Spring 2013 Update

Although the final cohort of scholars in the Washington State Achievers Scholarship program began college in the fall of 2010, CSF will continue to fund continuing scholars in this program through the summer of 2016.  During the 2013-14 academic year, we expect to fund about 800 Achievers Scholarship recipients.

Because this is a “last-in” scholarship, CSF determines annual award amounts for Achievers Scholarship recipients after receiving financial aid information from college financial aid contacts. It is therefore important that colleges make their financial aid awards without taking into consideration how much their students have been or may be awarded from CSF. 

Achievers Scholarships meet any remaining “unmet need” as determined by colleges after reviewing Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) information.  The scholarship can also reduce or eliminate student loans or work-study employment.  Achievers Scholars are expected to have a modest amount of self-help in their financial aid packages (need-based loans, work-study employment or private outside scholarships). The minimum annual self-help expectation for Achievers Scholars is $600 at two-year public colleges; $1,200 at four-year public colleges and $1,500 at four-year independent colleges.  

2013-14 Achievers Scholarship Award Amounts

The maximum 2013-14 Achievers Scholarship award amounts are:

• $4,200 at two-year community colleges.
• $6,600 at four-year public colleges and universities.
• $9,100 at four-year independent colleges and universities.

Scholarship Disbursements Options

CSF requires Achievers Scholarship recipients to be full-time students for all terms during the academic year unless approval has been granted by CSF staff to be enrolled part-time. Should this approval be granted, it will usually be limited to one term. For summer term enrollment, however, CSF allows recipients to enroll either full-time or part-time without special CSF staff approval.

The following shows how approved credits per term translate into term scholarship disbursements, both during the academic year and during summer terms.

• Full-time enrollment (12 or more credits)
  • Full disbursement.
• Three-quarter time enrollment (9 - 11 credits)
  • 75 percent disbursement.
• Half-time enrollment (5 - 8 credits)
  • 50 percent disbursement.

Summer 2013 Funding Option

CSF provides the option for summer scholarship awards for Achievers and Governors’ Scholarship recipients who will be enrolled for five or more credit hours. If asked, please encourage students to request summer funding directly from CSF. For any questions about summer awarding, please contact Jilian Ryan at jryan@collegesuccessfoundation.org  or 425.679.5548. 

Five-Year Support Limitation

CSF monitors the number of terms students receive an Achievers Scholarship. Students can only receive equivalent of five academic years of scholarship support toward completion of baccalaureate degrees. Further, Achievers Scholarship recipients must use the last two years of funding at a four-year university, so students can only use up to nine quarters of funding at the community college level. CSF College and Alumni Services staff will consider student petitions for exceptions to these policies.

Scholarship Ends

The summer term of 2016 will be the final term that funding will be available for the Achievers Scholarship program. As the final Achievers Scholarship cohort started college in the fall of 2010, this timing allows these students a six-year window of time to use their maximum of five years of funding.