According to national statistics, only 50% of all youth who have been in foster care graduate from high school. Less than 13% of those will go on to college or vocational training. In the state of Washington, the high school graduation rate and college attendance rate appears to be even lower than the national statistics.

Scholarship Information

• Approximately thirty new scholars are chosen each year.



• Scholarship award amounts range from $1000 to $5000 depending on each student's financial need.



• Scholarships can be used up to five years until completion of the student's program of study. Students must be enroll full time and maintain satisfactory academic progress in order to renew scholarships each year.
  

Scholarship Eligibility Criteria for 2008-2009 Academic Year
Each applicant for the Governors' Scholarship Program must:

• Be recognized as a dependent youth in foster or group care in Washington State, federal or tribal out-of-home care.



• Be enrolled as a Washington State high school senior and on track to graduate from high school during the 2007-08 academic year.



• Have resided in Washington State for at least three academic years prior to high school graduation.
  
  
• Have a cumulative high school grade point average of at least 2.0.



• Plan to enroll on a full-time basis, beginning the fall term of 2008, and complete a program of study at an eligible, nonprofit accredited public or private college or university in the state of Washington.



• Submit the 2008-09 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).



• Submit the Washington State Education and Training Voucher (ETV) application, if eligible .
  

Scholarship Selection Criteria
A Governors' Scholarship selection committee will meet to review all qualified scholarship applications. The committee will select recipients based on the following four criteria:

1. Resiliency - the ability to persist toward educational goals in the face of challenges.
   
   
2. Openness to receive support - the willingness to seek and use support from others when needed to navigate through educational obstacles.
    
   
3. Educational and career goal-setting - the ability to set educational and career goals, and take intermediate steps to reach these goals.
    
   
   

Scholarship Application
Complete the Common Application to apply for the Governors' Scholarship For Foster Youth, the Educational and Training Voucher Program, Fostering Scholars, Passport to College Promise Scholarship Program, Treehouse Coaching- to-College Scholarship or the YMCA Transitions Scholarship. If you are applying for the Governors' Scholarship for Foster Youth, you must also complete the Governors' Scholarship Supplemental Application.

Common Application 2008

GS. Supplemental 2008

Note: Both Applications must be postmarked by March 4, 2008.

Important Dates

Applications must be received or post marked by Tuesday, March 4, 2008. CSF plans to notify, in writing, all applicants of the selection decisions by no later than Friday, April 18, 2008 (mail date).

Brochure

Click on the following link to check out our Governors' Scholarship brochure! [Note: If you would like a supply of these brochures, please contact us at governorsscholarship@collegesuccessfoundation.org or call 425-416-2000.

Governors' Scholarship Brochure

Eligible Washington Colleges and Universities
Governors' Scholarship recipients may enroll at any of the following Washington colleges and universities:

 

Name	City
Antioch University	Seattle
Art Institute of Seattle	Seattle
Bastyr University	Kenmore
Bates Technical College	Tacoma
Bellevue Community College	Bellevue
Bellingham Technical College	Bellingham
Big Bend Community College	Moses Lake
Cascadia Community College	Bothell
Central Washington University	Ellensburg
Centralia Community College	Centralia
Clark College	Vancouver
Clover Park Technical College	Lakewood
Columbia Basin College	Pasco
Cornish College of the Arts	Seattle
Eastern Washington University	Cheney
Edmonds Community College	Lynnwood
Everett Community College	Everett
Evergreen State College	Olympia
Gonzaga University	Spokane
Grays Harbor College	Aberdeen
Green River Community College	Auburn
Heritage University	Toppenish
Highline Community College	Des Moines
Lake Washington Technical College	Kirkland
Lower Columbia College	Longview
North Seattle Community College	Seattle
Northwest University	Kirkland
Olympic College	Bremerton
Pacific Lutheran University	Tacoma
Peninsula College	Port Angeles
Pierce College	Lakewood & Puyallup
Puget Sound Christian College	Everett
Renton Technical College	Renton
Saint Martin's University	Lacey
Seattle Central Community College	Seattle
Seattle Pacific University	Seattle
Seattle University	Seattle
Seattle Vocational Institute	Seattle
Shoreline Community College	Shoreline
Skagit Valley College	Mount Vernon
South Puget Sound Community College	Olympia
South Seattle Community College	Seattle
Spokane Community College	Spokane
Spokane Falls Community College	Spokane
Tacoma Community College	Tacoma
Trinity Lutheran College	Issaquah
University of Puget Sound	Tacoma
University of Washington	Seattle
Walla Walla College	College Place
Walla Walla Community College	Walla Walla
Washington State University	Pullman
Wenatchee Valley College	Wenatchee
Western Washington University	Bellingham
Whatcom Community College	Bellingham
Whitman College	Walla Walla
Whitworth College	Spokane
Yakima Valley Community College	Yakima

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