This report was a collaborative effort between the Education Research and Data Center and the Washington Student Achievement Council.
Chapter 323, Laws of 2024 (Senate Bill 5904) extends and aligns the maximum timeframe allowed for students to receive three of Washington state’s need-based financial aid programs – Washington College Grant (WA Grant or WCG), College Bound Scholarship (College Bound or CBS), and Passport to Careers (Passport or PTC) – from a maximum of five years to six years. This means that students who have previously exhausted their academic quarters of eligibility remaining (QER) could regain eligibility for the WA Grant, College Bound, and/or Passport programs beginning in the 2024–2025 academic year. This extension will be vital to students who need an additional year of financial assistance to persist in and complete their postsecondary education.
The objective of the 2025 report is to provide the Legislature with information about the impact of the state aid extension on state aid utilization in academic year 2024-25, which was the first year of the extension. Information about the impact of the extension on degree completion outcomes is expected to be available in the 2027 report.
Washington’s state aid extension allows students more time to complete their education after high school. Key takeaways from this report include:
- 1,281 students utilized the state aid extension, which represents 1% of all state aid recipients.
- $4.8M was used for the state aid extension, which represents 1% of all state aid awards.
- A higher proportion of students who utilized the extension are low-income, older, and enrolled at public 4-year institutions.
Suggested Citation:
Larson, K. (2025). Washington State Aid Extension Annual Report. Washington Office of Financial Management, Forecasting and Research Division, Education Research and Data Center (ERDC). https://erdc.wa.gov/publications-and-reports/washington-state-aid-extension-annual-report-2025
