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Counseling Center » College Bound Scholarship

College Bound Scholarship

 
The College Bound Scholarship is a Washington State tuition scholarship for income-qualified students. For eligibility, talk with your counselor at CHS.
 
The scholarship pays for tuition (not room and board) at the state level for four years of college tuition at a technical school, community college, or four year college or university only in Washington State.
 
Students in the Centralia School District applied when in Centralia Middle School during the eighth grade year, or if not in CSD, application in another Washington State school district will suffice.
 
In order to be eligible, students must have:
  • Applied in grade 7 or 8
  • Met income requirements
  • Maintain a 2.0 GPA in high school
  • Graduate on time in four years from high school
  • Use the scholarship within one year of the fall of graduation at any Washington State school
  • Complete the FAFSA on time
  • Not been convicted of any felony
  • Or, been in foster care, which makes a student automatically enrolled
 
  • For more information, see the website below for FAQ, or talk to your counselor. 
 
From the College Bound Website: 
 
If you are a student, parent, or educator looking for College Bound Scholarship eligibility information, applications, or other resources, please visit the College Bound page on our agency's consumer information site, readysetgrad.org.
 
Established by the Legislature in 2007, the College Bound Scholarship program provides financial assistance to low-income students who want to achieve the dream of a college education. This early promise of financial aid is intended to alleviate the financial barriers that prevent low-income students from considering higher education as a possibility.
 
The scholarship is available to 7th and 8th grade students whose family income meets the guidelines or who are in foster care. The deadline to sign up is June 30 of the students' 8th grade year.
 
The scholarship covers tuition (at comparable public colleges), some fees, and a small book allowance.
 
In 2015, 91 percent of the Class of 2019 (8th graders whose deadline was June 30, 2015) submitted complete applications. This year, 110 districts had sign-up rates of 92 percent or higher. Of these, 77 school districts saw 100 percent of their eligible students sign up.
 
Three quarters of the students who signed up for the College Bound Scholarship by the end of their 8th grade year in 2010 graduated from high school in 2014. In comparison, the 2014 four-year graduation rate for low-income students who were eligible for the program but didn’t sign up was 62 percent. 
 
Since the program’s inception, almost 215,000 students have applied.
 
Note: Foster youth in 7th to 12th grade, up to age 21, who have not graduated from high school, are automatically enrolled. They are considered to have a complete application for the College Bound Scholarship via a data exchange between the Washington Student Achievement Council and the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS)