Feb. 29 is the deadline for students interested in pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering and math or health care to apply for a Washington State Opportunity Scholarship.
This scholarship is not limited to low-income families. Students whose parents make too much money to qualify for financial aid — up to $106,500 annually for a family of four — can qualify for the scholarship.
The scholarship supports low- and middle-income students pursuing eligible, high-demand majors in STEM and health care and encourages recipients to work in Washington state once they complete their degrees.
The scholarship awards students $2,500 annually in the first and second year of college, up to $5,000 in the third year, up to $7,500 in the fourth year and up to $5,000 in a fifth year, if needed.
Recipients must:
• Be a Washington resident.
• Be a high school senior, college freshman or college sophomore.
• Hold a high school diploma or GED from Washington.
• Intend to pursue a first bachelor’s degree in an eligible science, technology, engineering, mathematics or health care field from a Washington state college or university.
• Plan to attend college full-time during the 2016-2017 academic year.
• Have a high school or college cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher at the time of application.
• Have a total annual family income less than or equal to 125 percent of the median Washington state family income.
• Have completed the most recent Free Application for Federal Student Aid by March.
Businesses including Boeing and Microsoft and the state Legislature worked together to create a public-private partnership to encourage students interested in STEM and health care professions to remain in the state to work. The program is administered by the College Success Foundation.
Since the program’s inception, scholarships have been awarded to more than 5,400 students, and 59 percent are first-generation college students.
More than three-quarters of 2015 graduates are employed in their field or seeking an advanced degree. Of graduates working in their field of study, nearly 90 percent remained in Washington state.
The 2016-2017 application is available online until Feb. 29 at www.waopportunityscholarship.org.
