Grants and waivers are awarded to undergraduate students based on a determination of financial need.

• 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.

Upon being admitted to WSU and successfully completing your FAFSA (or the WASFA, for undocumented students), you will automatically be considered for the grants and waivers administered by our office.

Post-baccalaureate Students

If you are 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.

Graduate & Professional Students

If you are a graduate or professional student, you will not qualify for need based grants & waivers. However, your options are: assistantships, scholarships, work-study, & loans.

The Federal Pell Grant Program provides need-based grants to low-income undergraduates to promote access to post secondary education. For many WSU students, the Pell Grant is the cornerstone of their financial aid award. In the interest of transparency, here are the Pell Grant tables used for the awarding process in:

2023-2024 2022-2023

Eligibility

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.

• 2022–2023 awards range from $692 to $6,895 per academic year depending on your EFC (Expected Family Contribution) calculated from your FAFSA and the COA (Cost of Attendance) for a full-time student for a full academic year.
• 2021–2022 awards range from $672 to $6,495 per academic year depending on your EFC (Expected Family Contribution) calculated from your FAFSA and the COA (Cost of Attendance) for a full-time student for a full academic year.

The closer your EFC 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 less than 6 credits per semester.

Payment

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 1st day of the semester or as soon as the award is ready.

Payment During Summer Semester

Students can receive 150% of their 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 1 semester during the academic year.

The College Bound program was established by the Washington State Legislature in 2007. It is managed by the Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC). The goal of the program was, and is, to provide financial assistance to low-income, middle-school students who have a dream of attaining a college education.

Program Coverage

The College Bound Promise will fill the financial gap not covered by the Washington College Grant for tuition and fees up to $12,036* at a qualifying public institution. (*subject to change)

Eligibility

The College Bound Promise is available to Washington students who meet the following requirements:

Prior to and through high school graduation

• Complete the College Bound Application by June 30th of their 8th grade school year
• Meet at least one of the requirements as determined by WSAC
• Graduate with a cumulative 2.0 GPA from a qualifying high school in the state of Washington
• Have no felony criminal convictions.

After high school graduation & before college enrollment

• Enroll in a qualifying Washington college. To continue to be eligible for the scholarship at WSU, enroll within 1 year of graduating from high school.
• Meet requirements for 65% Median Family Income (MFI) as determined by your FAFSA/WASFA.

Limitations while in college

• Complete your degree requirements within 8 semesters, or within 5 years, after graduating from high school.

If you don’t see College Bound on your WSU award, then there are several circumstances that could cause this to happen:

1. Your high school graduation requirements may not have been verified. Contact WSAC (1-888-535-0747) to find out if a copy of your final transcript is required.
2. Your family may not meet the income requirements of the program.
3. You may have less than 2 semesters of max eligibility remaining.
4. You may not have marked WSU as a college selection on your FAFSA. Verify the list of schools on your FAFSA, and make any updates to this list as necessary.

How to Sign Up and Qualify

Check out WSAC’s website for more information, including a comprehensive FAQ. For any additional information or questions about College Bound at WSU, please contact our office at sfs.stateaid@wsu.edu.

In order to assist Washington State residents afford their education, the state of Washington has allocated significant resources to the Washington College Grant program. Funding is provided from state appropriations and federal matching monies through the State Student Incentive Grant (SSIG) program. In the interests of transparency, the Washington College Grant table will be presented below. Please keep in mind that this table is the actual document used in the awarding process for WSU students. Knowing this, the abbreviations and acronyms can be confusing. As always, contact our office should any questions arise.

Award Amounts

Award amounts can vary each year based on things such as available funds, academic year maximums as established by the state and your Median Family Income. You can review the tables for award maximums and Median Family Income below.
2023-2024

Eligibility

To be eligible, you must meet the following criteria:

• File your FAFSA or WASFA each year;
• Submit your additional information to our office (if selected for verification)
• Have a family income equal to, or less than, 100% MFI (according to the Washington College Grant table);
• Be a Washington State resident;
• Enroll as an undergraduate student in an eligible program, and in a minimum of 3 credits;
• Be pursuing your first bachelor’s degree (funds may have been used at another institution and will be figured into remaining eligibility while at WSU); and,
• Not be pursuing a degree in Theology

Check out WSAC’s website for more information.

Conditions of Award

1. You do not owe a refund or repayment on a Washington College Grant, Pell Grant, or a Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant, nor are you in default on a loan made, insured, or guaranteed under the Perkins, Federal Direct, or Federal Family Education Loan programs. 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. You are not pursuing a degree in Theology.
6. Complete degree requirements within 10 semesters.

For general information, consult WSAC.

Washington Bridge Grants of $500 for some Washington College Grant recipients (New for 2023–2024)

• Washington College Grant recipients who are receiving a maximum Washington College Grant award (65%), but are not College Bound eligible, and who have enrolled in at least 3 credits, are entitled to receive a $500 Washington Bridge Grant.
• The Washington Bridge Grant is an annual stipend awarded in addition to Washington College Grant to provide supplementary financial support to low-income students to cover higher education expenses beyond tuition and fees, such as books, lab fees, supplies, technology, transportation, housing and childcare.
• This award is a flat rate, lump sum payment for the year, limited to need, split evenly in a full year Financial Aid Offer and is not prorated by enrollment level.

Eligibility

• are enrolled in at least three credits in the term;
• receive a maximum Washington College Grant award and still have need remaining;
• meets satisfactory academic progress;
• are NOT College Bound Promise eligible;
• are NOT receiving the Passport to College scholarship.

The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG) is designed to assist undergraduate students with the highest level of need. The award ranges from $100 to $1,250 per year, depending on the EFC as determined by your FAFSA.

Eligibility

1. File your FAFSA by the WSU FAFSA deadline each year;
2. Submit your additional information into our office by the WSU priority deadline 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.