Financial Aid

College Financial Aid

Financial aid is money to help pay for college. It can include grants, work study, and loans to help covercollege expenses.

Grants: Gift aid usually based on financial need and in most cases do not need to be repaid.
Scholarships: Money awarded to students based on academic or other achievements to help pay for education expenses.
Loans: Money that can be borrowed for educational expenses and is repaid over time (with interest added in most cases)
Work Study: A financial aid program (federal or state) that allows a student to work on-campus or with approved off campus employers to earn money to pay for college expenses.

Completing the FAFSA or WASFA is the first step in accessing college financial aid. The FAFSA andWASFA open every year on October 1st.

The FAFSA is the application that citizens and eligible non-citizens (e.g. permanent resident/green card, conditional permanent resident, refugee) complete to access financial aid. It is free and can be filed on the FAFSA website.
The WASFA is the application undocumented non-citizens complete to access financial aid. It is free and can be filed on the WASFA website.
Some colleges and universities will require additional financial aid forms to access aid. One of the most common forms is the CSS Profile.

Seattle Public Schools will be offering a Virtual Presentation on how to apply for financial aid, and the resources available on Monday, October 5th from 7-8:30 p.m.
Virtual Financial aid filing events to assist students and parents/guardians with completing financial aid forms will be offered throughout October and November. A complete list of these events is available here.
Additionally, schools will be providing financial aid advising day lessons to seniors throughout October and November.