Financial Aid Partners
Thank you for helping Opportunity Scholars launch their STEM, trade, and health care careers through WSOS. We can’t do this work without you!
This page includes guidance for awarding Scholars and accessing the Financial Aid Partners Portal. Questions? Please email us at info@waopportunityscholarship.org.
Please note: The Financial Aid Partners Portal will be unavailable beginning November 1 as we transition to a new system. The new portal is expected to launch during the week of November 17. We will share the new portal link and additional information as it becomes available. Please plan accordingly and contact us with any questions or concerns.
How do I access more details related to WSOS funding?
The Financial Aid Partner Portal provides our partners in financial aid with access to WSOS awards for Scholars at their institutions. Financial Aid Offices can access the following:
- Scholar details at their institution
- Scholarship award amounts per quarter or semester
- Adjustment submission
- Refunds details and submissions
- Unit Report Record (URR)
How to access the Financial Aid Partner Portal
First-time users: New financial aid staff who don’t have access to the portal can email info@waopportunityscholarship.org with the following:
- First and last name
- College name
- Office phone number
- Email address
Returning users:
Need to update your login credential, or are you having trouble logging in? Reach out to us at info@waopportunityscholarship.org.
How do I receive a WSOS reimbursement for a term?
Beginning Fall 2025, WSOS has moved to a new reimbursement process. This process will allow for the most up-to-date information regarding student enrollment. Institutions will be required to award students based on the eligibility criteria listed below, and WSOS will reimburse institutions using the following process.
After an institution has awarded WSOS funds based on the listed eligibility criteria and is ready to receive a WSOS disbursement for a given term, follow the steps below. To make edits in the Financial Aid Partners Portal, the person at the institution submitting the reimbursement must be considered a primary awards contact with WSOS.
- Log in to the Financial Aid Partner Portal
- Click on “Disbursement Adjustments”
- Filter for the given term and year
- Search for or find any Scholar who requires an adjustment for the term.
- Click “View Details”
- Fill out the following adjustment information: Enrollment status, credits enrolled, adjustment notes, and adjustment reasoning
- Click “Submit”
WSOS staff will approve adjustments as they are completed. Once an adjustment is approved, it can no longer be edited.
If further information is required for a specific adjustment, WSOS will deny the adjustment and send an email for further editing.
Once you have completed the entire adjustment process and are ready to receive a reimbursement, please email info@waopportunityscholarship.org. WSOS staff will review the adjustment and send a payment within a week.
Please notify WSOS staff if there is a new financial aid primary contact who will be adjusting awards.
Disbursements
ACH or paper check: All college partners can receive disbursements as a paper check or ACH transfer. Disbursements are sent out every Friday. If you request payment after Tuesday at noon, the disbursement will be sent the following Friday.
- Institutions that opt for ACH transfers will receive payment immediately on the payment 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 payment 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 Financial Aid Partner Portal and will be emailed when rosters are finalized each term.
- Rosters are separated by scholarship program and will be added in July with award information for the entirety of the academic year. Please note that WSOS allows for disbursement changes throughout the year. Those with access to the Financial Aid Partner Portal can log on anytime and view past and upcoming disbursements for the current academic year.
- An email will be sent to confirm when disbursements are finalized and adjustments are opened for each term. Changes to disbursements can be made until the following dates, after which point WSOS will not make any changes to the roster for that term.
Roster Deadlines for 2026-2027:
| Semester Schools | Roster Date | Quarter Schools | Roster Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Fall Semester (Bas, GRD) | 7/29/26 | 2026 Fall Quarter (BaS, CTS, GRD) | 8/26/26 |
| 2027 Spring Semester (BaS, GRD) | 12/16/26 | 2027 Winter Quarter (BaS, CTS, GRD) | 12/16/26 |
| 2027 Summer Semester (BaS, GRD) | 4/21/27 | 2027 Spring Quarter (BaS, CTS, GRD) | 3/10/27 |
| 2027 Summer Quarter (BaS, CTS, GRD) | 6/2/27 |
Eligible scholarship programs or majors
If you are not sure whether a major or program meets the requirements to be added to the eligible list, you can explore job demand and projected earnings by searching for the program on the Washington Career Bridge and navigating to Performance Results.
How do I confirm a student’s eligibility for receiving WSOS funds?
Financial aid offices should confirm eligibility before awarding WSOS funds on behalf of a student. Once eligibility has been determined for a student, the institution can submit adjustments for a term. Financial Aid Offices should view the Award Manual for more details regarding determining eligibility. Please email info@waopportunityscholarship.org for a current copy of the Award Manual.
The eligibility criteria are as follows for BaS, CTS, and GRD:
- The student is enrolled in at least 3 quarter credits
- Please fund apprentice Scholars and GRD Scholars at full time
- WSOS now uses the Washington College Grant’s (WCG) enrollment intensity policy to determine how much funding Scholars who are enrolled part-time (3-11 credits) will receive. Please use the enrollment intensity calculator provided by WSAC to award Scholars enrolled part-time.
- The student is meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) in accordance with institution’s policy
- The student is considered a Washington state resident on their financial aid
- Student has a completed FAFSA/WASFA filed at your college and is eligible to receive financial aid
- The student is awarded WSOS funds based on the following two situations:
- Opportunity Scholars eligible for need-based funds:
WSOS awards must follow the standard awarding formula: COA – SAI – OFA = Need.
If need-based awards exist, the need cannot be exceeded.
Example: $30,000 (COA) – $15,000 (SAI) – $13,280 (state grant aid) = $1,720 in need. - Opportunity Scholars not eligible for need-based aid:
WSOS is not limited by need but is limited by the Cost of Attendance (COA) if the student meets the MFI eligibility criteria (verified by WSOS through the FAFSA/WASFA).
Example: $30,000 (COA) – $30,000 (SAI) = $0 need. The student can still receive full WSOS funds up to the total COA.
Applying CTS and BaS funds
WSOS determines how much funding to provide eligible students based on their enrollment status. Please submit adjustments for students once this information has been determined.
What happens if an Opportunity Scholar withdraws after the reimbursement date?
Scholars who withdraw after the 50% or 100% college refund date will not be required to pay WSOS back. The funds will be counted against the total funds available to the Scholar.
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.
- GRD Scholars should be funded based on the number of financial aid eligible credits required for their program at their specific institution.
- Reasons for a GRD refund include, Scholar not enrolled for the quarter or semester, Scholar withdrew, Scholar not meeting SAP, or Scholar exceeds COA.
Summer funding
All scholarships can be used for summer term. New Scholars selected in spring quarter cannot utilize summer term funding until the next academic year.
- Summer funding eligibility requirements are the same as all other quarters and semesters.
- We encourage Scholars to carefully consider if using their scholarship during the summer aligns with their college plan, as it counts against the total terms they can receive WSOS funding over their academic career.
Refunds and reporting
Why are refunds sent?
The goal of moving to the reimbursement process is to reduce the number of refunds being sent between WSOS and institutions. After all adjustments are made for your institution and a payment has been scheduled by WSOS, a refund will be required for any additional changes.
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.
Unit Record Reports (URR) for all Scholarships
As a requirement of our funding model, we work with WSAC to reconcile our records with college partners through the URR process.
- To access URR data from WSOS, log in to the Financial Aid Partner Portal to view the Scholar account and total funds awarded annually. This report is updated daily and is submitted to WSAC at the end of each academic year.
If you have questions or have identified any discrepancies, please email info@waopportunityscholarship.org.
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, adjustments, 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?
The goal of moving to the reimbursement process is to reduce the number of refunds being sent between WSOS and institutions. After all adjustments are made for your institution and a payment has been scheduled by WSOS, then a refund will be required for any additional changes. 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 Financial Aid Partner Portal and download your student roster.
- The roster will show you which Scholars are receiving WSOS funding at your school and how much is expected for them to receive. Adjustments can be made to the roster in order to receive accurate funding.
- If you have questions about accessing the Financial Aid 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
Contact us
Still have questions? We’re here to help! Email us at info@waopportunityscholarship.org, or leave us a voicemail at 1-877-899-5002 and we’ll get back to you.