"Opportunity Pathways" — Student Financial Assistance Programs
Under the umbrella Opportunity Pathways, state and federal financial assistance
programs help students and their families pay for college.
There are four types of financial aid available to students.
- grants are referred to as gift aid. As long as students enroll and successfully
complete the courses for which they enroll, there is no repayment of the funds.
- loans are repayable. Students receive funds under several conditions, including paying back the funds (with interest) in the future.
- work-study are employment opportunities for students. Jobs are located
on-campus or off-campus and usually relate to students' program of study.
- scholarships are gift funds that are generally awarded to students based on specific criteria, such as merit, talent, financial need, or program of study.
Federal Financial Aid
Community and technical colleges award financial aid funds based on the
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Federal, state and institutional grant funds, as well as work-study, are available.
Check with the college of your choice for its application deadlines.
Opportunity Grants
This program helps low-income students achieve at least one year of college and a
certificate in high-wage, high-demand careers. Eligible students may receive funds
to cover tuition and mandatory fees for 45 credits and up to $1,000 for books and
supplies per year. Support services like tutoring, career advising, college study
skills, emergency child care, and emergency transportation are part of the program.
Interested students should contact the
Opportunity Grant Coordinator
at the college they want to attend.
Worker Retraining Program
Receiving unemployment benefits, exhausted benefits within the last 24 months,
facing lay-off, or employed in a declining industry? You may be eligible for
for Worker Retrainingfunding and
support to help eligible students gain the skills needed to return to work.
Tuition Waivers
Certain populations are eligible for full or partial
waivers. Availability varies by
campus, so check with your registration office.
Some examples are Oregon border county
residents, military veterans, senior citizens, higher education employees, active duty
military/Washington National Guard, children of deceased or disabled law enforcement
officers and firefighters, families of fallen soldiers and families of disabled veterans.
Scholarships
A variety of scholarships may be available from each college based on financial need,
program of study or major, academic merit, leadership; or community service.
Many colleges offer scholarships through their Foundations or list scholarships at
their websites.
There is a lot of free advice online about scholarships
and how to apply for scholarships.
Remember! If you are asked to pay money to get scholarship money, then it's probably
a scam. A scholarship is not guaranteed, so beware of anyone trying to sell "guaranteed"
scholarship matching services.
Search Tools
theWashBoard.org is a free, online clearinghouse for Washington State
students seeking college scholarships.
The College Board Scholarship
Search is a national database of scholarships and grants.
College-Bound Scholarship
The
College-Bound Scholarship covers four years of college tuition, fees and books for l
ow-income students who sign a pledge in 7th or 8th grade promising to graduate from high school and to demonstrate good citizenship.
Passport to College Promise Scholarship for Foster Youth
The Passport to
College Promise Scholarship program encourages foster youth to prepare for and succeed in college.
Martin Family Foundation Honors Scholarship Program
The
Martin Family Foundation Honors Scholarship Program helps community college students of exceptional ability and outstanding achievement complete bachelor’s degrees at the University of Washington, Seattle.
Tools and Resources
Educational Tax Credits
Qualified tuition and fees paid may be claimed against federal income taxes.
The American Opportunity Credit
is a tax credit of up to $2,500 of the cost of qualified tuition and related expenses paid during the tax year.
The Lifetime Learning Tax Credit
is a tax credit equal to 20 percent of the student’s out-of-pocket expenses during the tax year.
Save for College with Guaranteed Education Tuition (GET)
Guaranteed Education Tuition is Washington’s prepaid college tuition plan. With GET, you prepay for your child’s college tuition today. Your account is guaranteed to keep pace with college tuition, and you can use it at nearly any public or private college in the country.