Thank you for helping Opportunity Scholars launch their STEM, trade, and health care careers through WSOS. We can’t do this work without you!
This page includes everything you need to provide Opportunity Scholars with their award amounts. Questions? Please email us at info@waopportunityscholarship.org.
What do I do once I receive a WSOS disbursement?
Institutions should complete the following process when they receive a disbursement from WSOS:
- Access the Disbursement Roster via the College Partner Portal.
- Check student enrollment status (credits enrolled, meeting SAP).
- Adjust the award amount based on enrollment.
- Apply the award amount to student accounts.
- If issuing refunds, export the Disbursement Roster from the Portal.
- Fill out the exported Disbursement Roster with refund information and return it to WSOS.
More detailed instructions are provided below.
How do I access more details related to WSOS funding?
The College Partner Portal provides our partners in financial aid with access to WSOS awards for Scholars at their institutions. Aid offices can access the following:
- Names of Opportunity Scholars on their campus
- Scholarship award amounts per quarter or semester
- Disbursement dates and amounts
- Refunds owed to WSOS and received from colleges
- Unit Report Record (URR)
How to access the College Partner Portal
First-time users
New financial aid staff who don’t have access to the portal can email info@waopportunityscholarship.org with the following:
- First and last name
- College name
- Office phone number
- Email address
- Title
How to sign in to the portal
Once you can access the portal, follow this link to log in.
Learn more about the College Partner Portal.
Need to update your login credential, or are you having trouble logging in? Reach out to us at info@waopportunityscholarship.org.
Disbursements
ACH or Paper Check
All college partners can receive disbursements as a paper check or ACH transfer.
- Institutions that opt for ACH transfers will receive payment immediately on the disbursement date. Email 501 Commons at bookkeeping@501commons.org if you want to sign up for ACH.
- Institutions that opt for paper checks will receive a check approximately a week after the disbursement date. Please note that these checks expire within three months and should be deposited immediately.
Disbursement Rosters
All institutions can access student-specific disbursement information through the College Partner Portal and will be emailed when rosters are added.
- Rosters are separated by scholarship program and will be added in July with award information for the entirety of the academic year. Those with access to the College Partner Portal can log on anytime and view past and upcoming disbursements for the current academic year.
- Our community and technical college partners must check rosters quarterly as we select new recipients each quarter.
When is WSOS funding disbursed?
WSOS will send disbursements at least two weeks before each term. See disbursement dates below.
| Semester Term | Disbursement Date |
|---|---|
| 2023 summer semester - GRD | 4/24/2023 |
| 2023 summer semester - BaS | 6/13/2023 |
| 2023 fall semester - BaS & GRD | 7/31/2023 |
| 2024 spring semester - BaS & GRD | 12/13/2023 |
| 2024 summer semester - BaS & GRD | 4/22/2024 |
| Quarter Term | Disbursement Date |
|---|---|
| 2023 summer quarter | 6/13/2023 |
| 2023 fall quarter | 8/29/2023 |
| 2024 winter quarter | 12/13/2023 |
| 2024 spring quarter | 3/19/2024 |
| 2024 summer quarter | 6/10/2024 |
How do I confirm a student’s eligibility for receiving WSOS funds?
Financial aid offices should confirm eligibility when they receive an award on behalf of a student. The eligibility criteria for each scholarship are as follows:
| Criteria | Career & Technical Scholarship (CTS)* | Baccalaureate Scholarship (BaS) | Graduate Scholarship (GRD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enrolled in an eligible college and program | X | X | X |
| The student is enrolled in at least 3 quarter credits | X | X | 3 credits is considered full-time |
| The student is meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) in accordance with institution policy. | X | X | X |
| The student is eligible for in-state tuition. | X | X | X |
| The student does not exceed the Cost of Attendance (COA). | WSOS can only be used up to the COA. If a student is receiving additional aid, please calculate the amount of WSOS funding that the student may be eligible to receive. | ||
For CTS and GRD Scholars who are listed in the disbursement roster as “Exempt – Fund At Full Time”, please fund the Scholar at full-time.
Applying CTS and BaS Funds
WSOS determines how much to award eligible students according to their enrollment status (full-time, three-quarter-time, half-time, or quarter-time). Status is determined as of 10 days after the term begins.
- Full awards are provided to students who meet the eligibility requirements above and are enrolled full-time.
- Partial awards are provided to eligible students enrolled less than full-time (11 or fewer credits).
| Student Enrollment | Enrolled Credits- Based on Quarter Schools (10 days after the start of term) | % of Funds Student is Eligible to Receive |
|---|---|---|
| Three-Quarter (3/4) Time | 9 – 11 credits | Eligible for 75% of the full-time amount |
| Half (1/2) Time | 6 – 8 credits | Eligible for 50% of the full-time amount |
| Quarter (1/4) Time | 3 – 5 credits | Eligible for 25% of the full-time amount |
| Less than a quarter time | <3 credits | Not eligible |
- If the student’s enrollment status drops below full-time or withdraws completely in the first 10 days following the start of the term, the appropriate portion of the funds (if any) should be returned to 501 Commons before the end of the quarter or semester. This allows us to recalculate future awards. Partial refunds are rounded to the nearest dollar.
- WSOS funds can be used up to the Cost of Attendance (COA). Any amount received that exceeds COA should be refunded to WSOS before the end of the quarter or semester.
What happens if a Scholar withdraws after the reimbursement date?
Opportunity Scholars who withdraw after the 50% or 100% college refund date will not be required to pay WSOS back. The funds will be counted against the total funds available to the Scholar.
Applying GRD Funds
GRD Scholars are selected in the spring of the first year of their DNP or MSN program. Scholars are notified in June, and their award disbursement begins in the fall. GRD Scholars receive up to $25,000 divided evenly over their remaining terms in their program.
- After selection, GRD Scholars submit their academic plans, and a disbursement schedule is created based on how many terms remain in their program.
- Funding is not prorated for GRD recipients who fall below full-time as their disbursement already takes their status into account.
- Reasons for a GRD refund include, Scholar not enrolled for the quarter or semester, Scholar withdrew, Scholar not meeting SAP, or Scholar exceeds COA.
Summer Funding
All WSOS scholarships are available for summer funding for current Scholars starting in summer 2023. New Scholars selected in spring quarter cannot utilize summer term funding until the next academic year.
- Summer funding eligibility requirements are the same as all other quarters and semesters.
- We encourage Scholars to carefully consider if using their scholarship during the summer aligns with their college plan, as it counts against the total terms they can receive WSOS funding over their academic career.
Refunds and Reporting
Calculating Refunds
A full or partial refund should be processed when a student fails to meet eligibility requirements, is enrolled less than full-time, is not enrolled, graduated, or exceeds the cost of attendance.
- A full refund should be issued for students not meeting the above eligibility criteria. Institutions should give a full refund for students who are “no show” or are not enrolled within 10 days of the start of the term or withdraw after the 100% refund date.
- A partial refund (CTS or BaS only) should be issued for students enrolled less than full-time, who withdrew before the 100% refund date, or who exceed COA. See the “Partial award” section above to calculate the appropriate refund amount.
How do I send refunds and program reports to WSOS?
If any refunds are identified, here are the steps to refund WSOS:
- Export the Disbursement Roster from the College Partner Portal using the view: CP – Disbursement Roster.
- Fill in the” Amount Refunded” and “Refund Reasons” columns.
- Important note: WSOS requires you to input a reason for the refund to keep Scholar records updated accurately.
All checks should be payable to WSOS and mailed, along with the filled-in Disbursement Roster, to:
ATTN: 501 Commons
Pacific Tower
1200 12th Ave S Suite 1101
Seattle, WA 98144
Please send all refund checks back to WSOS in the same quarter in which funding is unused. This will allow WSOS to keep accurate records of how much funding Scholars are eligible to receive.
Unit Record Reports (URR) for all Scholarships
As a requirement of our funding model, we work with WSAC to reconcile our records with college partners through the URR process.
- To access URR data from WSOS, log in to the College Partner Portal to view the Scholar account and total funds awarded annually. This report is updated daily and is submitted to WSAC at the end of each academic year.
If you have questions or have identified any discrepancies, please email info@waopportunityscholarship.org.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
What happens if our record does not match what WSOS disbursed or does not match what WSAC reports?
Reach out to us at info@waopportunityscholarship.org. Each July, WSOS must provide the URR report to WSAC. If refunds were sent after the list was pulled, refunds or other updates to a student account might not have been captured.
What do I do if my college and WSOS records align BUT differ from WSAC records?
Once we are aligned, WSAC will need a copy of our email thread acknowledging that we are both aligned on what the numbers should be.
How does my school receive disbursements?
Our schools generally sign up for Automated Clearing House (ACH), which enables funds to be delivered electronically to your school on the WSOS disbursement date. If you have not signed up for ACH, please email 501 Commons: bookkeeping@501commons.org. If you do not sign up for ACH, you will receive a check in the mail, which may cause delays in getting funds to Scholars.
How do I know which students at my school are receiving WSOS funds?
You can log into your College Partner Portal and download your student roster.
- The roster will show you which Scholars are receiving WSOS funding at your school and how much.
- If you have questions about accessing the College Partner Portal, please email us at info@waopportunityscholarship.org.
What reasons do I send refunds?
You will send refunds to WSOS if a Scholar is not meeting these eligibility requirements:
- Scholar Not Enrolled
- Scholar Withdrew
- Not Meeting SAP
- Exceeds COA
- Enrolled 3-5 credits: ¼ refund
- Enrolled 6-8 credits: ½ refund
- Enrolled 9-11 credits: ¾ refund
- Full refund for Less Than 1/4 time enrollment
- Other Refund Reason
- Example: Not resident, Previous degree
Where do I send these refunds, and how often should I send refunds?
Please send all refunds to
ATTN: 501 COMMONS
Pacific Tower
1200 12th Ave S Suite 1101
Seattle, WA 98144
Please send refunds on a quarterly basis. We rely on refunds to know that our Scholars are meeting eligibility requirements. Receiving refunds also allows for your school and WSOS to reconcile when Unit Record Reports are due.