WASAC warns state financial aid gains face new shortfalls as college participation rises

The Washington Student Achievement Council told the Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee on Jan. 20 that the Washington College Grant has reached more students than its predecessor and is restoring eligibility for many low‑income learners, but several narrowly targeted aid programs are now underfunded as participation grows.

WASAC Assistant Director Joel Anderson and Director for Adult Pathways Inez Olive presented the committee with enrollment and award data and flagged two immediate shortfalls: the bridge grant stipend and the Passport to Careers scholarship for students formerly in foster care or experiencing unaccompanied homelessness.

The Washington College Grant, Anderson said, has served “significantly more students each year” than the state need grant that preceded it, and during the 2023–24 academic year more than 79,000 students received the maximum Washington College Grant award. Anderson told the committee the state now invests more per full‑time‑equivalent undergraduate in need‑based aid than any other state, citing WASAC figures showing an average of more than $2,200 per FTE undergraduate in 2022–23 compared with a national average of $865.

Nut graf: The council said that as eligibility and participation have expanded — including into registered apprenticeships — the fixed, non‑forecasted funding streams that support some add‑ons are straining. WASAC asked the committee to note where a lack of caseload‑linked funding is creating gaps and to consider budget language or appropriations that would tie those supplements to the overall caseload forecast.

WASAC staff described bridge grants as a $500 stipend available to…