On February 26th, 2014, Governor Inslee signed the Dream Act, known in Washington State as the Real Hope Act into law. This law allows undocumented non-citizens, who are unable to complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) due to his/her immigration status, to apply for State Financial Aid through the Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WASFA) application.
Financial Aid Deadlines:
Desired Start Quarter: Fall 2022 (2022-23 WASFA)
Apply to PC Before: July 2022
Complete Financial Aid File Before: July 30, 2022
Desired Start Quarter: Winter 2023 (2022-23 WASFA)
Apply to PC Before: November 2022
Complete Financial Aid File Before: December 1, 2022
Desired Start Quarter: Spring 2023 (2022-23 WASFA)
Apply to PC Before: February 2023
Complete Financial Aid File Before: March 1, 2023
Desired Start Quarter: Summer 2023 (2023-24 WASFA)
Apply to PC Before: April 2023
Complete Financial Aid File Before: May 13, 2023
STEP 1:
Non-U.S. citizen students should apply online for State Aid at: www.wsac.wa.gov/wasfa.
(If you are a U.S. citizen, please complete the FAFSA - not the WASFA - at www.StudentAid.gov.)
The 2022-23 WASFA is available as of October 1, 2021, and is for the 2022-23 academic year which starts Summer 2022 and extends through Spring 2023.
The 2023-24 WASFA is now available as of October 1, 2022, and is for the 2023-24 academic year which starts Summer (July) 2023 and extends through Spring (April - June) 2024.
Eligibility requirements include:
- Must have graduated from a Washington high school or obtained a GED® (or will do so before beginning college)
- Must have lived in Washington for three years prior to, and continuously since, earning a high school diploma or equivalent
- Sign an affidavit (written promise) to file an application to become a permanent resident of the United States when eligible to apply*
- Must meet Washington College Grant Program requirements
*Students granted deferred action for childhood arrival (DACA) must also complete and sign the affidavit. To ensure you are applying on time, and you are meeting all eligibility requirements, please visit the ReadySetGrad website regularly.
STEP 2:
Once you have completed your WASFA application for State Financial Aid, DREAMer students will also need to submit a Peninsula Financial Aid Data Sheet. Please contact the Financial Aid Office for a copy of the Data Sheet. You may email financialaid@pencol.edu or call (360) 417-6390. Data Sheets can be turned in to the Financial Aid Office by mail, by hand, or faxed to (360) 417-6395.
STEP 3:
Once you have completed your WASFA application and submitted your Financial Aid Data Sheet to the Financial Aid Office, log into your ctcLink Financial Aid Portal to check your file status and, once awarded, view your awards.
Please Note: Starting with the 2020-21 academic year (which begins Summer 2020), Peninsula College transitioned to a new college-wide system called ctcLink. Within the ctcLink Financial Aid tile you will be able to access your student financial aid info such as estimated cost of attendance, any awards for the 2020-21 academic year. Please respond promptly to any requests for information by the Financial Aid Office in order to avoid delays in processing your financial aid application (FAFSA). (Award information from previous academic years prior to 2020-21 will not be viewable in ctcLink, but will be available still in the old financial aid Portal.)
Once we have received your WASFA, we will contact you via email if we require further documentation. This could include, but is not limited to, proof of high school/GED completion, affidavit form, etc. Any additional information will be listed on your Financial Aid Portal. Please be sure to check your Portal regularly for ALL updates (you will not have access to the Portal until we have received your WASFA). A welcome email with instructions on how to access your Portal will be emailed to you upon submission of your WASFA.
The Financial Aid staff is dedicated to processing files timely. If you complete your financial aid file by the deadline, you will be notified before the quarter starts. Files are processed in date order by your file completion date, which can be viewed in the Portal.
If you have any questions about your WASFA application, please contact Financial Aid at (360) 417-6390 or the Washington Student Achievement Council at (360) 753-7800.