Undocumented Students/DREAMers

If you immigrated to the US, are undocumented, or have DACA, get your college experience started with the Washington Student Achievement Council's webpage on financial aid, resident tuition, and other resources.

For confidential answers to your financial aid questions, call the financial aid office at the college of your choice.

You can also contact Student Financial Assistance at the Washington Student Achievement Council at finaid@wsac.wa.gov or 888-535-0747.

Financial Aid for Undocumented Students/DREAMers

If you are an undocumented student, welcome to our community and technical colleges! Under Washington state's REAL Hope Act, you may be eligible for state financial aid. Just complete the Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WASFA) to find out if you qualify for:

  • Washington College Grant
  • College Bound Scholarship
  • State Work Study

Washington's community and technical colleges are committed to the success of DACA and undocumented students. Our colleges do not ask for immigration status unless required by law (e.g. determining in-state tuition eligibility). Our colleges will not share students' immigration status with people or agencies outside of the college without the student's consent or unless legally obligated.

Washington College Grant

To qualify for the Washington College Grant, you must meet income-eligibility requirements and satisfy the following residency requirements by the time you begin college:

  • Graduate from a Washington high school or obtained the equivalent of a diploma (for example, the GED®). Your full senior year must have been spent at a Washington high school.
  • Lived in Washington for three calendar years (36 months) before, and continuously since, earning the high school diploma or equivalent.
  • Sign and submit a HB 1079 affidavit (written promise) to file an application to become a permanent resident of the United States when eligible to apply. The affidavit is included as part of the financial aid application.

Students granted Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) must also meet all the eligibility requirements listed above.

College Bound Scholarship

The College Bound Scholarship is an income-based program open to students who sign up in the 7th or 8th grade. Foster youth in grades 7-12 and have not yet graduated from high school are automatically enrolled. To receive the scholarship, students must:

  • Graduate with a Washington state high school diploma or approved home school program with a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher
  • Have no felony convictions
  • Apply for the FAFSA or WASFA every year you go to college and be income eligible as determined by the FAFSA or WASFA
  • Be accepted to an eligible college or university and begin attending within one year of high school graduation
  • Meet program state residency requirements

State Work Study

The Washington State Work Study program is for eligible low- and middle-income students to work in an approved on- or off-campus job.

To be eligible, you must:

  • Meet Washington state residency requirements for state financial aid
  • File for financial aid using the WASFA for every year you think you might go to college. Applications for the next school year (which begins in fall) open Oct. 1.