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College Bound

College Bound logo and young woman smiling, wearing grad cap among other graduates.

College Bound's commitment to Washington students

Through the generous Washington College Grant (WA Grant), eligible College Bound students who fulfill the program requirements get free public college tuition, or an equivalent amount for an approved private college or career school. Students must apply for financial aid and attend a participating college in Washington.

This page contains information for students, families, counselors, and anyone interested in the College Bound program.

Information for Students and Families

Thumbnail of the new College Bound video series - Chapter 1 (English) Thumbnail of the new College Bound video series - Chapter 1 (Spanish)
NEW - Understand the College Bound Program with our Short Animated Videos: Available in English and Spanish, these videos provide clear, accessible information on College Bound, its benefits, and how to leverage this opportunity for post-high school education or training. Use the Video Student Learning Outcomes and Discussion Questions to actively engage your College Bound students. Available in English and Spanish. 

We've gathered the most important information about the College Bound program to share with our students and families in Washington State. View the tabs below to find out about applying, eligibility, the College Bound program requirements, and more.

FAQs for Students

Frequently Asked Questions

Sign Up Requirements

Auto-enrollment 

Students who meet one of the following requirements are automatically enrolled in College Bound:

  • Students who are in public school and income-eligible for free-and-reduced price lunch in 7th, 8th, or newly income-eligible in 9th grade.
  • Students who are in state foster care, or a dependent of the state between 7th grade and high school graduation.

What makes a 9th grader newly eligible?

  • Be enrolled in a Washington school (public, private, or homeschooled) in 7th and 8th grade.
  • Not income-eligible for Free and Reduced-Price Lunch (FRPL) in 7th and 8th grade.
  • Newly income-eligible for Free and Reduced-Price Lunch (FRPL) in 9th grade.

Other ways to qualify

If a student does not meet either of the above requirements, the family can contact the College Bound program if they meet one of the following criteria:

  • Attend a private school or homeschool program in 7th, 8th, or newly income-eligible in 9th grade and meet the income requirements.
2024-25 USDA Income Guidelines (Effective from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025). Amounts in the chart refer to gross income for all members of a household.
 Household size  Annual Income* Monthly Income  Weekly Income 
 2  $37,814  $3,152  $728
 3  $47,767  $3,981  $919
 4  $57,720  $4,810  $1,110
 5  $67,673  $5,640  $1,302
 6  $77,626  $6,469  $1,493
Additional members**  $9,953  $830  $192

*Household income must be less than or equal to this amount.
**For each additional household member, add that dollar amount

Using College Bound

How will students get College Bound funding?

Student requirements  

To receive College Bound funds, students must meet the requirements in both columns:

Maintain Your CB Eligibility Status:   Qualify to Receive CB Funds: 
  1. Graduate from a WA high school or homeschool with a cumulative 2.0 GPA or higher if attending a four-year public or private college directly after high school.
  • No College Bound GPA requirement for students attending community or technical colleges.  
  1. Complete a financial aid application: File the FAFSA or WASFA during your senior year of high school and every year you’re enrolled in college or career school.  

 

 
  1. Meet the enrollment deadline: Earn college credits OR be accepted to and attend any college within one year of high school graduation. This includes programs like Running Start or attending an out-of-state college/university. 
  1. Meet College Bound income and residency requirements: Determined by the financial aid office at your college, based on your financial aid application.  

 
  1. Have no felony convictions. 

 
  1. Attend a participating college/university: Be accepted to and attend one of Washington’s 65+ participating colleges, universities, or career schools that accept College Bound funds. 
 
  1. Be in good standing at your college. This could be GPA (maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress) or student code of conduct and is specific to each school. 
Access to College Bound

This handout outlines the student, school, and College Bound program roles and responsibilities to access College Bound. Available in:

Where can students use College Bound?
  • Students can use College Bound at over 65 schools across Washington.
College Bound
2024-25 Maximum Award Amounts*

Institution

Award
Public Research  
University of Washington $12,878
Washington State University $12,387
Public Comprehensive  
Central Washington University $8,585
Eastern Washington University $8,023
The Evergreen State College $8,597
Western Washington University $8,732
Other Eligible Institutions       
Private four-year colleges and universities $12,633
WGU Washington $7,540
Public community and technical colleges $5,263
CTC Applied Bachelor's $8,110
Private career colleges $5,263
*2024-25 Maximum CB Award Amounts Combined with Washington College Grant for 3 Quarters/2 Semesters

Income Eligibility to Receive CB

Who is income-eligible to receive College Bound in college?

In order to access College Bound, a family’s income must be at or below the amount in the chart for their household size. This chart changes each year. It is important that students apply for financial aid every year they plan to attend college. Students must also meet the CB Pledge requirements.

2024-25 Median Family Income (MFI) Chart
 Household size Annual Income* 
 1  $40,500
 2  $53,000
 3  $65,500
 4  $78,500
 5  $91,000
 6  $103,500
 7  $105,500
 8  $108,000

*Household income must be less than or equal to this amount. Note: A CB Scholar could be eligible for College Bound funding for some years, and not eligible for others, if the family’s MFI level exceeded 65 percent in one or more years.

Private and Homeschooled Students

Get Started: Students and families can contact the College Bound program at collegebound@wsac.wa.gov or call 888.535.0747, Option 1 to apply if they attend a Washington State private school or homeschool program in 7th, 8th, or become newly income-eligible in 9th grade and meet the income requirements.

Required Documents for Homeschooled Graduates:

If a College Bound enrolled student graduates from an approved Washington state homeschool program, they need to provide extra documents for verification because the Washington Student Achievement Council doesn’t automatically receive graduation information for students enrolled in homeschool programs. Documents can be sent to collegebound@wsac.wa.gov. They need to send:

  1. High school or homeschool transcripts showing graduation date and final cumulative GPA (unofficial transcripts are okay).
  2. Letter of Intent to Homeschool, filed with the local school district.
  3. One of the following:
    • College coursework (unofficial transcript)
    • College or program placement test scores
    • PSAT, SAT, ACT, PLAN, or ASPIRE scores

Once these documents are received, the request will be reviewed and a decision on whether the student meets the graduation requirements will be made.

Note: If the student is a resident and finished high school in another state, they must meet Washington State residency requirements. They should contact College Bound staff at collegebound@wsac.wa.gov to review their situation.

Required Documents for Private School Graduates:

If a student graduates from a private school in Washington, they need to send:

  1. A copy of their final high school transcript (an unofficial copy is okay) showing graduation date and final cumulative GPA. A diploma alone is not enough.
How to Submit Documents:

Students can send an unofficial copy of their high school transcript and supporting documents in one of the following ways:

  • Email (preferred): collegebound@wsac.wa.gov
  • Fax: 888-974-4217
  • Mail: College Bound, PO Box 43430, Olympia, WA 98504-3430
     

Tools and Resources

Join our Newsletter
  • Sign up for our free email newsletter to receive information about College Bound, financial aid, and college and career-planning. 
College Bound Middle School Intro Flyers
College Bound Short-Animated Videos
  • These videos provide clear, accessible information on the College Bound program, its benefits, and how to maximize this opportunity for education or career training after high school.
  • Videos are available in English and Spanish.
College Bound High School Intro Flyers
Access to College Bound
College Bound Myths & Facts
OtterBot Texting Service
  • OtterBot is a free texting service that can help high school students and their parents or guardians with the financial aid and postsecondary education application processes. OtterBot sends reminders and can answer questions about financial aid 24/7!
  • If OtterBot cannot answer a question, it is sent to WSAC staff.

Otter banner

College & Career Knowledge booklet
Award Letter Worksheets
Padlet: Financial Aid Resources for Students
  • This student based padlet provides a list of resources that will navigate students through the financial aid and admissions processes.
Financial Aid Calculator
  • This tool estimates what Washington College Grant and Pell Grant financial aid might look like for a student. 

Information for School Counselors and Staff

The College Bound program provides ample resources and guidance for counselors and practitioners working with College Bound students. In addition to the resources on this page, school and nonprofit organization staff can order free promotional materials to assist students and their families.

School and nonprofit organization staff can use the tools and resources below to inform students and their families about how to maintain eligibility, meet program requirements, and access College Bound. Many resources are available in multiple languages.

Please note, through feedback from students, WSAC has discovered that the word “scholarship” as associated with the College Bound program caused confusion around awarding and the application process. Therefore, you will see a transition of language for students from College Bound Scholarship to College Bound program.

College Bound Online Portal for Staff

College Bound Online Portal for Staff

College Bound has an online portal called the Toolbox. The Toolbox allows school staff to track College Bound applications, update student information, and see which students have completed the FAFSA (high school access). Email us with your name, title, school, district and office phone number to request access to the secure portal.

College Bound Secure Online Portal and the Toolbox
Toolbox 

MS Resources

Order College Bound materials and swag
  • Order free promotional College Bound items.
Middle School Intro Flyers
Student and Family CB Presentation 
  • This PowerPoint can be used when presenting to students and families. Available in English and Spanish. 
College Bound Student Confirmation Letter 
  • Use our downloadable template to confirm a College Bound student’s enrollment, provide key resources, and customize with your school’s logo and contact details: English, Russian, Somali, Spanish, and Vietnamese.
Join our Newsletter
  • Sign up for our free email newsletter to receive advice on College Bound, financial aid, and college and career-planning. 
College Bound Information for Middle School Students
  • Download this template with College Bound information for middle school students. Add your school logo, events, and contact information to customize and share on your school website.
Create Your Future with College Bound materials
  • Developed by CSF and WSAC to help students learn about College Bound and foster postsecondary mindsets. View and download student and educator materials.

HS Resources

Order College Bound materials and swag
  • Order free promotional College Bound items. 
High School Intro Flyers
Access to College Bound
Join our Newsletter
  • Sign up for our free email newsletter to receive advice on College Bound, financial aid, and college and career-planning. 
College Bound Myths & Facts
Student and Family CB Presentation 
  • This PowerPoint can be used when presenting to students and families. Available in English and Spanish.
College Bound Student Confirmation Letter 
  • Use our downloadable template to confirm a College Bound student’s enrollment, provide key resources, and customize with your school’s logo and contact details: English, Russian, Somali, Spanish, and Vietnamese.
College Bound Information for High School Students
  • Download this template with College Bound information for high school students. Add your school logo, events, and contact information to customize and share on your school website.
Create Your Future with College Bound materials
  • Developed by CSF and WSAC to help students learn about College Bound and foster postsecondary mindsets. View and download student and educator materials.
Washington College Grant
Financial Aid Toolkit

Web Resources

12th Year Campaign
  • The 12th Year Campaign boosts college and financial aid application rates in Washington by helping those working with high school seniors and their families complete applications for college admissions and financial aid. Visit the 12th Year web page for more information.
Financial Aid Toolkit
  • WSAC's Financial Aid Toolkit contains a host of resources to support students and families in learning about the Washington College Grant (WA Grant) and the financial aid application process.
Plan Your Future
  • Find more information and resources on our Plan Your Future page to support students planning for life after high school.

FAQs for Counselors

School Staff & College Access Professionals Frequently Asked Questions
College Bound Portal Bulk Update Tool for Student Bad Addresses & Updated Contact Information

Partnerships, Legislative Statutes, and Reports

Legislative Foundation

RCW 28B.118 
The College Bound Scholarship is designed to inspire and encourage Washington middle school students from low-income families to prepare for and pursue postsecondary education. The early commitment of state funding for tuition is intended to alleviate the financial barriers preventing students from considering college as a possibility.

WAC 250-84
Outlines the program parameters, including student identification, eligibility, scholarship award amounts, and the roles of the Agency and the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI).

Partner Support and Resources

Partner Support and Resources

The Washington College Access Network (WCAN) is the college access arm of the College Success Foundation, with the mission to increase postsecondary enrollment for all Washington State students particularly among students experiencing poverty, first-generation college-going students, and students of color. WCAN is a key partner in supporting College Bound outreach and regional support. The team assists in College Bound training, financial aid completion support, and college access efforts across the state. Visit their website to find regional contacts.

College Knowledge

This workbook walks students through how to plan and prepare for college. It is outlined by grade and subject area and available in multiple languages. Visit the 12th Year Campaign site to download these materials or to order hard copies.