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Eligibility

The following programs are NOT eligible for traditional financial aid: Adult Basic Education (ABE), English as a Second Language (ESL) High School Equivalent Exam prep, personal enrichment or job upgrade, Corporate Education, Running Start, Northwest Career & Technical High School and High School 21+Completion.

To qualify for federal financial aid, a student must:

  • Be admitted to the college in an eligible degree or certificate program;
  • Have a high school diploma or High School Equivalency;
  • Be a U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen;
  • Not owe any repayments on previous Title IV assistance and not be in default on any federal student loans;
  • Demonstrate a need for financial assistance.

To qualify for State financial aid, a student must:

  • Be admitted to the college in an eligible degree or certificate program;
  • Have a high school diploma or High School Equivalency;
  • Be a WA resident;
  • Not owe any repayments on previous state aid to WSAC;
  • Demonstrate a need for financial assistance.

Financial aid is normally awarded based on full-time enrollment (12 credits or more). If students plan to enroll in fewer than 12 credits for any quarter, they must give the Student Aid & Scholarships Office advance written notification to allow for their award to be revised.

 

If you are unsure if you should complete a FAFSA or a WASFA, complete the WASFA Questionnaire for more information; however, anyone uncomfortable with submitting a federal FAFSA form can use the WASFA to apply only for state aid.

There are various reasons people may choose to complete a WASFA instead of a FAFSA. For example: 

You or your parent(s) are undocumented or do not qualify for federal financial aid because of your immigration status.
Your parent(s) or family member(s) do not wish to file a FAFSA.
You have privacy concerns about filing a FAFSA.
You or your parent(s) do not and will not file federal income taxes.
You have federal loans that are in default.
You owe a repayment on federal grants.


A note on privacy: Students and families are asked to provide personal information when applying for financial aid. It’s a necessary part of the process, but it’s natural to have concerns about privacy. Anyone uncomfortable with submitting a federal FAFSA form can use the WASFA to apply only for state aid; however, they will miss out on any federal aid they could be eligible for. Whether applying with FAFSA or WASFA, students and families should read any available privacy statements to understand where their data is going and how it is used.