WASFA

The Washington Application for State Financial Aid is for those students who do not quality for the FAFSA due to citizenship or immigration status. 

The WASFA only works for colleges in Washington State. 

If you are not sure which financial aid form to use, go to the WASFA Questionnaire and answer the questions. It will tell you whether you should fill out the WASFA or the FAFSA. Students will fill out one or the other, not both.  

The WASFA will open on October 1 of students' senior year, though in 2024-2025 it is scheduled to open on December 1st. 

Which year WASFA depends on the year the student will start college. Students in the Shorewood Class of 2024 will fill out the 2024-25 WASFA if they plan to start college in the fall of 2024.  

The WASFA asks for student and parent information, including your legal name, date of birth, address and your financial situation. If you filed taxes, you will need your tax return, W-2s, records of untaxed income, and related information. Your tax return will be from the prior-prior year, meaning that if you are applying for the 2024-25 school year, the application will ask for 2022 income tax information.

WASFA Deadline:  Each college has a different financial aid priority deadline, so look those up for each college. We suggest you do it in the first few weeks after it opens. Financial aid is awarded on a first come, first serve basis until it runs out for the year. Even if you miss a college's priority deadline, still fill out the form and apply for aid. 

List the colleges you are applying to on your WASFA. The state will send your information to your colleges, and the financial aid office of each college will calculate a financial aid offer and send that to you via email or via your student applicant portal.