Baccalaureate Scholarship (BaS) 101
BaS is one of three pathways to a high-demand, living wage career in Washington state offered by WSOS. This program provides up to a total of $22,500 in scholarship dollars and access to career-launching support services for STEM and health care majors. WSOS can cover costs beyond tuition, such as housing, transportation, food, and more. Funding can be used for any eligible STEM or health care major at any eligible public or private college or university in Washington state.
Do you want to get a bachelor’s degree in a field like computer science, nursing, engineering, or another STEM or health care field? Whether you want to enroll directly in a four-year institution after high school, transfer from a community college, or complete a bachelor’s degree at a community college, the BaS program could be a great fit. Keep reading to learn more.
Not planning to pursue a bachelor’s degree? If you’re interested in an associate degree, apprenticeship, or certificate program instead, explore the Career & Technical Scholarship (CTS).
Application deadlines
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Application opens | January 14, 2026 |
| Application deadline | February 26, 2026 at 9 p.m. PST |
| FAFSA/WASFA filing deadline* | February 26, 2026 |
| Selection notification | April 22, 2026 |
| Acceptance deadline | May 6, 2026, at 9 p.m. PST |
*We recommend filing your FAFSA or WASFA as early as possible to account for processing delays. Please visit our FASFA/WASFA completion tips web page for more information.
Eligibility requirements
*Open the sections below to view requirements.
Residency:
You must be a Washington resident. In most cases, a Washington resident lives in the state for one year immediately before starting college or a program. WSOS accepts undocumented applicants.
- Questions? Email info@waopportunityscholarship.org.
- Learn more about WSOS residency requirements.
Financial need:
- Meet the following income limitations: Have a family income that does not exceed 125% of Washington state median family income.
- When viewing the family income limits, applicants should use the income reported on their family tax returns and the FAFSA/WASFA.
- Dependent students will report their total family income reported by their parent(s)/guardian(s), while independent students will report their own total family income.
- Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WASFA).
- We recommend completing your FAFSA or WASFA as early as possible to account for processing delays.
- Read more about the FAFSA/WASFA completion tips and processing timelines.
Education plan:
- Plan to enroll in an eligible STEM or health care major at an eligible Washington state college or university.
- Plan to enroll in at least three credits every fall, winter, and spring terms.
Previous education:
- Have not yet earned a bachelor’s degree.
- Have earned or will earn a high school credential in Washington state by June of the year that you apply.
- By the application deadline, you must have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.75 (on a 4.0 scale), demonstrated on either a current high school or college transcript, OR a passing GED score (45 on the 1988 series, 450 on the 2002 series, or 145 on the 2014 series).
- If you have been in college since graduating high school and earned more than 90 quarter or 60 semester credits by the application deadline, you are not eligible to apply.
- If you earned college credits from the Running Start program or other dual-credit high school programs, they do not count toward your eligibility. You can still apply even if you have more than 90-quarter or 60-semester credits from running start.
Do I qualify? Common eligibility scenarios
The examples below describe common situations of students who are eligible for this scholarship. If any of these sound like you, you’re likely eligible (as long as you meet all the above eligibility requirements). These are only examples — you may still qualify even if your situation is not listed here.
- I plan to attend college part-time, taking at least three credits per term.
- I will graduate from a Washington state high school or finish my GED by June of the application year.
- I am a dual enrollment student and will graduate from high school by June of the application year.
- I am starting college for the first time, am not currently enrolled, and have not earned a bachelor’s degree.
- I am a freshman or sophomore at a community college and plan to transfer to a four-year college or earn an applied baccalaureate degree.
- I am an undocumented student who earned a high school credential in Washington state.
How do I apply?
Once you’ve confirmed you’re eligible based on the criteria above:
- Complete the scholarship application.
- File the FAFSA or WASFA
- We recommend filing your FAFSA or WASFA as early as possible to account for processing delays.
- Apply for Federal Education Tax Credits, if eligible.
Watch the video below to learn more about how to apply for the scholarship. Please note that this video was recorded in 2025, so it may appear slightly different from the current application.
Application tips
- If you don’t know exactly what major you want yet and haven’t yet chosen/been accepted to your school:
- For your major: When you apply, choose the major you’re most interested in/hope to pursue and double-check that it is included on the eligible majors’ list. If you become a Scholar and end up changing your major, you can keep your funding as long as the new major is still WSOS-eligible. If you do end up changing your major, you must notify us by sending an email to info@waopportunityscholarship.org.
- For colleges: Choose the college you hope to attend (even if you haven’t been accepted yet). To apply, your college must be included on our eligible colleges’ list. If you become a Scholar and this information changes, you can submit a College of Enrollment update in your Scholar Portal.
- You will be required to upload an unofficial transcript to submit your application. Submit your most recent transcript showing a cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher.
- High school seniors: Upload your high school transcript, even if you’re in dual-credit or Running Start.
- GED students: Upload your transcript showing a passing GED score. If you haven’t earned it yet, check the box in the application indicating that you’ll provide your score by June 30.
- College students: Upload a transcript showing that you earned a high school credential in Washington state. If you’ve earned any college credits, also upload your latest college transcript showing a GPA of at least 2.75.
- Use the essay guide to see examples of possible answers for the essay section of the application. Remember, we aren’t scoring your essay for grammar or writing ability! We want to learn more about you and your story. The guide also offers guidelines on AI usage in your essays. Essay word count requirements range from 150 – 500 words. Feel free to utilize past essays for other scholarships to answer the questions.
- No references are needed to apply!
- The application will take about 60 to 90 minutes to complete.
- You can start the application, save progress, and complete it later up until the application deadline.
- Once you have filled out every part of the application and press “Submit Application,” your application will be complete, and you will receive a confirmation email. Check your spam folder if you don’t see it right away.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
How will I be told if I am selected?
Check your email! Recipients will be notified about their application via email, asked to accept the scholarship, and complete an online orientation. Make sure to type your email accurately and add info@waopportunityscholarship.org to your list of trusted senders.
You can reapply if you aren’t selected as long as you continue to meet the eligibility criteria.
Once the application deadline passes, you will no longer be able to log in to the application. You will be notified of any updates via email.
How many credits do I need to take?
Enrolling in at least three credits is required to receive any WSOS funding. Students can enroll in the summer quarter after their first year as a Scholar.
How many terms of funding am I eligible for?
Please refer to the “How long do I receive funding” section of our current Baccalaureate Scholars page.
How are recipients selected?
The WSOS Board of Directors determines how we select recipients, using criteria that include factors such as a student’s financial need, commitment to STEM or health care, and academic achievement.
How does this scholarship impact other funding I receive/will receive? (e.g., Washington College Grant, College Bound, other scholarships)
Baccalaureate Scholarship (BaS) funding is applied to your Cost of Attendance (COA) after all your other financial aid has been added, such as the Pell Grant and Washington College Grant. If the other financial aid you are receiving covers part or the total COA, then some or all your scholarship funding will be returned to WSOS.
What support will I receive as a recipient?
Opportunity Scholars receive exclusive resources on top of their scholarship, including connections, advice, networks, mentorship, and career development resources to help them succeed while in college and after they’ve graduated. Learn more about the support we provide on our current Scholars page.
When should I complete my FAFSA/WASFA application?
We recommend filing the FAFSA or WASFA as soon as possible to account for processing delays.
Why can’t I log into the Scholar Portal?
The Scholar Portal can only be accessed by current Opportunity Scholars. Applicants do not have access to the Scholar Portal. You will be notified via email about the status of your selection. If selected for the scholarship, you will receive instructions on how to access the Scholar Portal.
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.