Scholarships and Financial Aid

Check the Seniors 2023-24 folder in the Schoology Student Group under the Recourses tab regularly for updates.

There are many scholarship opportunities out there for students to find! Here are few quick tips to help get you started as your search:

Going Merry - Upcoming October Scholarships (list of scholships) HERE.  Included is a list of over 80 scholarships you can apply for the month of October!

  • Check with 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.
     
  • Browse the Northshore Scholarship Foundation. This website contains scholarships that are only for Northshore students, and sometimes only for students of specific high school. When visiting their website be sure to select your home high school: https://sf-ns.org
     
  • Each month a new issue of the NSD Scholarship Bulletin will be posted. This list contains scholarships with links and application dates. Here at ILHS this list is published as a news story, which can often be accessed from our home page, and will be available on our news page.
     
  • WashBoard.org is a non-profit organization 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

Much like with scholarships, you cannot get Financial Aid if you do not apply. Here are some handy tools and sites to help get you started:

Introduction to Financial Aid
This PDF explains financial aid at a high level and touches on several key points, such as the difference between FAFSA and WASFA. This version of the document includes notes.
 

FAFSA
Filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application will let a family know what types financial aid are available to them and how much they might receive to help pay for college. Families should file the FAFSA after October 1st, but as close to that date as possible.
 

Federal Student Aid
This website includes further details on applying for FAFSA and a wealth of knowledge on how federal student loans are handled.
 

WASFA
WASFA (Washington Application for State Financial Aid) is  state funded financial aid for undocumented individuals and select non-citizens. This program helps those who are not eligible for FAFSA because of immigration status or loan repayment issues. The application is free and will help students determine if they qualify for this program.
 

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.

Don't forget that you can always contact the financial aid office of the college you are planning to attend.