College Bound Scholarship

Commit to College in Middle School

The College Bound Scholarship is an early commitment of state financial aid to eligible Washington State students enrolled in middle school who fulfill the College Bound Scholarship pledge. College Bound covers average tuition (at public college rates), fees and a small amount for books at over 65 colleges, universities, and technical schools in Washington.

Student Eligibility & College Bound Sign-Up

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

  • Students are enrolled in a public school and are signed up for free and reduced-price lunch (FRPL) in 7th, 8th, or newly eligible in 9th grade.

  • A student is in state foster care, or a dependent of the state, between 7th grade and high school graduation.

Interested students who do not fit into either scenario and are interested in applying can contact the College Bound program.

The College Bound Scholarship Pledge

  • Graduate from a Washington State high school or home school program with a cumulative 2.0 GPA or higher if planning to attend a four-year college directly after high school.

    • There is no high school GPA requirement for students planning to attend a community college or technical school.

  • Have no felony convictions.

  • Apply for financial aid with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WAFSA) in senior year of high school and every year during college or training.

Helpful Links

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 65 eligible colleges, universities and technical 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 65 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.

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, university or technical school.

Learn More

College Bound students will receive a certificate in the mail confirming they are signed up for College Bound.

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.

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