Scholarship Guidelines
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.
TheWashBoard.org is the cornerstone of the Washington Scholarship Coalition's strategy to address two specific issues.
- To ensure more students apply for scholarships
- To improve the process of finding scholarships so that it is made significantly simpler, more effective, and more engaging.
The purpose of this policy is to define the word "scholarship" and to provide guidance
as to what theWashBoard.org will allow for scholarship listings.
DEFINITION: Scholarship
Financial aid awarded to a student for the purpose of attending post-secondary education.
It is a form of financial aid that does not need to be repaid.
While the Washington Scholarship Coalition is committed to providing a more simplified
method of finding many scholarships in one place, it is our goal to closely follow the true
definition of a scholarship, a grant or gift.
Scholarships which require repayment in the future, either by money, employment or other
means will not be allowed to be posted on theWashBoard.org. Guarantees of repayment either
in the form of promissory note or other penalties imposed on the scholarship recipient will not
be permissible under our definition of "scholarship."
If a scholarship is found to have terms of repayment for any reason other than when a student
withdraws in the current academic term, the scholarship listing will be promptly removed from
theWashBoard.org and the provider will receive notification of such action.
Scholarships that require awardee participation in the provider's program activities may be
allowed if repayment of the scholarship for nonparticipation is not required.
This policy is approved by the Executive Steering Committee of the Washington Scholarship Coalition.
February 2012