Washington State Opportunity Scholarship (Baccalaureate)
Offered by Washington State Opportunity Scholarship (WSOS) · Free to apply
The Washington State Opportunity Scholarship is a statewide program with a workforce mission: it exists to fill Washington's own high-demand fields with homegrown students, not to reward top-decile performance for its own sake. The program grew out of a task force convened by then-Governor Christine Gregoire and chaired by Microsoft's Brad Smith, whose report led to the bipartisan Opportunity Scholarship Act and the first public-private college aid partnership of its kind, with the state matching every privately raised dollar. Microsoft and Boeing each invested $25 million as founding Cornerstone Partners in 2011, the first Baccalaureate Scholars were selected in 2012, and WSOS has since served more than 22,000 students across all 39 Washington counties. Up to $22,500 for Washington students pursuing a bachelor's degree in a STEM or health care field, at any eligible public or private college in the state. What separates this from a standard tuition grant is that the money is not restricted to tuition: WSOS funding can go toward housing, transportation, food, and other real costs, and recipients get career-launching support services alongside the cash. The bar is deliberately reachable, a 2.75 cumulative GPA or a passing GED score, with family income at or below 125 percent of Washington's median family income. It fits students entering a four-year school directly, transferring from a community college, or finishing a bachelor's at a community college. The 2026 cycle opened January 14 and closed February 26.
How hard is the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship (Baccalaureate) to win?
Narrow eligibility keeps the applicant pool small, so a qualified student has a genuinely realistic shot. These are the awards worth prioritising.
- Published odds
- roughly 1 in 2 applicants
- Reported applicant field
- ~3,000 students
- Awards each cycle
- 1,275
- Payoff per hour of work
- $5,585 / hr
What drives the odds here
Odds on a scholarship are mostly a question of how many students can enter. Each rule below changes the size of that field.
- Fewer rivalsOpen only to Washington residents
- Fewer rivalsAn official transcript is required
- Fewer rivalsRestricted to specific intended majors
- Fewer rivalsRequires at least a 2.75 GPA
- More rivalsA large award draws far more applicants
Where this number comes from: This provider publishes its real applicant and winner counts, so the rate above is the actual published rate from a recent cycle, not a Solyo model. Rates shift a little from cycle to cycle, and nobody can promise a win, but this is as real as scholarship odds get.
Who can apply for the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship (Baccalaureate)?
These are the eligibility rules Solyo verified against the official award page, translated into plain English. Your student must meet each one.
- Must be a resident of Washington
- Open to high school seniors, current college students, and transfer students
- GPA of 2.75 or higher (unweighted)
- Planning to study STEM, Engineering, Computer Science, or Health & Medicine
- Must be a Washington resident, which in most cases means living in Washington for one year immediately before starting college
- Must have earned, or be on track to earn, a high school credential in Washington by June of the year you apply
- Must not already hold a bachelor’s degree
- Family income must be at or below 125 percent of Washington’s median family income
- Requires a cumulative GPA of at least 2.75 on a high school or college transcript, or a passing GED score, by the application deadline
- Must enroll in an eligible STEM or health care major and take at least three credits every fall, winter, and spring term
- Funding can cover costs beyond tuition, including housing, transportation, and food
What the application takes
- Transcript required. Request it from the school registrar ahead of the deadline.
Deadline and application cycle
The next projected deadline is February 26, 2027 (estimated). The last verified deadline has passed; the next cycle is projected from this award's usual February 26 deadline. Confirm the exact date on the official site. Applications open January 14. The FAFSA or WASFA must be filed by the same February 26 deadline, so start it in the autumn rather than alongside the application.
- Application opens
- January 14, 2027
- Application deadline
- February 26, 2027 at 9:00 p.m. PST (estimated)
- FAFSA or WASFA filing deadline
- February 26, 2027
- Selection notification
- April 22, 2027
- Acceptance deadline
- May 6, 9 p.m. PST 2027
Personalized matching
Does your student actually qualify?
See if your student qualifies in 30 seconds. Solyo checks 20+ criteria against their real profile: GPA, state, grade level, intended major, and more, across every award in this directory at once.
Common questions about the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship (Baccalaureate)
How much is the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship (Baccalaureate) worth?
The Washington State Opportunity Scholarship (Baccalaureate) awards up to $22,500 total and is renewable in later years. 1,275 awards are made each cycle.
When is the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship (Baccalaureate) deadline?
The next projected deadline is February 26, 2027 (estimated). The last verified deadline has passed; the next cycle is projected from this award's usual February 26 deadline. Confirm the exact date on the official site. Applications open January 14. The FAFSA or WASFA must be filed by the same February 26 deadline, so start it in the autumn rather than alongside the application.
When do Washington State Opportunity Scholarship (Baccalaureate) applications open?
Applications open January 14, and close February 26, 2027 (estimated). The FAFSA or WASFA must be filed by the same February 26 deadline, so start it in the autumn rather than alongside the application.
Who is eligible for the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship (Baccalaureate)?
Key requirements: Must be a resident of Washington; Open to high school seniors, current college students, and transfer students; GPA of 2.75 or higher (unweighted); Planning to study STEM, Engineering, Computer Science, or Health & Medicine.
Does the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship (Baccalaureate) require an essay?
No essay is required. The application does ask for a transcript. Expect to spend about 2.5 hours on it.
How hard is it to win the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship (Baccalaureate)?
Solyo estimates the odds at roughly 1 in 2 applicants, against a modelled field of ~3,000 students. The pool stays that size because open only to Washington residents and an official transcript is required. At 2.5 hrs of work, that is about $5,585 of expected value per hour. This is an estimate from award structure, not a published acceptance rate.
Is the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship (Baccalaureate) free to apply?
Yes. The Washington State Opportunity Scholarship (Baccalaureate) is free to apply. Legitimate scholarships never charge an application fee, and Solyo verifies every listed award against its official page.
More state grants & programs
- 802 Opportunity GrantFull tuition and the $100 administrative fee at CCV (last-dollar)
- Access Missouri Financial Assistance ProgramVaries by SAI and school type per statutory table (amounts prorated if funding is short)
- Alabama Student Grant ProgramUp to $3,000/yr ($1,500 per semester; actual amount depends on state funding)
- Alaska Education Grant$500-$4,000/yr based on need and enrollment level
- Alaska Performance Scholarship$3,500-$7,000/yr depending on tier
- Arizona Promise ProgramFull tuition & mandatory fees at Arizona public universities (last-dollar)
Lists this award appears on
Award details are curated by Solyo and verified against the official scholarship page. Deadlines and requirements can change between cycles, so always confirm on the provider's site before applying.