The Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WASFA) is for financial aid from the state and some college aid, and is only for people who don’t fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) due to immigration status—including being undocumented—or other federal aid eligibility issues.

If you are eligible for federal aid, you should complete the FAFSA in order to maximize financial aid awards. People who complete a WASFA are applying for Washington state aid.

If you are unsure if you should complete a FAFSA or a WASFA, complete the WASFA Eligibility Questionnaire.

Federal School Code: 003781

Use this code when applying for financial aid at Highline College.

How to Submit the WASFA

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Apply for Admission

to Highline College

Students planning to complete a degree are eligible for Financial Aid. Be sure to declare your intended degree on your application and review Residency for Tuition.ADMISSiON APPLICATION

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WASFA Account

Setup Your Account

Visit the WASFA webpage and create your WASFA account, which you will use to submit your WASFA. 
WASFA SIGN UP

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Submit the WASFA

Select the School Year

2024-25 WASFA covers quarters: Fall 2024, Winter 2025, Spring 2025, and Summer 2025. 2023-24 WASFA covers Fall, 2023, Winter 2024 and Summer 2024.
Submit the WASFA

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WASFA Edits

Making Changes

If you need to make any changes to your application once you have
submitted it, please log back into the Student WASFA Home Page.
Returning Users

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Welcome Letter

Any Missing Documents?

Once WASFA is reviewed, Highline will send you a Welcome Letter via email. Visit your ctcLink Student Portal for any missing documents and submit within 10 days.

CHECK CTCLINK

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Monitor "To Do List"

How to Review To Do List

Check your email and ctcLink Student Portal - Task Tile/ To Do List multiple times a week for Financial Aid requests, even after receiving aid. Respond within 10 days.
CHECK CTCLINK

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Financial Aid Offer

Details on Funding Award

The Financial Aid Offer Letter details the available financial aid funding that Highline can offer you to attend during the Academic Year and shows what you can expect each quarter.
AWARD INFORMATION

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Accept Aid Offer

30 Days to Accept

Accept your financial aid within 30 days or it will be canceled and awarded to someone else. You can decline it later if you change your mind. Read the Terms and Conditions carefully.
HOW TO ACCEPT AWARD

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Schedule a Meeting

Highly Recommended

Schedule your highly recommended 30-minute meeting with Financial Aid. You have 30 days to schedule your meeting, which can be done in person or via Zoom.
SCHEDULE MEETING

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Aid Disbursements

BankMobile Options

Choose Your BankMobile Disbursements Refund Option. This is how you will receive any refunds.  We recommend Direct Deposit or the BankMobile VIBE account options.
Bankmobile Disbursements

 

The Financial Aid Application process is a multi-step process that generally takes an average of 3 months to complete. The majority of the 3 months can be increased and decreased by your participation in the process.

The following is a timetable to help you estimate the time needed to submit your financial aid application.

Edit
Quarter and Year Date to Complete the FAFSA/WASFA Tuition and Fee Due Date
Fall 2024 June 9, 2024 September 09, 2024
Winter 2025 October 7, 2024 December 23, 2024
Spring 2025 December 13, 2024 March 17, 2025
Summer 2025 April 4, 2025 Estimated Date June 10, 2025

Note, that the Highline Financial Aid Office will no longer hold students in their classes pending financial aid. If you do not have a signed Financial Aid Award Letter on the Tuition and Fee Due Date, you are responsible for 100% of your fees.

Washington residents pay less for college.

Residency Requirements for WASFA

  • Both U.S. citizens and non-citizens can be Washington residents, including undocumented students. In most cases, a Washington resident is someone who lives in the state for one year immediately prior to starting their college or program. 
  • Students who are Washington residents pay resident (in-state) tuition and fees which are lower than non-residents. Learn more about residency.

Washington State Financial Aid Programs

Washington Opportunity PathwaysLearn more about Washington’s state financial aid programs, collectively known as opportunity pathways. State financial aid could include Washington College Grant, the College Bound Scholarship, Passport to Careers, National Guard Grant, or State Work Study. The first, best step is to apply for financial aid

View a financial aid glossary of terms here.

WASFA Application Resources

      • 2024-25 WASFA Application Guide — English (word) (PDF) Spanish (word) (PDF)
      • 2024-25 Sample WASFA — PDF
      • 2023-24 WASFA Application Guide — English (word) (PDF) Spanish (word) (PDF)
      • 2023-24 Sample WASFA — PDF

Questions

Contact the Washington Student Achievement Council by email at wasfa@wsac.wa.gov, or call 888-535-0747 and select option 2.

Questions? Contact Us.

Financial Aid
financialaid@highline.edu
(206) 592-3358
 Building 6, Floor 1

Financial Aid Office Hours

Day

Hours

Monday

8 – 5 p.m.

Tuesday

8 – 6 p.m. 

Wednesday

Closed for processing

Thursday

8 – 5 p.m. 

Friday

Closed for processing