There are many types of aid, grants, money, and scholarships available to qualifying students at Lake Washington Institute of Technology (LWTech).
The Federal Pell Grant, like other grants, is free monetary assistance for educational expenses. Students who have earned a baccalaureate degree are no longer eligible. Like other grants, the Pell Grant is adjusted for less than full-time enrollment.
Effective July 1, 2012, per federal regulations, the Federal Pell Grant may not be received for more than the equivalent of six years of full-time awards. (Determined retroactively; all previous quarters and awards must be considered.)
This grant is awarded to high-need students who apply early in the year. (Funds are limited.) Students must be Pell eligible.
This grant is available for Washington state residents only. The Washington College Grant is adjusted for less than full-time enrollment and may not exceed the amount of allowable tuition and fees each quarter.
Students apply by filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WASFA) if unable to complete the FAFSA due to immigration status and meet one of the criteria below:
Scholarships are usually monetary awards given to students by an organization or donor to help pay for their education. Students must meet the criteria set by either the organization or donor, such as pursuing a certain program of study, having financial need, or being an exemplary student
The first place LWTech students should look for scholarships should be the LWTech Foundation. The Foundation offers a variety of merit and need-based scholarships to students in the fall and spring of each academic year. These scholarships are open to students enrolled or enrolling at LWTech, and a reception each spring gives students and donors who make scholarships possible a chance to meet face-to-face.
There are many additional sources for scholarship information, including community and professional organizations and employers, so spend some time researching in your community, the local library, and on scholarship websites.
Deadlines vary for each scholarship, so you can find scholarships to apply for year-round. However, the majority of scholarships are designed to provide funding for students starting classes in the fall, so many deadlines are in spring or earlier. In general, you should start looking for scholarships six to nine months before you will need the funding.
At LWTech, notify the Financial Aid office so that we can apply your scholarship to your account and work with the scholarship agency if necessary.
Most scholarships attract more applicants than there are awards, so it is important to make sure you meet the scholarship criteria before you apply. Advice for making your scholarship applications the best they can be is available through our scholarship essay "Do's and Don'ts" below.
Work-Study is a form of financial aid that enables you to earn income to help meet your educational costs. Unlike other forms of financial aid, Work-Study must be earned through working a job. Work-Study positions should relate to the student's program of study. Participants have the opportunity to gain work experience and marketable skills, explore possible career opportunities, make new contacts that may later become valuable references for future employment, and reduce loan indebtedness for college expenses.
Work-Study is part-time employment either on or off campus. There are State and Federal Work-Study funds available each year. Priority is given to students meeting the financial aid funds priority date.
Employees in Work-Study can work up to 19 hours per week while classes are in session. During quarterly breaks however, students may work up to 40 hours per week (if requested by their supervisor) as long as they have a Work-Study award remaining from the previous quarter.
The current hourly rate for the 2023-2024 academic year (summer 2023 to spring 2024) is $17.14/hour.
Students are notified in their financial aid offer letter. Work-Study is awarded on a "funds available" basis. Students will also receive a separate Work-Study offer letter detailing the next steps to participate in the Work-Study program.
Work-Study job opportunities are posted through Handshake. There are many on-campus openings and off-campus opportunities available in many career fields.
As you work, you will receive your Work-Study award through regular paychecks. Work-Study earnings cannot be used to pay tuition and fees directly. Students must deposit their earnings into an account and use those earnings to pay for any tuition and fees through their LionsLink student account.
The Federal Direct Loan is a loan guaranteed by the federal government. Repayment usually begins six months after you leave school or drop below half time. There are two types of directions.
This loan requires unmet need. No interest is charged while the student is in school at least half time.
This loan accrues interest while the student is attending school.
Students may receive up to $3,500 a year as a first-year student and up to $4,500 in the second year of an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) or bachelor's degree program. Third and fourth year students in a bachelor's degree program may receive up to $5,500. Students completing preparatory course work for full admittance into a program may borrow up to $2,625 (eligibility while completing preparatory course work is limited to one calendar year). In addition to the amounts above, independent students may borrow up to $6,000 (or $7,000 for third-year and fourth-year bachelor's degree program students). Dependent students fully admitted into an eligible program may borrow up to $2,000 in additional unsubsidized loans.
Students applying for a student loan at LWTech must complete the following steps:
Students with extraordinary program or cost of attendance expenses may qualify for Alternative Loan Funding. Unlike Direct Loans, these are based on credit history and rating, so not everyone may qualify.
Per Federal Regulations, students that have borrowed Direct Student Loans at LWTech are required to complete a Loan Exit Counseling session online (https://studentloans.gov). This session informs borrowers of necessary information, terms, and actions required when exiting school.
If you have any questions concerning the counseling requirements, contact Financial Aid.
When you obtain a federal student loan you have certain responsibilities. It is important to consider the following:
In accordance with the Higher Education Opportunity Act, Lake Washington Institute of Technology will act in compliance with all requirements that prohibit a conflict of interest that may arise regarding Title IV loans.
To prevent any real or perceived conflict of interest, the college will follow the guidelines below:
If you're a veteran receiving the GI BIll® or similar benefits, you can receive financial assistance for most LWTech courses and programs through Veteran Benefits. In addition, you may be eligible for a 25% waiver for tuition if you're a veteran or a member of the National Guard and have been honorably discharged or meet certain requirements.
LWTech offers several federal and state funded programs through our Workforce Development programs that may provide assistance with tuition, books, advising, and individualized support services, depending on qualifications. See the Workforce Development page for more information.
Childcare grant funds may be available to students who need assistance with childcare expenses. The application can be found on the Financial Aid forms page. You will need to login using your LWTech student email to access the application.
LWTech is committed to your success and we recognize emergencies can sometimes get in the way. In order to keep you on track to graduate, limited emergency funding may be available to registered students who have a current financial emergency (not projected costs for your program). This funding is provided through a small state grant and generous donors to the college foundation. The application can be found online. You need to login using your LWTech student email to access the application.
Student Emergency Grant Application
In sum, the total HEERF funds (I,II, and III) distributed to students as of 12/31/2021 is $2,221,451. The direct total of student aid available is $4,276,255 with details provided below.
CARES Act Summary - Student Aid (HEERF I)
As of March 27, 2020 the Federal Government authorized colleges to grant emergency funding directly to students (this is called the CARES Act).
CRRSSA and ARP Summary to Date (HEERF II and III)
Under CARES Act Sections 18004(a)(1) Institutional Portion, 18004(a)(2), and 18004(a)(3), Lake Washington Institute of Technology must report its quarterly budget and expenditures.
GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at benefits.va.gov/gibill.
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Campus Hours
Mon-Thurs, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Friday, Closed to the public
Sat-Sun, Closed
Lake Washington Institute of Technology (LWTech) is committed to providing access to information for all, therefore we are taking the following measures to ensure accessibility of the college’s public facing website (LWTech.edu), and third-party platforms utilized by students, staff, and community members.
The college is currently conducting an audit to determine the extent to which its website and third-party platforms are compliant.