Grants and Waivers

1. You do not owe a refund or repayment on a Washington State financial aid program. In addition, you are not in default on a loan made through a state conditional loan or a conditional scholarship program.
2. Should you decide to withdraw prior to census from your classes, repayment of all or a portion of the grant may be required
3. You may choose to voluntarily make financial contributions to WSAC in recognition of your Washington College Grant award. All voluntary contributions will be used to provide financial assistance to other students.
4. The offer of a Washington College Grant is subject to and conditioned upon the availability of funds. WSAC and the institution through which this grant is awarded, reserve the right to withdraw, reduce, or modify the grant due to funding limitations or due to changes in circumstances that affect your eligibility for the award.
5. Meet state Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements.

Pell Grant is available to you if you’re pursuing your first undergraduate degree and if you’re not enrolled in a professional program. You will not be considered for this funding source if you hold a bachelor’s degree. The amount of Pell Grant you may receive over your lifetime is limited by federal law to be equivalent to 6 years (12 full-time semesters) of Pell Grant funding.

• 2025–26 awards range from $740 to $7,395 per academic year depending on your SAI (Student Aid Index) calculated from your FAFSA and the COA (Cost of Attendance) for a full-time student for a full academic year.

The closer your SAI is to zero, the larger your possible award amount for Pell Grant will be.

Required Credits

To receive the maximum award, you must be enrolled in 12 or more credits per semester. If you are enrolling in 9 to 11 credits, you may receive up to 75% of your maximum award. If you are enrolling in 6 to 8 credits, you may receive up to 50% of your maximum award.

A minimum award may be made if you are enrolled in fewer than 6 credits per semester.

Payment During Fall and Spring Semesters

Pell Grant is paid by the semester, one-half of the annual award for fall term and one-half for spring term. Pell Grant is credited to your myWSU account no sooner than the first day of the semester or as soon as the award is ready.

Payment During Summer Semester

You can receive 150% of your scheduled Pell Grant award during each academic year. During the summer semester, students with remaining yearly or lifetime eligibility have the option to use Pell Grant. Awarding during WSU’s summer session will be reserved for students in the following situations:

1. Students that used their entire Pell eligibility during the fall and spring will receive an additional Pell Grant award based on their enrollment. Students must maintain at least half-time enrollment during the summer.
2. Students that attended less than full-time during the fall or spring, or only attended one semester during the academic year.

1. File your FAFSA by the WSU priority date each year;
2. Submit your additional information into our office by the WSU priority date;
3. Enroll in at least half-time per semester (6 credits); and,
4. Be a Washington resident that is Pell Grant eligible. Non-resident students are eligible for this grant to cover equity.

For a parent/guardian who died in the line of duty during military service on or after September 11, 2001:

1. A copy of the servicemember’s DD Form 1300 (Report of Casualty) which documents death in the line of duty.
2. A copy of the servicemember’s DD Form 214 and death certificate, documenting that the date and cause of death occurred during and as a result of active duty.
3. A Department of Veterans Affairs Death Narrative Document.
4. Other documentation the school determines to be from a credible source that describes or reports the circumstances of the death and the occupation of the parent or guardian.

For a parent/guardian who died in the line of duty as a public safety officer:

1. A determination letter acknowledging eligibility for certain federal benefits under the Public Safety Officers Benefit (PSOB) program administered by the Department of Justice.
2. A written letter of attestation or determination made by a state or local government official with supervisory or other relevant oversight authority of an individual who died in the line of duty while serving as a public safety officer as defined above.
3. Documentation of the student qualifying for a state tuition or other state benefit accorded to the children or other family members of a public safety officer consistent with the definition in 42 U.S.C. 3796b, or as a fire police officer as noted below.
4. Other documentation the school determines to be from a credible source that describes or reports the circumstances of the death and the occupation of the parent or guardian.

Eligibility Requirements

• Complete the FAFSA each year
• Be a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen
• Be enrolled at least half-time (6 credits for UGRD and 5 credits for GRAD) each semester – award amounts are prorated for less than full-time enrollment (12 credits for UGRD and 10 credits for GRAD)
• Be enrolled in an TEACH Grant eligible program at WSU
• Be studying in a designated high need field
• Meet certain academic achievement requirements (generally, scoring above the 75th percentile on a college admissions test or maintaining a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25)
• Sign a TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve

How to Apply

1. Speak with your academic advisor in the College of Education. Your advisor will notify our office or the appropriate department representative if you are in enrolled in a qualified program and eligible to receive the TEACH Grant.

2. Complete and submit your FAFSA for the current aid year.

3. Complete the U.S. Department of Education’s TEACH Grant Counseling and Agreement to Serve(ATS).
4. Submit the “TEACH Grant ATS & Counseling Completed” form set on your account at submitsfsdocs.wsu.edu.

What is a “High Need Field”?

These are teacher subject shortage areas (not geographic areas) that are listed in the Department of Education’s Annual Teacher Shortage Area Nationwide Listing. The shortage area must be designated at the time you received the TEACH Grant.

•Bilingual Education and English Language •Acquisition
•Foreign Language
•Mathematics
•Reading Specialist
•Science
•Special Education
•Other identified teacher shortage areas as of the time you begin teaching in that field

The “high need field” must be your primary teaching assignment for the majority of your time and not integrated as one part of your teaching assignments.

Agreement to Serve

TEACH Grant recipients must sign the TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve, agreeing to teach:

•In a high-need field at an elementary school, secondary school, or educational service agency that serves students from low-income families

•Perform the teaching service as a highly qualified teacher, as defined in section 9101(23) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 or in section 602(10) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

•Serve for at least four complete academic years within eight years after ending the course of study for which you received the grant.

IMPORTANT: If you do not complete your service obligation, all TEACH Grant funds received will be converted to a Direct Unsubsidized Loan. You must then repay this loan to the U.S. Department of Education, with interest charged from the date the TEACH Grant was disbursed.

Which Schools Serve Low-Income Students?

To count for a TEACH Grant service requirement, the school you teach at must be listed in the U.S. Department of Education’s Annual Directory of Designated Low-Income Schools for Teacher Cancellation Benefits.

Exit Counseling Requirements

If you are graduating or leaving your TEACH Grant program, you must complete TEACH Grant exit counseling online at nslds.ed.gov.

WSU is committed to helping Cougs complete their journey to degree, and we know that there are many factors that can make this challenging. We are so excited to announce the the Cougar Completion Grant, which aims to reduce financial barriers for currently enrolled students by providing financial support for those nearing completion of their first bachelor’s degree.

This is a one-time grant of up to $2,000 depending on student need and available funding.

What Are Completion Grants?

Almost 15% of students who have completed 75% of their required credits leave college before degree completion, often due to financial reasons. WSU offers the Cougar Completion Grant to qualifying students to make sure those with unmet financial need and a successful academic record do not drop out due to financial constraints.

Cougar Completion Grant Requirements

• Applied to graduate for term requesting funds
• Must meet WSU University Standards
• Be able to complete all remaining degree requirements within one semester
• Be in good academic standing (GPA 2.0 or above)
• Must be meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress or on an academic plan
• Have a current year FAFSA on file and exhibit financial need with a Student Aid Index of $20,000 or less
• Be nearing or at the end of aid eligibility, including loans; Utilized all student loan eligibility
• Complete the Cougar Completion Grant Eligibility Verification form
• Have received less than $4,000 in refunds for the current semester

Cougar Completion Grant funding is limited for non-Washington residents.

How to Apply

If you have met all the eligibility requirements, fill out the Cougar Completion Grant eligibility verification form. Completing this form does not indicate an approval of funding. You will be notified regarding the outcome of your submission.

The Chancellor’s Grant is a need-based award for first-time undergraduate students in a degree-seeking status. Students must be Washington residents that met on-time financial aid priority deadlines. Recipients will be awarded the grant based on incoming grade point average and financial need requirements. This is a one-time $1,500 grant that is evenly split between fall and spring semesters.

This award is based on institutional grant funding and all regular financial aid packaging policies will apply to this award. You must be enrolled in at least 12 credits per semester on the same campus at which you originally enrolled. If you change campuses prior to the fall semester, the grant will be cancelled. If you change campuses in-between semesters and meet all other criteria, you will be eligible to retain the spring semester portion.

• Grants do not need to be repaid. Funds can come from WSU, the State of Washington, or the federal government.
• Waivers are discounts applied directly to your tuition. Your total amount of waivers and tuition-specific aid cannot exceed the amount you have been charged for tuition.

Students who have completed a WASFA will be automatically considered for grants and waivers administered by the WSU Office of Student Financial Services, including state and institutional grants. WASFA students are not eligible for federal grants.

Upon being admitted to WSU and successfully completing your FAFSA or WASFA, you will automatically be considered for the grants and waivers administered by the University’s Office of Student Financial Services. Some grants, such as the Cougar Completion grant, may require additional verification forms.

If you’re a Post Baccalaureate student, you will not qualify for need based grants, waivers, or work-study. However, you do have aid options available to you.

If you’re a graduate or professional student, you will not qualify for need based grants and waivers. However, you do have financial aid options including assistantships, scholarships, work study and loans.