Career and Technical Scholars

• Scholar Portal 
• Keeping your scholarship
• Scholarship funding information
• Eligible programs
• Scholar Support Services
• Rural Jobs Initiative 101 
• FAQS
• Contact us 

Overview

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.  

Upcoming Milestones and Deadlines for Current Career & Technical Scholars

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. 

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

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 18 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.

• Full-time enrollment, 12 credits: Eligible for 100% of funding 
• Part-time enrollment, 3-11 credits: Eligible for prorated (partial) funding 
• Less than a quarter enrollment, fewer than 3 credits: Not eligible for funding 

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.”

If your funding is sent to your 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.

To view your scholarship disbursements: 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? 

You can receive WSOS funding for the duration of your program or until you have received 18 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.

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

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 18 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 18 quarters 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 – 18 WSOS total funding terms minus three WCG funding terms means you could receive WSOS funding for up to 15 terms.
• You will be notified when you approach your final academic year of funding. 

How do I request summer funding?

All current Career & Technical Scholars who have not reached the maximum term or maximum amount of funding by the end of the current academic year are eligible for summer funding.

Summer funding can be requested through the Renewal form. Scholars who are enrolled in an apprenticeship program that operates during the summer term still need to request summer funding in the Renewal form.

Deferments

All Scholars have one academic year (3 quarters) of deferments available to them for the duration of their scholarship. A deferment is a pause in your scholarship where you will not receive WSOS funding for the term(s) you request.

To request a deferment, please submit a Deferment Request Form in the Scholar Portal under the “Submit
Request” tab.

Please note: If your school determines that you are not meeting any of the following WSOS eligibility criteria below, deferments may be added to your account even if you did not request them.

• You were not enrolled at your school during a given term(s)
• You were enrolled in less than 3 credits during a given term(s)
• You were not meeting your school’s Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy during a given term(s)

If your deferment request is approved, we will add your deferments to your account for the term(s) you requested.

If you have already reached the maximum number of deferments available and you request another deferment, your request will be denied. If you exceed the maximum number of deferments available, you will be withdrawn from the scholarship.

Scholarship Renewal Date

Scholars will receive their scholarship until they reach their “scholarship renewal date.” You can find your scholarship renewal date in the Scholar Portal under the “scholarship information” section.

Your scholarship renewal date is when you will be asked to complete the WSOS renewal form. This form will let us know that you are still meeting WSOS eligibility criteria.

I’m a Rural Jobs Initiative (RJI) Scholar. What does that mean?

You will receive up to $3,500 your first quarter, up to $2,500 your second quarter, and up to $2,000 per quarter until you graduate.

RJI connects students who live in rural areas with the skills they need to access job opportunities where they live. This program ensures Washington residents who live farthest from the state’s community and technical colleges can earn a credential that leads to a high-demand job in their rural community.

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 College and Program Update Form in your Scholar Portal.  
• Go to Submit Request > Submit College and Program Update Form.

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 if you fall under one or more of these areas:

• 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 (3-11 credits), your school will prorate (adjust) your award amount based on the number of credits you are enrolled in.

Support you receive beyond your scholarship funding 

Opportunity Scholars can access more than just financial support. WSOS provides connections, advice, networks, mentorship, and career development resources to help you succeed in college and beyond.  

Mentorship programs 

The Scholar Lead Mentorship Program is our peer-mentoring program for first-year Scholars. The Scholar Lead program will pair you with an Opportunity Scholar who is further along in their academic journey. Your Scholar Lead is there to help you transition into your program and WSOS. They’ll hold community events with other Scholars to help you build community and can connect you to on-campus and WSOS resources. They will answer your questions and help you succeed! 

The Skills that Shine (StS) Mentorship Program is our industry mentorship program. Scholars get to select an industry professional to serve as a mentor.  Your mentor can help connect you to job and internship opportunities, expand your network, help you develop a resume and cover letter, and support your job search.   

Leadership programs 

Scholar Lead Mentorship Program: Once you’ve completed one term as an Opportunity Scholar, you can support your fellow Scholars as a Scholar Lead! This is a paid opportunity to serve as a peer mentor to fellow Scholars around the state  under the supervision and support of a WSOS advisor. You’ll engage with Scholars to help them navigate the college environment and foster a sense of community. 

Career Development 

Opportunity Scholars are invited to participate in exclusive events and career–readiness training with WSOS partners, including: 

• Tips on how to land a job with Washington’s best employers; 
• Access to internships and jobs; and 
• WSOS-exclusive training and career readiness resources. 

Join the WSOS-exclusive Scholar and Alumni LinkedIn group. By joining the group, you can grow your professional network, hear first about internship and job opportunities, and learn more about professional development opportunities in their field of study.  

These resources are invaluable. Make sure to read all emails you receive from WSOS, so you don’t miss these great opportunities!  

Reach out via info@waopportunityscholarship.org with any questions or concerns about WSOS programming.