Washington Scholarship Coalition
Making college possible, one person at a time
The Washington Scholarship Coalition (WSC) is a public/private partnership that includes nonprofit organizations, private foundations and state agencies committed to increasing access to scholarships and financial aid for Washington students. In January 2010, the WSC launched theWashBoard.org, a free, web-based scholarship matching clearinghouse for Washington residents and students attending college in Washington.
The WSC is concerned that access to private scholarship aid is haphazard. In Washington state, there is no central clearinghouse for scholarship access and data collection. Nationally, approximately $100 million in private scholarship assistance fails to get distributed annually[1] and private scholarships reach only seven percent of undergraduate students[2].
College Spark Washington has invested nearly $2 million dollars in development and outreach of theWashBoard.org.
Goals of the Washington Scholarship Coalition
- Increase access to scholarships for Washington students, with an emphasis on low-income and underserved students
- Increase awareness of financial aid and scholarship opportunities
- Improve efficiencies in private scholarship application process
- Improve availability of data on private scholarships
- Create a high-quality, trusted, centralized resource
[1] Private Scholarships Count, Institute for Higher Education Policy, May 2005
[2] Private Scholarships Count, Institute for Higher Education Policy, May 2005