Research · Scholarships · October 2026
Scholarships in Washington: the 4 state programs and what each asks for
As of October 2026: Washington has 4 state scholarship programs for students who graduate from its own high schools. The table says what each one pays, who qualifies, and when it closes, in the state's own words.
The table holds every state-funded award we could confirm for a Washington high school graduate going to college. It does not hold federal aid, or a scholarship that comes from one college rather than from the state.
Analysis: Test Prep Gurus (High School Reach, highschoolreach.com), October 2026. Figures and the table may be quoted with attribution to Test Prep Gurus.
The findings, in plain English
Washington state aid is need-based, not merit-based. None of the state programs on this table turns on a GPA or a test score. They ask about family income instead, through the FAFSA. College Bound Scholarship is the exception.
The state's own pages are the only place these rules live. Every row links to the page the state publishes for that program. The rules and the dollar figures move from year to year, so the page is the thing to read, not a summary of it.
What this table does not tell you. The state agency's own page names 2 more programs in a second table below. Some of those pages give no award figure at all, so those rows carry the name and the link only.
Every state scholarship in Washington
Read the row, then open the state's own page before you count on a figure.
| Program | Merit or need | What it pays | GPA it asks for | Test score it asks for | Who qualifies | Deadline | Renewable | Official page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WA Grant (Washington College Grant) | Need-based | Full award (2026-27) up to $13,203/year at public research universities, $6,476 at private nonprofit four-year colleges, $5,095 at community/technical colleges, and $2,548 for apprenticeship programs for the lowest-income students; partial awards (60%, 50%, 24.5%, or 10% of the maximum) for higher incomes up to the ceiling | — | — | Washington resident; enrolled at least half-time at a participating WA college, university, or apprenticeship program; file the FAFSA or WASFA; no separate application | — | Must reapply (FAFSA or WASFA) each year and continue to meet eligibility | Source |
| College Bound Scholarship | State award | Free public college tuition, or an equivalent amount toward an approved private college or career school | Cumulative high school GPA of 2.0 or higher (applies only at four-year institutions; no GPA requirement for community or technical colleges) | — | Sign the pledge in 7th or 8th grade (income-eligible families, or families receiving free/reduced-price lunch, basic food, or TANF); graduate from a Washington high school or approved home-school program with no felony convictions; file the FAFSA or WASFA starting senior year | Sign-up by June 30 of the student's 8th grade year | Usable within six years of enrolling in college, or until a bachelor's degree is earned, whichever comes first | Source |
Every row is a state-funded or state-administered award for a Washington high school graduate going to an undergraduate program, as of October 2026. A scholarship from a single college, a private foundation award, a federal program and a graduate-only award are all left out. A blank cell means the state's own page does not state it. Dollar figures and GPA floors change every year.
Other programs the state names
The agency's own page lists these too. Where its page gives no award figure, the row carries the name and the link only.
| Program | What it pays | What the page says | Official page |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Indian Endowed Scholarship | $500 to $3,000 a year | For 10 to 15 students a year with financial need and close social and cultural ties to an American Indian community in Washington | Source |
| Washington Award for Vocational Excellence | Up to about $3,900 a year for up to two years | For graduating seniors who excel in career and technical education | Source |
These rows come from the Washington agency's own index of programs. A blank award means that index does not state one, not that the program pays nothing.
How to read a state scholarship
State awards come in two shapes. A merit award asks about grades, a course list, or a test score, and it does not care what a family earns. A need-based award asks about income and assets through the FAFSA, and it does not care about grades. Some awards ask about both, and the table calls those merit and need.
The deadline column is the one families miss. For most need-based state aid the deadline is really the FAFSA deadline, and it falls months before a college asks for a decision. A merit award more often has no application at all: the state or the high school nominates the student from records it already holds.
What a family should do with this
Open the official page in the last column for the one or two programs your student plausibly qualifies for, and write down two dates: the state aid deadline and the FAFSA deadline. Those are the two that close. In Washington the earliest date on this table is the one to put on the calendar first.
Then look past the state. A state award is usually the smaller half of an offer. The college's own merit grid and its net price for your family income move more money than any state program on this page, and both are published.
Questions parents ask
What scholarships does Washington offer?
Washington has 4 state scholarship programs for students who graduate from its own high schools. The table says what each one pays, who qualifies, and when it closes, in the state's own words.
Does Washington have a merit scholarship?
None of the state programs on this table turns on a GPA or a test score.
How do I find the rules for a Washington scholarship?
Every row links to the page the state publishes for that program. The rules and the dollar figures move from year to year, so the page is the thing to read, not a summary of it.
Method & sources: Programs come from the Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) and the agency's own program pages, read in October 2026. The population is a student who graduates from a Washington high school and enrolls as an undergraduate. A scholarship offered by one college, a private foundation award, a federal program and a graduate-only award are all out of scope. A value the agency's own page does not state is left blank rather than filled from elsewhere, and a page that could not be read drops every figure.
- Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC)
- WA Grant (Washington College Grant)
- College Bound Scholarship
This brief as data: /research/scholarships-in-washington.json. Free for editorial use with attribution to Test Prep Gurus (High School Reach).
Related: Merit scholarships by college · State scholarships in every state · High schools in Washington · Scholarship deadlines