Scholarships

You need to upload an unofficial transcript as part of your application. The transcript can be uploaded as a Microsoft Word document, PDF, or JPG. It is your responsibility to make sure the transcript has been uploaded correctly and can be read by the decision committee. Your transcript needs to show the most current quarter/semester of school completed.

• Upload your LWTech transcript if you have completed at least one quarter at LWTech. You may request an unofficial transcript in LionsLink.
• Upload your unofficial transcript from another school. This can be your high school transcript or a transcript from another college.
• If you do not have a transcript, please contact us at foundation@lwtech.edu.

Apply for financial aid via the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WASFA) at LWTech.

We strongly encourage all students who are eligible to receive financial aid (including loans) to apply for FAFSA/WASFA. It helps the scholarship review committee understand your financial need and what funding resources are available to help you pay for school. 

If you are not eligible to receive financial aid, you do not have to apply for FAFSA/WASFA. For example, students who are attending LWTech on an F1 Visa do not need to apply for FAFSA/WASFA. And students who do not have a high school diploma or GED do not need to appy for FAFSA/WASFA.

If you need help completing your FAFSA/WASFA, please contact the Financial Aid Office. They can explain more about how to apply and who is eligible to for financial aid. 

1. Take advantage of our campus resources to help you with writing and editing the essays.
   • The Learning Lab offers drop-in support for any LWTech student. You can receive one-on-one tutoring to get help on your scholarship essays. Each meeting is 20 minutes long and you can sign-in as many times as needed. No appointment needed.
   • TRIO offers support to students who are low-income, students who are first-generation to college, and students with disabilities. They offer help filing out scholarship applications. They also offer other support services to students. Please reach out to TRIO to learn if you would qualify for their support.
2. Don't be afraid to share your personal story. This scholarship application is confidential. It will not be shared outside of the review committee. The committee wants to learn about who you are, why you are in school, and how a scholarship would help you stay in school.
3. If you are stuck on an essay question and don't know what to write, review the "Not Sure What to Write About" section below.

Not Sure What to Write About? Here are Some "Things to Consider"

For each question, we have created "things to consider" to help you get started if you are stuck. You do not have to use these to write a successful essay. The committee does not see this section.

Financial Essay Question - Please explain your financial need and how an LWTech Foundation scholarship will help you with your academic expenses (tuition, tools, textbooks, supplies, and other program expenses). 

• This question is about financial need. Think about how a scholarship will help you stay in school.
• Think about what would happen if you don't receive a scholarship.
• Talk about a specific financial need that you have and how a scholarship will help you with that need.
  • Ex. Do you need help with tuition? What happens if you don't receive tuition help?
  • Ex. Do you have expensive tool or book costs? What are those costs? What will happen if you don't get help with those costs?
  • Ex. Without a scholarship, will you: have to drop out of school? Work more hours and have less time to study? Not be able to afford important program books, tools, and supplies? Not be able to afford important living expenses such as childcare, gas, or food?
• Don't be afraid to provide specific details about your financial situation. LWTech has a diverse student population and our students are funding their education in a variety of ways. The review committee wants to understand how YOU are funding your education and living expenses. They also want to understand what funding gap you have. How will a scholarship help you with that funding gap?

Essay Question 1 - Why are you passionate about your field of study? Why did you pick your major and what are your career plans after you graduate? 

• Make sure to answer all three questions - why are you passionate; why did you pick your major; what are your career plans
• Why you enjoy studying this subject
• What your education means for you and your family.
• What is important to you when planning your career. Some students choose their careers because they want to help people. Other students are looking for financial security. Some students want to be a role model to their children or their families. There is no wrong answer.
• If you don't have clear career plans yet, how will your studies help you create your career plans. What steps will you take to figure out your career plans.

Essay Question 2 - Please think of a time you experienced a challenge. This can be a challenge you faced in the past or a challenge you are currently facing. What was or is this challenge? What steps did you take to work through this challenge? How will the lessons learned from this challenge help you with your academic and career goals?

• Make sure to answer all three questions: what was this challenge; what steps did you take; how will the lessons learned help with academic and career goals
• You can select any type of challenge to write about: academic, financial, emotional, physical, or anything else you have struggled with.
• Focus on the steps you took to work through the challenge and the lessons learned.

•  The scholarship review committee is looking for students who show persistence and determination in their education and career goals. Think about how this challenge and the lessons learned show peristence and determination.

If you have questions about anything in the scholarship application, please contact the Foundation directly. We do not want our policies, procedures, and scholarship application to be a barrier to student apply for much needed funding. We are more than happy to answer any questions or concerns you might have. Please contact us at foundation@lwtech.edu. 

The Foundation will tell all students by March 8th if they received a scholarship. All students are notified so if you don't receive an email please contact us. Lack of notification does not mean you haven't received a scholarship.

To comply with FERPA, we need to verify your identify. Your LWTech SID, LWTech student email address, and date of birth is how we do that. We cannot share your application with our review committee without confirming these three things. We will not be able to consider you for a scholarship without them.

Before February 1, you can log into your application and make any changes you want. Then you can resubmit your application. 

After February 1, please contact the Foundation if you have any changes to your application. We will only be able to change any error that impacts your eligibility for scholarships. Once the scholarship decisions are announced, we cannot make changes of any type.

If the Foundation realizes a correction needs to be made, we will email you at your LWTech email address. Please check your email regularly to ensure you don't miss an important email from us.

If you are an F1 Visa student, you do not need to complete the FAFSA/WASFA in order to be eligible for a scholarship. You can still submit your scholarship application and receive a scholarship from LWTech Foundation. If you have questions or need help, please contact the Foundation at foundation@lwtech.edu. 

If you don't have a high school degree or GED, you do not need to complete the FAFSA/WASFA in order to be eligible for a scholarship. You can still submit your scholarship application and receive a scholarship from LWTech Foundation. If you have questions or need help, please contact the Foundation at foundation@lwtech.edu. 

Yes. We use the FAFSA/WASFA to determine financial need. Completing a FAFSA/WASFA allows us to confirm that you are only eligible for loans. You DO NOT have to take a loan or any other type of aid to receive a scholarship. But we strongly recommend that you complete the FAFSA/WASFA as the review committee uses that in the decision making process.

Your scholarship letter provides instructions on next steps. This includes how you can access the scholarship and how you can use the scholarship. The Foundation works closely with the financial aid department to distribute funds. To guarantee your funds will be available by the first day of school, please submit your thank you note by the deadline. The thank you note deadline is in your scholarship letter.

Unfortunately, the Foundation receives more applications than we have available scholarship funds. This means highly qualified students don't receive a scholarship. If you want to learn more about what you can do differently on the next application, please contact us. We strive to support as many students as possible and are happy to help.