Freshmen & Transfer Students

For Washington residents, awarded based on information provided in your application for admission; no separate scholarship application is required. These highly-competitive merit scholarships for incoming fall quarter first-year resident students are based on a student's academic performance as measured by their high school cumulative unweighted grade point average (GPA). Scholarships range from $1,500-$4,000 for one- or two-year awards. You may complete our Net Price Calculator for an estimate of your financial aid and scholarship eligibility.

Based on the information in your application for admission, no separate scholarship application is required.

For the 2024-25 academic year, the WAE is valued at $12,000-$15,000 for each year (for up to four years). The WAE is a highly competitive merit scholarship for incoming first-year students. Awarding of the WAE is based on the unweighted cumulative grade point average (GPA), and past recipients have had a minimum 3.00 GPA. Students are notified of their scholarship by mail after the point of admission.

For applicants from outside of Washington state; award is based on information provided in your application for admission; no separate scholarship application is required. Awarded at the $5,000 or $6,000 levels for each year (for up to four years), the WAA is a competitive merit scholarship for incoming fall quarter first-year students. Awarding of the WAA is based on the unweighted cumulative grade point average (GPA), and past recipients have had an average 3.35 GPA. Students are notified of their scholarship by mail after the point of admission.

Western Washington University recognizes National Merit Finalists with a guarantee of a minimum scholarship award combination of $10,000 across all university scholarships, distributed over four years of consecutive undergraduate study. To be eligible, National Merit Finalists must email a copy of their National Merit Finalist letter or certificate verifying their finalist status to lori.larkin@wwu.edu.

Three students from Sehome High School will be awarded $2,500 scholarships based on their academic achievement, demonstrated leadership, and financial need. Recipients are identified through admission application materials; no separate application is necessary.

The American Indian Endowed Scholarship program helps financially needy students with close ties to a Native American community to pursue undergraduate and graduate studies. Scholarship money comes from interest generated through an endowment funded by private contributions and the state. Students can use the scholarships at public colleges and universities and accredited independent colleges, universities and career schools in Washington. The program annually awards about 15 new scholarships ranging from about $500 to $2,000. Students are eligible to receive scholarships for up to five years.

An incoming freshman from Ferndale High School is awarded an annual scholarship of $6,000, renewable for up to four years – for a total scholarship value of $24,000. The recipient must demonstrate outstanding academic achievement, athletic ability, or financial need (or a combination of any of these three criteria). Recipients are identified through admission application materials; no separate application is necessary.

A scholarship equal to in-state tuition for one quarter is awarded to an entering freshman with demonstrated success in high school forensics who plans to participate in Western's forensics program.

Entering freshman from Ballard, Cleveland, Franklin, Ingraham, Garfield, Nathan Hale, Nova Project, Rainier Beach, Roosevelt, Sealth or West Seattle High Schools with demonstrated financial need and outstanding academic achievement may be eligible for this scholarship, worth $5,000, renewable for a second year. Recipients are identified through admission application materials; no separate application is necessary.