Washington Scholarships & Grants (2027-28): Washington College Grant, College Bound & WSOS Deadlines

Where Washington Aid Stands (October 29, 2026)

This section changes first. It is dated so you know how fresh it is.

• Class of 2027 (seniors): ✅ 2027-28 FAFSA open (it opened in late September 2026, the earliest launch on record). ✅ 2027-28 WASFA open. ❌ WSOS Baccalaureate Scholarship not open until January 13, 2027. ❌ College Bound sign-up is closed for this class; it happened in 7th, 8th, or 9th grade. If your senior is enrolled, the requirements below apply.
• Class of 2026 (college freshmen): ✅ 2026-27 WA Grant and College Bound awards are being paid. ✅ File the 2027-28 FAFSA or WASFA to keep aid for 2027-28; income is rechecked every year.
• Class of 2028 (juniors): ✅ Create FSA IDs. ✅ If your family gets Basic Food (SNAP), check the Early Path to WA Grant. ❌ Nothing to file for college aid until the 2028-29 forms open in fall 2027.
• 7th and 8th graders: ✅ College Bound enrollment is automatic for public school students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Private school and homeschool families must contact the program.

How Washington Aid Actually Works

Washington has two front doors, and you only walk through one. Every state grant in Washington comes from a single financial aid application: the FAFSA or the WASFA. There is no separate state portal to log into for WA Grant or College Bound.

• The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) at studentaid.gov: for students eligible for federal aid. It applies for Pell Grants, federal loans, and Washington state aid at the same time. It produces an SAI (Student Aid Index), the number colleges use to measure need.
• The WASFA (Washington Application for State Financial Aid) at wsac.wa.gov/wasfa: for students who cannot or choose not to file a FAFSA, including undocumented students. It applies for state aid only. Starting with 2027-28, WSAC rebuilt it with a new vendor, its questions no longer mirror the FAFSA, and it no longer calculates an SAI.
• Income is measured against MFI (state median family income, adjusted for family size). That single number decides WA Grant, College Bound, and WSOS eligibility.
• Residency: in most cases a Washington resident has lived in the state for the year before college starts and has a high school diploma or equivalent. Undocumented students can be Washington residents.

What changed since most handouts were printed

• The $500 Bridge Grant is gone. Funding was eliminated for 2025-27; it ended after 2024-25.
• The full award narrowed. It used to reach 65% of MFI. Since 2025-26 it stops at 60%; families at 61% to 65% get 60% of the full award.
• Private colleges were cut. WA Grant at private nonprofit four-year colleges dropped in 2026-27; College Bound drops in 2027-28. Private for-profit colleges get neither.
• College Bound has a six-year clock. Starting in 2025-26, College Bound must be used within six years. Washington GED holders can now qualify.
• WSOS changed how it pays. Starting in 2027-28, Baccalaureate Scholars receive up to $1,500 per quarter or $2,250 per semester.
• SNAP families have a shortcut. The Early Path to WA Grant lets students whose families receive Basic Food verify income eligibility for the maximum award in one step.

Myths that cost real money

• “We make too much.” A family of four at $147,000 still qualifies for some WA Grant in 2027-28. File before you decide.
• “Washington rewards good grades.” Washington has no state merit grant tied to GPA or test scores. WA Grant ignores grades. WSOS has a 2.75 GPA floor, but it is need-based. Merit money comes from colleges.
• “College Bound means free college, guaranteed.” It pays only if family income is at or below 65% of MFI in the year the student attends, the student has a 2.0 GPA (for a four-year college right after high school), has no felony convictions, enrolls within one year of graduation, and files the FAFSA or WASFA every year.
• “The state grant travels.” WA Grant and College Bound pay only at participating Washington colleges. A student who leaves the state, including through the Western Undergraduate Exchange, leaves the state grant behind.

Washington College Grant: Income Chart and Award Ladder

One chart decides it: family size and income set the percentage, and the college sets the dollar amount. WA Grant pays a percentage of a full award, and the full award differs by college type because it is pegged to public tuition.

2027-28 income limits by family size

Source: WSAC 2027-28 MFI chart (revised June 2026). Figures for families up to 20 are on the chart.

The award ladder

The 60% cliff

One dollar over the full-award line costs about $5,300 a year at UW. At 2026-27 amounts, a family of four at $88,000 in 2027-28 gets the full $13,203 at UW; at $88,500 the same family falls into the 61-65% band and gets $7,922. College Bound students are the exception: College Bound fills the gap up to 65% of MFI.

Your move: if your income dropped after 2025 (a job loss, reduced hours, a divorce), ask the college aid office for a professional judgment review. WSAC calls this a financial aid appeal. You’re allowed to ask, and income near a band line is exactly the case it exists for.

Other WA Grant rules

• Enrollment: part-time students receive a prorated award. WSAC says students can use state aid without full-time or consecutive enrollment.
• Renewal: file the FAFSA or WASFA every year and keep SAP (satisfactory academic progress, the college’s standard for grades and completed credits).
• Where: only at participating Washington colleges, universities, apprenticeships, and career schools.
• Early Path to WA Grant: if your family receives Basic Food (SNAP), a high school student can verify income eligibility for the maximum award through WSAC. Still file the FAFSA or WASFA, because colleges use it for everything else.

The Fine Print: The Private College Cut in College Bound

A College Bound student who chooses a private college in 2027-28 gets roughly half the state money a student got the year before. This is the most expensive rule change in Washington for the Class of 2027, and most college lists were built before families heard about it.

College Bound is the promise made to low-income students in middle school: free public tuition, or an equivalent amount at an approved private college. The 2025 Legislature (SB 5785) changed the private half of that promise. The WA Grant cut at private nonprofit four-year colleges started in 2026-27. The College Bound cut starts in 2027-28, the Class of 2027’s first year of college.

Sources: WSAC 2025 Legislative Session Recap FAQs; WSAC 2026-27 award chart. A bill to restore the private-college amounts (SB 5828) passed the Senate in February 2026, but the supplemental budget passed without restoring them.

• Gonzaga has said it will cover the WA Grant reduction for students already enrolled. For incoming students, the Gonzaga Access Pledge still covers full tuition for Pell-eligible Washington residents (details in the college section).
• Other private colleges have pledged aid to shield current students. Whether that extends to new 2027-28 students is a question you have to ask each college.

Major Washington Programs

The Second Application Most Seniors Skip: WSOS

WSOS is the only big Washington award that reaches past tuition, and its income limit is higher than WA Grant’s. For a STEM or health care student, it is the application most likely to pay for housing.

• Income: family income up to 125% of MFI. On the chart for the 2026 application (2024 income), that was $174,500 for a family of four, above the WA Grant ceiling.
• Grades: a 2.75 cumulative GPA. Running Start credits do not count against the credit limit.
• Majors: STEM and health care majors on WSOS’s eligible list, at an eligible public or private Washington college. Changing to another eligible major keeps the funding.
• How it pays: last-dollar, meaning it is applied after Pell, WA Grant, and other aid, up to the COA (cost of attendance: tuition, housing, food, books, transportation). When tuition is already covered, WSOS money goes toward living costs.
• The application: about 90 to 120 minutes, short essays of 150 to 500 words, an unofficial transcript, no references. Undocumented applicants are eligible.

Washington State Aid Deadlines for the Class of 2027

The state has no deadline; these are the dates that decide the money.

Dates that repeat every year

Class of 2027 milestone chain

How Washington Aid Stacks

Washington grants stack in a set order, and total aid cannot exceed the cost of attendance.

• Pell Grant and WA Grant combine. WSAC says students can keep both and use the combination for costs beyond tuition.
• College Bound is coordinated with WA Grant: it fills the gap between the student’s WA Grant and the College Bound maximum. It is not a second full grant.
• Campus promises (Husky Promise, Cougar Commitment, Gonzaga Access Pledge) are last-dollar to tuition: federal and state grants are applied first, and the college covers what is left of tuition.
• WSOS is applied last, after all other aid, up to the cost of attendance.
• Outside scholarships can reduce other aid if the total would exceed the cost of attendance. Ask the aid office which award is reduced first.

Example A (illustrative): four-year, on campus at UW

Family of four, 2027-28 income $70,000, student Pell-eligible, STEM major, not in College Bound. Cost of attendance assumed at $36,000 for illustration only.

If the same student were in College Bound, the state grant would rise to $13,703 at UW (2026-27 maximum).

Example B (illustrative): two-year, living at home

Family of four, 2027-28 income $100,000, community college, not Pell-eligible. Tuition and fees assumed at $5,100 for illustration only.

A family at $100,000 that never filed would pay the full $5,100. Filing cut the tuition bill in half.

For a line-by-line method to compare offers, see how to compare college financial aid offers.

Common Ways Washington Aid Gets Lost

Almost every lost dollar here is a process failure, not a student failure.

Who Benefits Most

Low-income families

Washington is one of the strongest states in the country for you. Under 60% of MFI, WA Grant matches public tuition, Pell can go to living costs, and UW, WSU, and Gonzaga add tuition promises for Pell-eligible students. College Bound students get a higher state maximum.

Middle-income families

Up to $147,000 for a family of four, you get a partial grant, from 60% of the full award down to 10%. WSOS reaches even higher incomes for STEM and health care majors. College merit money matters most here.

High-achieving students

There is no state merit grant. Your money comes from college merit and honors awards and, if you qualify on income, from WA Grant and WSOS stacked on top.

Students who test poorly

Washington state aid uses no test scores at all. WA Grant, College Bound, and WSOS never ask for an ACT or SAT.

Adult and returning students

WA Grant is not limited to recent graduates. It can pay for part-time study at a prorated amount, for career training, and for registered apprenticeships through WA Grant for Apprenticeship.

First-gen families

Same eligibility, more places to trip. The FAFSA, the priority date, and the WSOS application are three separate tasks. The First-Gen Parent Guide and the grade-level checklists walk through them in order.

Colleges That Stack Best With Washington Aid

The state pays the same WA Grant percentage everywhere, so the college decides what is left. In Washington, the biggest difference between colleges is not merit. It is whether the college promises to cover the rest of tuition for a student with high need, and what it takes to qualify.

Automatic full tuition for high-need students

• University of Washington: application Nov 15, 2026; FAFSA/WASFA priority Feb 1, 2027.
• Washington State University: FAFSA/WASFA and scholarship priority Jan 31; fall admission priority Mar 31.
• Gonzaga University: Early Action Nov 15 (FAFSA by Dec 1); Regular Decision Feb 1 (FAFSA by Feb 1). Also awards automatic merit with admission.

The clean automatic grids

• Western Washington University: automatic merit with admission; Early Action Nov 1; Regular Decision and FAFSA priority Jan 31.
• Eastern Washington University: automatic freshman scholarship for residents who apply by the Feb 1 priority date; scholarship application and FAFSA priority also Feb 1.

A different model

• Seattle University: merit decided from the admission application; Early Action Nov 1, Regular Decision Jan 15; FAFSA or WASFA by Dec 1 (early) or Feb 1 (regular). No published tuition promise for Pell-eligible students in our database.

The two-year and transfer pathway

WA Grant follows the student from a community or technical college to any participating Washington four-year college; the dollar amount changes to match the new college type. Many community colleges also offer applied bachelor’s degrees, which have their own WA Grant amount ($8,134 full award in 2026-27). Washington’s Direct Transfer Agreement associate degree is built to transfer to the public universities; map courses with both colleges before enrolling.

Cautions: College Bound must be used within six years, and the student must first enroll within one year of high school graduation. WA Grant has its own time limits, and each college applies SAP rules. Ask both aid offices before changing colleges.

For families outside Washington

Washington’s public universities discount tuition for students from other western states through the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE). In our database, WSU, Western, and Eastern all offer WUE awards; see each college page for the GPA and amount. Washington state grants do not apply to nonresidents.

Smaller Programs Worth Checking

Award amounts for these programs are not listed here because we have not verified them; follow the official links.

Washington State Aid FAQs

How much is the Washington College Grant for 2027-28?

WSAC has not yet published 2027-28 award amounts, so the most recent official figures are the 2026-27 maximums for a full-time student: $13,203 at UW, $12,700 at WSU, $8,035 to $8,804 at the regional universities, $5,095 at community and technical colleges, and $6,476 at private nonprofit four-year colleges. Families above 60% of state median family income receive 60%, 50%, 24.5%, or 10% of the full award, depending on income. Part-time students receive a prorated award.

What is the income limit for the Washington College Grant in 2027-28?

For a family of four, $147,000 is the top of the range for any WA Grant in 2027-28, and $88,000 is the top of the range for the full award. The limits rise with family size: a family of three tops out at $123,500 and a family of five at $170,500. Income comes from the FAFSA or WASFA, which for 2027-28 uses 2025 tax-year income.

Is there a deadline for the Washington College Grant?

There is no statewide deadline. WSAC says every Washington resident who meets the income standards is guaranteed the grant, so filing later does not shrink it. The deadlines that matter are each college’s FAFSA or WASFA priority date (UW: February 1, 2027; WSU and Western: January 31; Eastern: February 1), because campus tuition promises and limited college aid go to on-time filers.

Can you use the Washington College Grant at a private college?

Yes, at approved private nonprofit colleges in Washington, but at a reduced amount. Starting in 2026-27, the maximum WA Grant at private nonprofit four-year colleges dropped to 50% of the average UW and WSU award ($6,476 for a full award in 2026-27), and starting in 2027-28 College Bound is cut the same way. Private for-profit colleges no longer receive WA Grant or College Bound. The 2026 supplemental budget did not restore the cuts.

Does Washington state aid cover housing?

Partly. The WA Grant amount is sized to public tuition, and at most public colleges it ends up paying tuition, although WSAC says the grant can be used for tuition, supplies, and living expenses. The Washington State Opportunity Scholarship and Passport to College explicitly pay costs beyond tuition, such as housing. The campus promises at UW, WSU, and Gonzaga cover tuition (and standard or mandatory fees at UW and WSU), not housing.

Can you get both the Washington College Grant and College Bound?

Yes. They are built to combine: College Bound tops up the WA Grant to a higher College Bound maximum for students whose family income is at or below 65% of state median family income, which is $95,500 for a family of four in 2027-28. In 2026-27 that combined maximum was $13,703 at UW and $5,595 at community and technical colleges. At private nonprofit four-year colleges, the College Bound maximum is cut to 50% of the average UW and WSU award starting in 2027-28.

What is the WSOS deadline for 2027?

The Baccalaureate Scholarship application runs January 13 to February 25, 2027, and closes at 9 p.m. Pacific. The FAFSA or WASFA must also be filed by February 25, 2027. It requires a 2.75 GPA, an eligible STEM or health care major, and family income no higher than 125% of state median family income ($174,500 for a family of four on the 2026 application chart).

Should we file the FAFSA or the WASFA in Washington?

File the FAFSA if the student is eligible for federal aid; it covers both federal and state aid. The WASFA is for students who cannot or choose not to file a FAFSA, such as undocumented students, and it applies for state aid only, so a FAFSA-eligible student who files only the WASFA gives up Pell Grants and federal loans. File one, not both. The 2027-28 FAFSA and the 2027-28 WASFA are both open.

Sources and Verification

Program rules, income limits, award amounts, and deadlines were verified October 29, 2026 against the Washington Student Achievement Council and the colleges’ own pages: WA Grant · 2027-28 MFI chart · 2026-27 WA Grant and College Bound award chart · 2025 Legislative Session Recap FAQs · College Bound · WASFA and privacy statement · 2027-28 WASFA changes · Passport to Careers · WSAC program manuals and charts · WSOS Baccalaureate Scholarship · UW key dates · UW Husky Promise · WSU Cougar Commitment · WSU dates and deadlines · Gonzaga Access Pledge · Western fall timeline · Eastern freshman deadlines.

College deadlines not on those pages come from our database, verified October 2026 (see our data methodology). The status of the 2026 restoration bill (SB 5828) reflects reporting by the University of Puget Sound and the Washington State Standard. Rules change every legislative session. Confirm current details on the official pages before making a financial decision.