No loans, no grants, no aid. If every student at Washington State University faced such a daunting trifecta of financial aid challenges, midterms and finals would certainly slip down a notch on the list of college student woes.
For 1079 students attending Washington universities though, this financial challenge remains an everyday reality. With no access to traditional forms of state and federal aid, 1079 students must seek help from financial aid experts who offer “creative” routes for students to continue their education.
ROUTES TO AID
At Washington State University Vancouver, resident expert April Lappin jumps into this role to assist students. Lappin, the financial aid and scholarships manager, has spent the last eight years helping students of all backgrounds and residency statuses find financial funding to attend classes.
The funding options decrease significantly for 1079 students, but Lappin and the WSU financial aid team work with students to find scholarships and funding opportunities.
“We give them the same resources we would give other students as far as scholarships—general information about scholarships, where to find them, how to do a scholarship search, how to apply,” said Lappin. “People who don’t fully understand 1079 students are thinking, ‘There’s all these resources dedicated specifically to these students,’ but that’s not true. They actually have fewer resources than the average student.”
Lappin always underscores the importance of students getting “creative.” Although HB 1079 allows for in-state tuition rates for undocumented students, a year at WSU costs $11,386 before any fees, books and housing. This amount typically comes out-of-pocket for 1079 students. As a result, even with scholarships, most 1079 students must find inventive ways to pay for school.
“We try and get creative with students to help them know that, even if it’s a long process, there is a way to do it. Many of these students take one or two classes at a time while working multiple jobs to save money for school,” said Lappin.
One such student transferred to WSU Vancouver from Clark College after working four jobs this past summer to save for classes. He mowed lawns, worked as a mechanic and bussed tables at a local restaurant while also serving as a Spanish tutor to pay for bus fare to and from campus. Fortunately, subsequent WSU Vancouver scholarship support helped to lessen a small amount of the financial strain.
In addition to scholarships, other opportunities for aid include the Vancouver Academic Achievement Award and internship waivers. The Vancouver Academic Achievement Award grants a $4,000 annual award to high school students who apply for admission by the priority deadline, have a 3.6 GPA average and an SAT score of at least 1150. Students may also receive full or partial tuition waivers by working in campus internships. Lappin stresses the importance of students being “competitive” through community service and university involvement in order to bolster their chances of receiving such waivers and scholarships.
Such financial assistance can provide a great advantage to 1079 students who often help support their families in between working and attending classes. This initiative and hard work can go overlooked by society, but those within the university system recognize the dedication.
“You cannot talk to a student who falls into this status without being amazed by them. They’re really survivors in how they will fight for their education,” said Lappin. “They don’t have a sense of entitlement; they are hard workers. They don’t want to be given everything, not even anything extra. They just want the same as their peers.”
A HOW-TO APPROACH
For 1079 students seeking to capitalize on Lappin’s advice, they can follow this approach:
The first step for any student is to apply for admission by the priority deadline. For WSU, Jan. 31 serves as the cutoff date. Applying by this date ensures that students will meet the majority of scholarship application deadlines as well as some waiver requirements.
1079 students must also “self-disclose” by filling out an affidavit asserting their eligibility for state tuition rates under HB 1079. Only university personnel see the document, and the university destroys the affidavit after completion.
After finishing the admission process, students should begin by submitting themselves as a candidate for university scholarships. At WSU, students can complete this application process simultaneously with their admission application. This places students in the applicant pool for the system-wide scholarships.
Once students have completed the system-wide application, they should look for scholarships specific to schools. Unlike the university-wide scholarships, WSU Vancouver offers scholarships available only to WSU Vancouver students. The application is typically more involved, but the pool of applicants remains much smaller than the system-wide pool. Applications for most WSU Vancouver scholarships close in March.
Also in March, interested students should apply for internships with tuition waivers. While 1079 students remain ineligible for paid positions, tuition waivers do not require a particular residency status. Positions at WSU Vancouver with full or partial tuition waivers include Office of Student Involvement internships, a Student Diversity intern, a Student Affairs intern and the Student Ambassador program.
Throughout this process, 1079 students should utilize the Internet to search for any private scholarships not directly related to the university. Sites such as the WashBoard and the Seattle Foundation all provide a diverse array of scholarship opportunities.
Finally, students should speak to their university financial aid staff about any questions or concerns. The WSU Vancouver financial aid team hosts multiple workshops throughout the year and encourages students to talk freely about financial concerns.
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