Frequently Asked Questions
Interested in Applying for a Scholarship?
Yes! Absolutely yes. More than half of all students who applied for scholarships last year received one. These scholarships ranged between $3,500 and $4,500. Think of it this way: If you spend 10 hours creating a great scholarship application and you win a $4,000 scholarship, you will have made $400 per hour! In addition, you are building materials that can be used for other scholarships, colleges, or job applications. Reuse your personal statement and keep in contact with your references for future applications.
Yes, you can (and must) apply each year for Seattle Colleges Foundation scholarships. If you have applied in the past, you can use the same log-in credentials as before. If you do not remember your password, click “Forgot password” and then enter your email address on the next page.” NOTE: The new application will not have your answers from past years. You will need to complete the application again.
You are welcome to use last year's written statements as a starting point. However, you will need to update them to reflect changes that have occurred in your life or goals this past year. It is also an opportunity for reflection on how to expand on previous goals and build off those. Please capture these changes during the last year, including how receiving the Foundation scholarship in the previous year had impacted your learning and education.
Yes, international students and Dreamers (undocumented students) can apply, and we encourage you to do so! Only Running Start students who will be graduating from high school this year can apply.
Preparing for the Scholarship Application
Ask people who know you in a professional or academic setting, such as advisors, counselors, instructors, job supervisors, mentors, and community members. You must include two references. At least one should be from a Seattle College faculty or staff member. Consider individuals who will give you positive feedback to your efforts. Please allow the person you are requesting the reference from at least four weeks before the deadline to write the reference. Family members, partners, or friends are not acceptable references.
If you are new to the college or recently started, you are not required to use a Seattle Colleges faculty or staff.
Requesting recommendations should be one of the first things you do when you begin to work on the scholarship application.
It is your responsibility to ensure that your application contains two references. Please make sure to follow up with references to remind them to submit their questionnaires by the deadline. It is up to you to REQUEST references and check that they have been SUBMITTED.
In your application, you will be asked to provide the name and email address of two people, or “references,” who would be willing to recommend you for scholarships. Once you enter their name and email address and click on the "Send Request" button, each reference will receive an email with a link to the online form. They can submit their reference through the system without creating a login account. You can check on the status of your references by logging into your account and clicking the “References” section.
If one of your references cannot complete your request, you can send a request to a new reference on your application. References will have until four days after the application deadline to complete their reference.
Yes, students must submit a transcript and have earned at least a minimum of a 2.0 grade point average. If you do not have a college transcript for Seattle Colleges, please upload your current class schedule. If you are a recent high school graduate, submit your unofficial high school transcript. If you have a transcript from another college, submit the most recent unofficial transcript. If you do not have any recent transcripts, type a short explanation of why you do not have a transcript and upload this document in place of your transcript.
Links to access unofficial scholarships:
Students who are exempt from completing the FAFSA or WASFA include:
- International Students
- Students waiting for immigration status
All other students including those who have maxed out of funding, completed a previous degree, defaulted on student loans, etc. should complete the FAFSA or WASFA. If you are unsure which form to complete, check out How to Apply for Financial Aid | WSAC (wa.gov).
Completing the Scholarship Application
The application for 2023-24 scholarships must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, April 13, 2023. You are welcome to start and stop work on your application as many times as you like until that date. Your application will automatically save your work each time you enter new/updated information.
By completing one application, you automatically apply for most of the Seattle Colleges Foundation scholarships. These scholarships are awarded based on academic achievement, financial need, personal history, and specific areas of study or campus. While you complete your application, there may be additional scholarships that you qualify for. To find out, click the “Scholarships” section for additional questions. Do not skip these!
Completing the FAFSA and WASFA in highly encouraged, but not required.
Students who are not eligible due to citizenship status, will not be required to complete the form. Click here to see if you are eligible.
Completing the financial aid process includes the following:
- Completing the FAFSA or WASFA
- Completing the financial aid required forms. Please review college specific financial aid websites for more details on what is needed.
- North Seattle College – Paying for College
- Seattle Central College - Funding
- South Seattle College – Funding Resource
There are two student scholarship application links, and you only need to use one: 1) If you are a current Seattle College student then you can use your school email address, using single sign on, to login and complete your application, and 2.) If you are a prospective Seattle College student, then you will need to use this login link and your personal email address that you check frequently to create a scholarship account. It is critical that you check this email account regularly during the scholarship application and review process, as this is the only method that we use to contact you.
For prospective Seattle College students who do not have a school email address: When you first create your account, the system will send you an email to your email address. If you do not remember your password, go back to the sign-in page of the website, and click on “Forgot password.” Type in your email address and click on “Send Email.”
For prospective students only: After creating your account, if you are experiencing issues logging in, please note you can click on "Forgot password" to reset your password.
Once you have submitted a complete application, the screen will say “Applied” under “Scholarships." You must answer all required questions and upload the required documents for your application to be considered complete. If a section does not apply to you, please enter “0” or “N/A.”
If you are currently enrolled in the Nursing program or will be enrolled in the upcoming academic year, please choose Seattle Central College as your primary school. If you are currently taking nursing pre-requisites and plan to continue taking the pre-requisites in the next academic year, please list the college you are currently attending.
KEY Scholarship Application Tips:
- Click on the refresh button if your application is stagnant
- Your work will automatically save
- Answer all questions; do not leave blanks
- Apply for additional scholarships
- Be sure to click on “Submit Application”
- Edits can continue up until the deadline even after you have submitted your application
- Not sure about your plans for next academic year – APPLY!
Awarding Scholarships
If awarded, the scholarship will be evenly distributed between Fall, Winter, and Spring quarter in the 2023-2024 academic school year at the college you have indicated on the post-acceptance application.
Scholarships cannot be transferred to other colleges as they are designated for students at specific colleges.
Scholarships will cover tuition and fees first, followed by books.
Scholars must plan to be enrolled in at least 9 credits per quarter to receive their full scholarship for the Seattle Colleges Foundation or your scholarship will be prorated based on the chart below. This is also mentioned in the scholarship agreement that must be signed by all scholars in order to receive their scholarship.
| Quarterly Enrollment Level | Foundation Award Disbursement |
|---|---|
| Full time (12+ credits) | Full amount of award |
| ¾ time (9-11 credits) | Full amount of award |
| ½ time (6-8 credits) | Prorated to ¾ of total award |
| Less than ½ time (5 or fewer credits) | Prorated to ½ of total award |
South Seattle College Foundation scholarships' prorated awards vary slightly: Students who are enrolled in 4-5 credits a quarter are awarded 1/2 of the award per quarter; students who are enrolled in 3 credits or less a quarter do not receive an award.
If you plan to transfer next fall quarter, please indicate that on your application. Be aware, that by checking the transfer box you will only be reviewed for transfer scholarships and become ineligible for our general scholarship pool. If awarded, you will be asked to submit your admission letter and Fall course schedule to verify your admittance. Your scholarship will then be sent directly to the four-year college of choice. There is limited funding for transfer scholarships.
No, the award can only be used at the school you are applying to for the 2023-24 school year. The award does not cover loans owed.
South Seattle College students can't transfer their scholarships to another campus. North Seattle and Seattle Central campus scholarships may be transferable. Please check in with us to see if this applies to you.