Financial aid is available from most colleges and vocational-technical institutes. By completing the proper forms, you become a candidate for all forms of aid for which you qualify at the college, university, or technical college of your choice. Your parents must file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) with the College Scholarship Service in Princeton, NJ, to qualify for consideration. Most of the aid funds are limited to those students who demonstrate financial need in order to attend college. In all cases, the student and family will be expected to contribute what they can. See your counselor for details about the financial aid process. The FAFSA must be filed as soon as possible after January 1 of the year the student plans to enroll in college.
You may apply for a Pell Grant by completing the FAFSA mentioned above. There are also some scholarships awarded by local organizations and regional or national competitions. When notices of these scholarships are received, they will be announced in the daily bulletin. Many of these are also granted on the basis of financial need.
The Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WASFA) is for people who don’t file a federal FAFSA application. People who complete a WASFA are applying for state aid. There are various reasons to complete a WASFA instead of a FAFSA:
- A person may not be eligible for federal aid due to:
- Citizenship or immigration status, including being undocumented.
- Defaulted federal student loans.
- Repayments owed on federal grants.
- A person may choose not to apply for federal aid due to:
- Family members who do not want to file the FAFSA.
- Other personal reasons.
After you complete the WASFA, the college(s) or program(s) you choose will determine whether you meet state residency requirements and state financial aid eligibility. State financial aid could include Washington College Grant, the College Bound Scholarship, Passport to Careers, National Guard Grant, or State Work Study. Please visit https://wsac.wa.gov/ for more information.