A generous state-run program guarantees tuition to Washington public colleges and universities for all students on the federal free or reduced-price lunch program. But the deadline for Washington's College Bound Scholarship Program is quickly approaching.
And the deadline is a lot earlier than one might think: middle school.
Mayor Mike McGinn has made a personal effort to get the word out, asking reporters at a press conference recently to alert Seattle families and students to the program. But he noted that the program applies elsewhere.
According to James Bush at the Mayor's Office, the College Bound program is “an incentive for kids to start planning for college early.” The program requires students to apply while still in the seventh and eighth grades.
They must maintain a 2.0 GPA and cannot commit a felony during their entire time in high school.
The state-run program fits well with local educational goals for Seattle-area schools to make gains in student outcomes, Bush said. "The legislature realized that more often we're relying on filling jobs with people from out of the state," said Bush. "Investments in education for students who live here will pay off and make us more competitive." The class of 2012 — this current class of juniors —will be the first group to benefit from the College Bound program.
The deadline for applicants this year is June 30. An application can be made here.
