Financial Aid and Scholarships

Your financial aid package may be made up of various types of funding including scholarships, grants, tuition waivers, work study, and loans.

Scholarships

Scholarships are available to all current and prospective EWU students. Over $1.5 million is awarded annually to nearly 1,000 students. Most awards recognize students for academic and/or community excellence. Some are based on financial need or specific academic requirements, and a few are reserved for special qualifications (geographic location, ethnicity, memberships/affliation, etc.). Please see our Scholarships pages for more information.

Be sure to see our Outside Scholarship Resources page for links to some of the largest, free scholarship search sites online.  The State of Washington has also established a central clearinghouse for scholarships at www.thewashboard.org.

Grants

Grants are based on financial need and do not have to be repaid. With the exception of the Federal Pell Grant, consideration for grants is given to students who meet EWU's priority funding deadline. Grants are limited to undergraduate students who have not received a bachelor's degree and some grants are available to only Washington state residents. See our Grants pages for more information.

Tuition Waivers and Discounts

Tuition waivers and discounts are awarded to students based on a number of criteria specified by the State of Washington and EWU. See our Tuition Waivers and Discounts pages for more information.

Loans

Loans are available to qualified financial aid applicants and can be need-based or non-need based. Loans may be borrowed by the student or by the parents of dependent applicants. See our Loans pages for more information.

Federal and State Work-Study

Work Study is a need-based financial aid award. It is not a grant (you must work to earn it), and it is not a loan (you do not have to repay it). Students must qualify for need-based financial aid to receive Work Study. Funds are limited, so not all qualifying students will receive an award

The Work Study program subsidizes a student's hourly wage. It is a "pot" of money set aside to pay a portion or your entire hourly wage. For you the student, it is much like working any other job: you work a number of hours in a pay period at an hourly wage rate and receive a paycheck for your earnings. For the employer, however, the Work Study program reimburses a large percentage, if not all of your wages, which makes it very attractive to hire Work Study students. Work Study students are in demand by employers, so eligible students can often pick the job of their choice.

Please visit the Student Employment Office for more details.