Career and Technical Scholars

• Program Progress Form 
• Eligible programs
• Approved apprenticeships
• Scholar Portal 
• How long do I receive WSOS funding? 
• How much funding do I receive? 
• When do I receive funding? 
• How to keep your scholarship and maintain eligibility 
• FAQS
• Contact us 
• Rural Jobs Initiative 101 

This page is for current Opportunity Scholars in the Career & Technical program. If you’re applying for the Career & Technical Scholarship, visit the Career & Technical Applicants webpage.  

Career & Technical Scholarship (CTS) 101 

Our Career & Technical Scholarship provides up to $1,500 each quarter to fund a high-demand associate degree, certificate, or apprenticeship program at Washington’s 34 community and technical colleges or approved apprenticeship program sponsors. Scholars can use this funding toward trade, health care, or STEM programs across Washington state.  

CTS is more than a scholarship! As an Opportunity Scholar, you can access more than just financial support. WSOS provides connections, advice, networks, mentorship, and career development resources to help you succeed in college and in your professional career.   

WSOS is a community of support that will be there at EVERY step on your pathway to a career in a high-demand field. Take advantage of opportunities to build your network and connect with other Scholars and professionals.  

Find all the details you need to know about your scholarship below. You can also use the quick links for easy access to frequently used documents and processes. 

If you’ve also received the Rural Jobs Initiative (RJI) award as part of your acceptance into the Career & Technical Scholarship, more information about your program can be found at the bottom of this page. 

How much funding do I receive? 

CTS recipients will receive up to $1,500 per quarter for the duration of their program or until they have received 15 terms of state financial aid, as long as they meet all WSOS eligibility criteria and are enrolled in at least 12 credits.  Scholars enrolled part-time will receive a prorated scholarship amount.  

Depending on the amount of other financial aid you’re receiving, it’s possible that you may not receive the full WSOS amount noted above.  

• Opportunity Scholars will receive the funding described above up to their Cost of Attendance (COA)* and after other financial aid has been applied.  
• We encourage you to contact your Financial Aid Office to better understand COA and how WSOS funds stack on top of other financial aid. 

*Cost of Attendance is the government’s estimation of the cost of a student’s education. It is provided once the student submits their FAFSA or WASFA. 

When do I receive funding? 

Your scholarship funding each quarter is sent directly to the financial aid office of the college or the apprenticeship sponsor before the start of each term, as outlined below.

When we send out your funding, we call this a “disbursement.”

How to keep your scholarship and maintain eligibility 

• Remain enrolled in an eligible program. All Scholars can change their area of study/program once during the lifetime of their scholarship. Additional program changes must be approved in advance by WSOS. 
• Remain enrolled in an eligible program at one of the state’s 34 community and technical colleges or an approved apprenticeship sponsor. 
• Enroll in at least three credits during the fall, winter, and spring terms. You don’t have to enroll in any credits during the summer term, but funding is available if you do.  
• Enroll in at least one course that is required for your program every quarter.  
• Meet satisfactory academic progress (SAP). SAP is defined and determined by each college. Be sure to check with the financial aid office at your school to see how your college uses GPA to calculate SAP. 

Scholars must also meet the following eligibility criteria on an annual basis: 

• Complete the Annual Renewal & Graduation form in the Scholar Portal in May to renew your scholarship for the upcoming academic year, even if you are graduating. 
• File the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WASFA) for the relevant academic year by June 1. 
• Apply for Federal Education Tax Credits if eligible. Each Scholar or family eligible to do so must take advantage of the available federal education tax. Visit the IRS page to learn more about education credits.   

What happens if my funding is sent to my school after the tuition deadline?  

Your college can place a hold on your account so that you won’t be dropped from your courses or charged. If you need a hold placed on your account, please reach out to your college’s financial aid office and notify them of your pending scholarship award. 

How do I know if my funds were sent to my school?   

Log in to the Scholar  Portal and review the disbursements section on the homepage. If there is a date under “Disbursement Date,” that means your funding was sent to your school on that date.  

Schools can take up to a month to apply the scholarship funds to your account. If you see a disbursement date, but you don’t see funds in your account, please allow your school to process.  Contact your college’s financial aid office if you have concerns about your award.   

How long will I receive funding? 

As mentioned above, you can receive WSOS funding for the duration of your program or until you have received 15 terms of state financial aid.

As a reminder, you must remain eligible to receive funding by meeting all WSOS eligibility criteria and remaining enrolled in at least 12 credits.

To learn more about how we calculate your ‘scholarship expiration date,” read the section below about your scholarship review date.

If you have received funding from the Washington College Grant (WCG), read the section below about WGC.

Scholarship Review Date

Scholars are guaranteed to receive their scholarship until they reach their “scholarship review date” (as long as they continue to meet all other eligibility criteria). You can find your scholarship review date in the Scholar Portal under the “scholarship information” section. 

• Your scholarship review date is your deadline for submitting a Program Progress Form, which provides information to WSOS about the progress you’re making toward your program. 
• Apprentices should submit this form to info@waopportunityscholarship.org.  
• We will use this information, including how many terms you’ve received funding from the Washington College Grant (WCG) (if you have), to calculate your “scholarship expiration date,” which tells you how much longer you’ll receive WSOS funding. This date will be added to your Scholar Profile in the Scholar Portal.

You can watch this video to learn more about how to submit a Program Progress Form.

Washington College Grant Funding

When you apply for WSOS, WSOS verifies your FAFSA/WASFA completion, income eligibility, and any Washington College Grant (WCG) terms you have used.

• WCG terms are the number of quarters or semesters that an applicant has received WCG funding.
• All Scholars can receive a maximum of 10 semesters or 15 quarters of funding from WSOS, including any previous WCG funding terms they’ve received. Once you accept the scholarship, we will confirm how long you’ve received WCG funding (if you’ve received any) and subtract that from the total 15 quarters or 10 semesters of WSOS funding you can receive.
  • For example, if you received WCG funding for all three quarters of your first year of college, then you have used three WCG terms. Those three terms are then subtracted from the total WSOS funding terms you can receive – 15 WSOS total funding terms minus three WCG funding terms means you could receive WSOS funding for up to 12 terms.
• You will be notified when you approach your final academic year of funding.

Looking for community, campus or professional development resources? 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What if I decide to attend a different school than what’s in my Scholar Portal and/or decide to change my program? 

• Submit a Program Change Request form in your Scholar Portal.  
• Go to Submit Request > Submit Program Change Request. 

Why don’t I see my scholarship in my financial aid award letter? 

Your scholarship may not show up in your financial aid award letter from your school before the start of the academic year because WSOS sends fall term funds later in the summer. 

Can I use my scholarship to pay for remedial, transitional (ABE, ESL, high school completion), and continuing education classes? 

WSOS funds remedial courses since they are college credit classes, and the cost is equivalent to the total cost of a college credit class. We do not fund transitional or continuing education classes, as they are typically free or low in cost. 

Why did I receive less than $1,500? 

Please contact your school’s financial aid office to confirm why you didn’t receive your full award amount.

WSOS sends your full award amount of $1,500 to your school each term. However, your school will prorate (adjust) your award amount based on the number of credits you are enrolled in: 

• WSOS can be used to cover up to your Cost of Attendance (COA). COA = tuition, fees, books, supplies, and living expenses for one academic year. When you don’t receive the total WSOS amount, it could mean your COA is met for that term or academic year by other sources of your financial aid package.
• When you do the FAFSA this year, you will receive a Student Aid Index (SAI) number. If your SAI is higher than your COA, you are not eligible for WSOS funding.
• If you receive other forms of financial aid, such as the Federal Pell Grant, Washington College Grant, or other scholarships, it may impact how much WSOS funding you receive.
• If you’re enrolled part-time for the term, your school will prorate (adjust) your award amount based on the number of credits you are enrolled in:
  • 12+ credits: Full award amount
  • 9-11 credits: 75% of full award amount
  • 6-8 credits: 50% of full award amount
  • 3-5 credits: 25% of full award amount
  • <3 credits: Not eligible for WSOS funding