Financial Aid
Financial Aid Information
- Everyone is eligible to file either the FAFSA or WASFA.
- All information should protected under FERPA privacy act. Your info is secure and cannot be shared.
- Washington State College Grant, College Bound Scholarship, Seattle Promise and others require that you complete the FAFSA or WASFA.
- Financial aid can be used at apprenticeships, technical colleges, 2 and 4-year colleges, and other programs.
- Filing the FAFSA or WASFA is often required for merit aid as well as need-based aid.
Types of Aid
- Grants – free
- Scholarships – free
- Loans – pay back after graduating
- Work Study – work on campus for money
FAFSA/WASFA
In Washington, students complete one of two applications to be considered for student financial aid: the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) or the WASFA (Washington Application for State Financial Aid).
Seniors should try to complete their financial aid application as soon as possible. In addition to state and federal aid, many school-based and school-funded scholarships require students to submit a FAFSA or WASFA form for consideration.
*Priority Financial Aid Deadlines to complete your FAFSA or WASFA by:
- Four Year Universities – ASAP after it opens on October 1st
- Seattle Promise/Seattle Colleges – April 30
Filing EARLY is best…but remember it is never too late to apply for financial aid!
FAFSA
U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizen students (green card, refugee, etc.) will be considered for grants, loans and work-study funds upon completion of this form. Only the student’s status matters for FAFSA, so even if a parent(s) is undocumented, please file the FAFSA.
Federal aid can be used at technical, two-year and four-year colleges and universities across the country. Learn more about eligibility requirements and complete the FAFSA.
Step-by-Step Video – FAFSA
The first step is to set up your FSA ID and you can do this NOW, even while waiting for the updated FASFA to open up. Keep in mind that both the student and your parent(s) need their own separate FSA ID’s. Use this worksheet to help set up your ID’s.
The next step is complete the actual FAFSA application. The student will sign on the FAFSA website to begin the application, and then the parent(s) will sign in to input family income and complete the FAFSA. It is essential to give consent for financial information to be directly inputted from the IRS when you sign in. The FAFSA is available starting on October 1st.