Scholarships/Financial Aid

Scholarships

There are four places that BHS counselors suggest students focus their energy in finding scholarships...
 

1.  The institution where the student plans to attend. The majority of the money given out in scholarships, is from the colleges and universities where students attend.  Often the awards are given automatically to students with a strong GPA and test score, and the student doesn't need to do more than apply.  Other times, it's worthwhile to look through the scholarship page on the website of the school the student plans on attending.

2. The Scholarship Foundation of Northshore.  Scholarships set that are only for Northshore students, and sometimes only for Bothell students, which greatly increase the odds of winning one.  More information can be found here: https://sf-ns.org/

3. NSD Scholarship Bulletin.  Monthly list of reliable scholarships put together by Northshore School District.  Found here 

4. The WashBoard.org is a non-profit coalition that is set up to connect Washington State High School Seniors with meaningful scholarships.  Set up an account here: http://www.washboard.org/

 

Financial Aid 

FAFSA website. Filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will let a family know what types financial aid and how much they might receive to help pay for college.  The FAFSA application filing window opens in December 2023, families should begin filing as soon as possible once the filing window opens.

WASFA (Washington Application for State Financial Aid). State Financial Aid for Undocumented Individuals and Select Non-Citizens.  Washington State offers financial aid programs to students who aren't eligible for federal financial aid because of immigration status.  These students still need to meet other program requirements.  

To find out if you qualify, complete the free WASFA to apply for state financial aid (Click on the link above.)

CSS Profile. The CSS Profile is an online application used by colleges and scholarship programs to award non-federal institutional aid. It is required by Whitman College, Whitworth University and several other colleges and universities across the country

Please view the Preparing for the FAFSA Form playlist as a guide to walk you through the steps to the FAFSA and to understand what documents and forms will be needed.
 
Financial Aid Calculator.  Many undergraduate students can cover some or all their college costs with the Washington College Grant (WCG) and Federal Pell Grant (Pell). This tool calculates potential awards from the Washington College Grant and Pell Grant programs. There may be more aid available to you from other state and federal programs, from private scholarships, or directly from the college you attend.  The only way to know for sure how much financial aid you can receive is to complete a FAFSA or WASFA financial aid application. For more information, contact the college's financial aid office. 
 
Otterbot. Otterbot is a free texting service created to support high school seniors with questions about financial aid. 
 
Financial Aid Resources Padlet For Students. This is a padlet that will help you with completing financial aid and admissions applications.