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Commit to College in Middle School

The College Bound Scholarship is a state-funded program and scholarship administered by the Washington Student Achievement Council. It is an early commitment of state financial aid to eligible Washington State students enrolled in middle school who fulfill the College Bound Scholarship pledge.

The College Bound Scholarship Pledge

College Bound Scholarship applicants promise to:

• Graduate from a Washington State high school or home school with a cumulative 2.0 GPA or higher.
• Apply to college.
• Have no felony convictions.
• Submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WAFSA) as soon after October 1 as possible during senior year of high school.

Student Eligibility & College Bound Sign-Up

Washington State public school students are eligible and will be auto-enrolled for the College Bound Scholarship if they meet one of the following requirements:

1. The student’s family meets the income requirements; or
2. The student is in foster care or a dependent of the state; or
3. The student’s family receives basic food or TANF benefits.

Financial Aid for Eligible Washington Schools

College Bound combines with other state financial aid to cover average tuition (at public college rates), some fees, and a small book allowance at more than 60 eligible schools in Washington including:

• Public two-year colleges
• Public four-year colleges
• Private two-year colleges
• Private four-year colleges
• Technical colleges
• Private career schools

Students must enroll at one of the 60 eligible schools in Washington within one year of high school graduation to keep their College Bound Scholarship. As long as the student remains eligible, the College Bound Scholarship can help cover tuition, fees and small book allowance for up to 8 semesters/12 quarters.

Ongoing Support

Students with a completed College Bound application will receive a certificate and will continue to receive reminders of important information and updates from program staff.

High school students and their families may sign-up for the College Bound listserv to receive short and informative messages. Reading these emails is the best way to stay on-track to receive the scholarship.

Receive the College Scholarship

To receive their scholarship, College Bound students must fulfill the pledge and:

• Apply for the FAFSA or WASFA every year while in college, and be income eligible. Colleges use information from the FAFSA and WASFA to determine income eligibility.
• Be accepted to an eligible college and begin attending within one year of high school graduation.
• Meet program state residency requirements.
• Stay in good standing at college.

Learn More

For more information about the College Bound program and about other financial aid options in Washington:

• Visit the Ready Set Grad website.
• Email collegebound@wsac.wa.gov.
• Call (888) 535-0747, option 1.