Applying for Financial Aid

Applying for financial aid is a process that should be started as soon as possible. We ask that all degree and certificate seeking students apply for financial aid, even if you think you aren't eligible because of income, etc. There are billions of dollars in federal grant money left unclaimed each year by those who were eligible to apply for it, but did not apply. You can work on your financial aid file at the same time as you are completing other College application requirements.

Before you apply for financial aid:

• New students and those who have not attended within the last year are required to complete an admission application. Admission is free.
• Make sure the College has you signed up for the correct degree or certificate you intend to complete. If you need assistance, please call Enrollment Services/Pirate Central at (360) 417-6340.
• Meet the Federal financial aid requirements for eligibility for the FAFSA, or meet the State financial aid requirements for eligibility for the WASFA.
• Create your FSA ID (username and password for the FAFSA) if you don't already have one. It takes the Department of Education 1–3 days to confirm your personal information after you set up your FSA ID, and only then will you be able to fill out the FAFSA.

Financial Aid Priority Consideration Dates:

Steps to Applying for Aid:

1. Complete your 2025–2026 FAFSA

• We recommend you submit your FAFSA at least two months prior to the financial aid file completion priority deadline (above) for the quarter you plan to enroll. A new FAFSA is required every academic year. Late applications will be processed as early as possible.
  • Your FAFSA must be submitted to the Federal Processor.
  • Peninsula College's federal school code is 003786.
  • You must first apply for admission to Peninsula College before your application can be received by PC (if you are a new student or have not attended within the last year.)
• Check out some of these How To videos on the FAFSA process.
• By submitting the FAFSA, you will be applying for:
  • Federal Pell Grant
  • Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant (SEOG)
  • WA College Grant
  • WA Bridge Grant
  • College Bound Scholarship (if you are a recent high school graduate)
  • Institutional (PC) Grant/Tuition Waiver
  • Federal/State Work Study
  • Federal Direct Student Loans (requires a supplemental application form)

Begin the FAFSA

What happens after you complete your FAFSA:

• A copy of your FAFSA will be sent to Peninsula College:
  • in about 1 week if you submit your FAFSA via the web (recommended)
  • in approximately 6 weeks if you submit a paper FAFSA
• The Federal Processor will send you a FAFSA Submission Summary (FSS). The FSS is simply a transcript of the answers you provided to the questions on the FAFSA, and allows you to review those answers and submit a correction if needed. If you provide a valid e-mail address on the FAFSA, your FSS will be emailed to you.

WASFA Applicants: State law has expanded eligibility for the Washington College Grant (previously known as the WA State Need Grant) to low-income, non-U.S. citizen students who meet the program’s eligibility requirements and satisfy the WA State residency criteria. Visit the Washington Application for State Financial Aid website for more information and to apply.

• By submitting the WASFA, you will be applying for:
  • WA College Grant
  • WA Bridge Grant
  • College Bound Scholarship (if you are a recent high school graduate)
  • Institutional (PC) Grant/Tuition Waiver
  • State Work Study

Please Note: If you are a US citizen eligible to submit the FAFSA but you submit the WASFA instead, you will not be eligible to receive federal student aid (Pell Grant, direct student loans, etc.) through the WASFA. The FAFSA is required to be considered for federal sources of student aid.

2. Complete Your Financial Aid File

After we receive a copy of your FAFSA or WASFA, we will notify you via email to login to the ctcLink Financial Aid Tile through your Student Portal if there are any documents required to complete your financial aid file.

• Your ctcLink student account will list any documents (To-Do List items) we need from you and what (if any) additional actions you must take.
• You must complete all required actions listed in your ctcLink account on or before the priority deadline date. Late applications will be processed as early as possible.
• Financial aid files are reviewed in the order they are completed; it is best to complete your file as soon as possible.
• To receive financial aid, you may be required to take additional steps or meet certain conditions. It is your responsibility to read all related information listed on our Financial Aid webpages (Satisfactory Academic Progress, FAQs, Conditions of Award) and any related information that may be provided to you by the Financial Aid Office or Peninsula College.

3. Review Your Financial Aid Status

After we have reviewed your financial aid file and awarded aid, you will be able to view your financial aid awards in your ctcLink Financial Aid Tile.  If you were not found eligible for aid, you will be immediately notified by the Financial Aid Office via email, and given instructions on how you may regain eligibility if possible.

For those who are awarded financial aid, please note:

• All financial aid funds (grants, loans, scholarships) will be applied towards tuition and fees first; any leftover funds will be issued as a refund to you through BankMobile Disbursements, a technology solution powered by BMTX, Inc., if the source of aid is refundable to the student. You must set up your refund account through BankMobile Disbursements to receive your financial aid.
• The amount of grant or scholarship aid you are awarded may decrease if you are enrolled less than full-time (12 credits.)  See the Adding/Dropping Classes webpage for more info.
• Loans require a separate application form. Loans can only be awarded after your financial aid file is completed and reviewed for aid eligibility. You must be in six (6) or more credits to be eligible for loans. For more info on loans, please visit the Student Loans webpage.

4. Apply for Scholarships (Optional) 

The Peninsula College Foundation offers dozens of scholarships each year, with applications open in February for the upcoming academic year. The Financial Aid Office also provides a list of community and other agency scholarships on the Additional Scholarship Resources webpage. One hour spent on a scholarship application for $1,000 is like earning $1,000/hour if your application is successful!