College Partners

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) 

What do I do once I receive a WSOS disbursement? 

Institutions should complete the following process when they receive a disbursement from WSOS: 

1. Access the Disbursement Roster via the  College Partner Portal. 

2. Check student enrollment status (credits enrolled, meeting SAP). 

3. Adjust the award amount based on enrollment. 

4. Apply the award amount to student accounts. 

5. If issuing refunds, export the Disbursement Roster from the portal. 

6. Fill out the exported Disbursement Roster with refund information and return it to WSOS. 

7. More detailed instructions are provided below. 

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 info@waopportunityscholarship.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.  

For Scholars who are listed in the disbursement roster as “Exempt – Fund At Full Time”, please fund the Scholar at full-time.

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.

Refunds and Reporting

What reasons do I send refunds?

You will send refunds to WSOS if a Scholar is not meeting these eligibility requirements:

Summer 2024 and prior:

• Scholar not enrolled
• Scholar withdrew
• Not meeting SAP
• Exceeds COA
• Enrolled 3-5 credits: 3/4 refund
• Enrolled 6-8 credits: 1/2 refund
• Enrolled 9-11 credits: 1/4 refund
• Enrolled fewer than 3 credits: Full refund
• No FAFSA/WASFA on file
• Other refund reason
  • Example: Not resident, previous degree, etc.

Fall 2024 and beyond:

• Scholar not enrolled
• Scholar withdrew
• Not meeting SAP
• Exceeds COA
• Enrolled 3-11 credits: Partial refund using enrollment intensity calculator
• Enrolled less than 3 credits: Full refund
• No FAFSA/WASFA on file
• Other refund reason
  • o Example: Not resident, previous degree, etc.

Calculating Refunds

A full or partial refund should be processed when a student fails to meet the following eligibility requirements: is enrolled less than full-time, is not enrolled, graduated, is not meeting SAP, exceeds the cost of attendance, or is ineligible for in-state tuition.

• 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 before 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:

1. Export the Disbursement Roster from the College Partner Portal using the view: CP – Disbursement Roster.
2. Fill in the” Amount Refunded” and “Refund Reasons” columns.
   1. 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:

WSOS
1414 31st. Ave S., Ste. 302
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.

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 info@waopportunityscholarship.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.

Where do I send these refunds, and how often should I send refunds?

Please send all refunds to:

WSOS
ATTN: Finance
1414 31st. Ave S., Ste. 302
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.