worth taking that leap to apply and become a candidate. Our class of 2027 could be the best one yet!

Your success in the program is directly proportional to the effort that you put into it. The candidates that earn the most scholarships are not lucky. They are the young women who make the most of this opportunity. They invest time fundraising through our Build Your Own Scholarship Program so they can walk away with money for college guaranteed. They are actively engaged in preparing for the competition and dedicated to becoming the best they can be. Your time as a candidate will be busy and exciting and fulfilling, because it is an investment in yourself. For your efforts, you will walk away with scholarships, new friends, confidence, leadership skills, and more.

Our more straight forward answer is that candidates can expect the biggest time commitment in January and February. We offer weekly rehearsals on Sunday afternoons from 12:45pm-4:45pm. Those rehearsals are encouraged, but not required. As long as you are utilizing our mentors and practicing regularly, you will see growth in yourself. The annual competition will be March 6th for ages 14-18 and March 7th for ages 18-28. You will also need to attend dress rehearsals for 2-3 hours on 2/28 and 3/5. We definitely recommend preparing on your own before January. You should have your talent and your community service initiative picked out before the first rehearsal. We encourage you to reach out to us for help with that. Our mentors and volunteers are eager to help you every step of the way.