Tuition and Affordability

Deadline Update: 
WSU Tri-Cities has extended the deadline for the scholarship application, given the recent announcement to offer additional in-person learning experiences in fall 2021.
Freshman complete admissions application – March 15
Transfer admissions application – July 15
Scholarship application – March 15

Tuition and Scholarships

Nothing should stand in the way of you and your dreams. We understand that your financial needs play a part in your success as a student and a graduate—and that’s why we offer several ways for you to make your education more affordable. This page has everything you need to check our tuition rates, affordability, scholarships, financial aid and a total cost calculator.

January 31

WSU General Scholarship Application Deadline

March 31

First-Year Application Priority Deadline

July 15

Transfer Application Priority Deadline

Know FAFSA the code: 003800

File your FAFSA in October every year. The WSU school code for all campuses is 003800.

Cost

Expenses will vary depending on several criteria, including Washington residency, how many credit hours you are taking, where you live and much more.

Financial Aid

Get help paying for college! Applying for financial aid is essential in the admissions process. There are many ways to put a WSU Tri-Cities education within your financial reach.

College-Bound-Logo

Are you a College Bound Scholarship student? If so, your tuition is covered in full.

Merit-Based Awards for Washington Resident First-Year Students

$3,000 PER YEAR (FOUR YEARS)

The Tri-Cities First-Year Student Achievement Award for Washington resident applicants is automatically awarded and qualified students are notified when they are admitted to WSU Tri-Cities.

Eligibility

Awarded to students based on a minimum 3.75 unweighted high school grade point average (GPA).

To receive the award, you must also:

  • Complete your admission application and transcripts before March 31
  • Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident of the U.S. (HB 1079 & DACA students eligible)
  • Be a resident of the state of Washington
  • Enroll at WSU Tri-Cities as a first-year student

To qualify, your admission packet must be complete with all required transcripts submitted by March 31. All scholarship criteria is subject to change. Funding for these awards is limited and not guaranteed. Unofficial/self-reported high school GPA reported in a student’s application may be used in awarding scholarships. Students will be asked to confirm academic status by providing an official transcript. Eligibility requirements and award amounts are subject to change.

Renewal Criteria

Eligibility requirements and award amounts are subject to change.

Whether you are eligible for this particular award or not, be sure to also fill out the WSU General Scholarship Application by January 31 annually. It gives you the opportunity to be considered for more than 700 other scholarship programs.

Renewal Criteria: Earn 24 credits for the academic year with a 3.20 minimum WSU GPA.

Merit-Based Awards for Washington Resident Transfer

$2,000 or $1,000 PER YEAR (TWO YEARS)

To be eligible for a transfer award you must be Washington state residents entering the WSU Tri-Cities campus as a transfer student from a community college and have earned 27 semester (40 quarter) credit hours at the time of transferring.

To receive the award, you must also:

  • Submit your admission application by July 15
  • Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident of the U.S. (HB 1079 & DACA students eligible)
  • Be a resident of the state of Washington
  • Enroll at WSU Tri-Cities as a transfer student

All scholarship criteria is subject to change. Funding for these awards is limited and not guaranteed. Unofficial/self-reported high school GPA reported in a student’s application may be used in awarding scholarships. Students will be asked to confirm academic status by providing an official transcript.

Renewal Criteria

Eligibility requirements and award amounts are subject to change.

Whether you are eligible for this particular award or not, be sure to also fill out the WSU General Scholarship Application by January 31 annually. It gives you the opportunity to be considered for more than 700 other scholarship programs.

Renewal Criteria: Earn 24 credits for the academic year with a 3.20 minimum WSU GPA.

Transfer Award Calculator
Your GPA


Note: Your transfer GPA is based only on courses that transfer for credit to WSU. To determine how your credit transfers, visit the WSU Transfer Center.

Awards for Oregon Residents

Residents from bordering Oregon counties may qualify for in-state tuition rates. The I-82 Advantage program is for students who reside in Umatilla County and are enrolled in more than nine credits. The Border Bill is for students who live in neighboring counties who are enrolled in fewer than nine credits.

Merit-Based Awards for Non Washington Resident First-Year Students

Distinguished Cougar Award/Western Undergraduate Exchange — $11,000 per year

Eligibility
Awarded to admitted first-year students who start at WSU with a minimum 3.6 unweighted high school grade point average (GPA).

To receive the award, you must also:

  • Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident of the U.S.
  • Be a resident outside the state of Washington and charged non-resident tuition
  • Enroll at the Tri-Cities campus as a first-year student

This scholarship cannot be combined with the National Merit Scholarship.

To qualify, your admission packet must be complete with all required transcripts submitted prior to March 31 (summer/fall 2022). All scholarship criteria is subject to change. Funding for these awards is limited and not guaranteed. Unofficial/self-reported high school GPA reported in a student’s application may be used in awarding scholarships. Students will be asked to confirm academic status by providing an official transcript.

Cougar Award — $7,000 per year

An out-of-state student starting at WSU may receive a $7,000 award, renewable for an additional three years. Qualified students receive the award automatically, and are at the time of admission to WSU Tri-Cities. No additional action or forms are required for consideration.

Eligibility
Awarded to admitted first-year students who start at WSU Tri-Cities with a 3.2–3.59 unweighted high school grade point average (GPA).

To receive the award, you must also:

  • Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident of the U.S.
  • Be a resident outside the state of Washington and charged non-resident tuition
  • Enroll at the Tri-Cities campus as a first-year student

This scholarship cannot be combined with the National Merit Scholarship.

To qualify, your admission packet must be complete with all required transcripts submitted prior to March 31 (summer/fall 2022). All scholarship criteria is subject to change. Funding for these awards is limited and not guaranteed. Unofficial/self-reported high school GPA reported in a student’s application may be used in awarding scholarships. Students will be asked to confirm academic status by providing an official transcript.

Renewal Criteria

Eligibility requirements and award amounts are subject to change.

Be sure to fill out the WSU General Scholarship Application by January 31 annually, and use the scholarship search tool to find additional scholarship opportunities.

Renewal Criteria: See terms and conditions at https://financialaid.wsu.edu/terms-conditions-funds/

Merit-Based Awards for Non-Washington Resident Transfers

$11,000 per year

With the Transfer Western Undergraduate Exchange or WUE (here we call it the Cougar Award for Transfers), an out-of-state transfer student starting at WSU may receive an $11,000 award. Qualified students receive the award automatically, and are notified shortly after their offer of admission to WSU. No additional action or forms are required for consideration.

Eligibility
Awarded to admitted transfer students who apply before July 15 and will start at WSU with 27+ transferable semester credit hours with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.

If you don’t have 27 transferable semester credits, you must have a minimum unweighted high school GPA of 3.4 AND a cumulative minimum transfer GPA of 3.0.

To receive the award, you must also:

  • Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident of the U.S.
  • Be a resident outside the state of Washington and charged non-resident tuition
  • Enroll at the Tri-Cities campus as a transfer student

The award is renewable for an additional three years or until attainment of first Bachelor’s degree, whichever comes first.

To qualify, your admission packet must be complete with all required transcripts submitted prior to July 15. All scholarship criteria is subject to change. Funding for these awards is limited and not guaranteed. Unofficial/self-reported high school GPA reported in a student’s application may be used in awarding scholarships. Students will be asked to confirm academic status by providing an official transcript.

Renewal Criteria
Eligibility requirements and award amounts are subject to change.

Be sure to fill out the WSU general scholarship application by January 31 annually, and use the scholarship search tool to find additional scholarship opportunities.

Renewal Criteria: See terms and conditions at https://financialaid.wsu.edu/terms-conditions-funds/

WSU General Scholarship Application

WSU GENERAL SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION

Students applying to WSU Tri-Cities should complete the WSU General Scholarship Application. This allows students to be eligible for WSU campus-wide and WSU Tri-Cities scholarships. Scholarships are awarded based on major, grades, and financial need, in addition to other qualifiers.

The deadline to apply is January 31.

More Scholarships

SEARCH FOR MORE SCHOLARSHIPS

Scholarships are available not only from WSU, but also from private donors and foundations. There are thousands of them! Reputable programs never charge application fees, so there’s no risk.

Cost

Expenses will vary depending on several criteria, including Washington residency, how many credit hours you are taking, where you live and much more.

Financial Aid

Get help paying for college! Applying for financial aid is essential in the admissions process. There are many ways to put a WSU Tri-Cities education within your financial reach.

College-Bound-Logo

Are you a College Bound Scholarship student? If so, your tuition may be covered in full.

Merit-Based Awards for Washington Resident Freshmen

$3,000 PER YEAR (FOUR YEARS)

The Tri-Cities Freshman Achievement Award for Washington resident applicants is automatically awarded and qualified students are notified when they are admitted to WSU Tri-Cities.

Eligibility

Awarded to students based on a minimum 3.75 unweighted high school grade point average (GPA).

To receive the award, you must also:

  • Complete your admission application and transcripts before March 15, 2021
  • Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident of the U.S. (HB 1079 & DACA students eligible)
  • Be a resident of the state of Washington
  • Enroll at WSU Tri-Cities a freshman in 2021

To qualify, your admission packet must be complete with all required transcripts submitted by March 15, 2021. All scholarship criteria is subject to change. Funding for these awards is limited and not guaranteed. Unofficial/self-reported high school GPA reported in a student’s application may be used in awarding scholarships. Students will be asked to confirm academic status by providing an official transcript. Eligibility requirements and award amounts are subject to change.

Renewal Criteria

Eligibility requirements and award amounts are subject to change.

Whether you are eligible for this particular award or not, be sure to also fill out the WSU General Scholarship Application by March 15. It gives you the opportunity to be considered for more than 700 other scholarship programs.

Renewal Criteria: Earn 24 credits for the academic year with a 3.20 minimum WSU GPA.

Merit-Based Awards for Washington Resident Transfer

$2,000 or $1,000 PER YEAR (TWO YEARS)

To be eligible for a transfer award you must be Washington state residents entering the WSU Tri-Cities campus as a transfer student from a community college and have earned 27 semester (40 quarter) credit hours at the time of transferring.

To receive the award, you must also:

  • Submit your admission application by July 15 , 2021
  • Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident of the U.S. (HB 1079 & DACA students eligible)
  • Be a resident of the state of Washington
  • Enroll at WSU Tri-Cities as a transfer student in 2021

All scholarship criteria is subject to change. Funding for these awards is limited and not guaranteed. Unofficial/self-reported high school GPA reported in a student’s application may be used in awarding scholarships. Students will be asked to confirm academic status by providing an official transcript.

Renewal Criteria

Eligibility requirements and award amounts are subject to change.

Whether you are eligible for this particular award or not, be sure to also fill out the WSU General Scholarship Application by March 15. It gives you the opportunity to be considered for more than 700 other scholarship programs.

Renewal Criteria: Earn 24 credits for the academic year with a 3.20 minimum WSU GPA.

Transfer Award Calculator
Your GPA


Note: Your transfer GPA is based only on courses that transfer for credit to WSU. To determine how your credit transfers, visit the WSU Transfer Center.

Awards for Oregon Residents

Residents from bordering Oregon counties may qualify for in-state tuition rates. The I-82 Advantage program is for students who reside in Umatilla County and are enrolled in more than nine credits. The Border Bill is for students who live in neighboring counties who are enrolled in fewer than nine credits.

Merit-Based Awards for Non Washington Resident Freshmen

2021: Distinguished Cougar Award/Western Undergraduate Exchange — $11,000 per year

Eligibility
Awarded to admitted freshman who start at WSU in 2021 with a minimum 3.6 unweighted high school grade point average (GPA).

To receive the award, you must also:

  • Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident of the U.S.
  • Be a resident outside the state of Washington and charged non-resident tuition
  • Enroll at the Tri-Cities campus as a freshman in 2021

This scholarship cannot be combined with the National Merit Scholarship.

To qualify, your admission packet must be complete with all required transcripts submitted prior to March 15, 2021. All scholarship criteria is subject to change. Funding for these awards is limited and not guaranteed. Unofficial/self-reported high school GPA reported in a student’s application may be used in awarding scholarships. Students will be asked to confirm academic status by providing an official transcript.

2021: Cougar Award — $7,000 per year

An out-of-state student starting at WSU in 2021 may receive a $7,000 award, renewable for an additional three years. Qualified students receive the award automatically, and are at the time of admission to WSU Tri-Cities. No additional action or forms are required for consideration.

Eligibility
Awarded to admitted freshman who start at WSU Tri-Cities in 2021 with a 3.2–3.59 unweighted high school grade point average (GPA).

To receive the award, you must also:

  • Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident of the U.S.
  • Be a resident outside the state of Washington and charged non-resident tuition
  • Enroll at the Tri-Cities campus as a freshman in 2021

This scholarship cannot be combined with the National Merit Scholarship.

To qualify, your admission packet must be complete with all required transcripts submitted prior to March 15, 2021. All scholarship criteria is subject to change. Funding for these awards is limited and not guaranteed. Unofficial/self-reported high school GPA reported in a student’s application may be used in awarding scholarships. Students will be asked to confirm academic status by providing an official transcript.

Renewal Criteria

Eligibility requirements and award amounts are subject to change.

Be sure to fill out the WSU General Scholarship Application by March 15, and use the scholarship search tool to find additional scholarship opportunities.

Renewal Criteria: See terms and conditions at https://financialaid.wsu.edu/terms-conditions-funds/

Merit-Based Awards for Non-Washington Resident Transfers

2021: $11,000 per year

With the Transfer Western Undergraduate Exchange or WUE (here we call it the Cougar Award for Transfers), an out-of-state transfer student starting at WSU in 2021 may receive an $11,000 award. Qualified students receive the award automatically, and are notified shortly after their offer of admission to WSU. No additional action or forms are required for consideration.

Eligibility
Awarded to admitted transfer students who apply before July 15 and will start at WSU in 2021 with 27+ transferable semester credit hours with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.

If you don’t have 27 transferable semester credits, you must have a minimum unweighted high school GPA of 3.4 AND a cumulative minimum transfer GPA of 3.0.

To receive the award, you must also:

  • Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident of the U.S.
  • Be a resident outside the state of Washington and charged non-resident tuition
  • Enroll at the Tri-Cities campus as a transfer student in 2021

The award is renewable for an additional three years or until attainment of first Bachelor’s degree, whichever comes first.

To qualify, your admission packet must be complete with all required transcripts submitted prior to July 15, 2021. All scholarship criteria is subject to change. Funding for these awards is limited and not guaranteed. Unofficial/self-reported high school GPA reported in a student’s application may be used in awarding scholarships. Students will be asked to confirm academic status by providing an official transcript.

Renewal Criteria
Eligibility requirements and award amounts are subject to change.

Be sure to fill out the WSU general scholarship application by March 15, and use the scholarship search tool to find additional scholarship opportunities.

Renewal Criteria: See terms and conditions at https://financialaid.wsu.edu/terms-conditions-funds/

WSU General Scholarship Application

WSU GENERAL SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION

Students applying to WSU Tri-Cities should complete the WSU General Scholarship Application. This allows students to be eligible for WSU campus-wide and WSU Tri-Cities scholarships. Scholarships are awarded based on major, grades, and financial need, in addition to other qualifiers.

The deadline to apply is March 15.

More Scholarships

SEARCH FOR MORE SCHOLARSHIPS

Scholarships are available not only from WSU, but also from private donors and foundations. There are thousands of them! Reputable programs never charge application fees, so there’s no risk.

Questions?

Navigating the financial aid process can be overwhelming. Give us a call at 509-372-7250 or send us an email, we will be happy to walk you through the process.

Note: Contact Student Financial Services to determine whether merit-based awards can be combined with other tuition waivers. Eligibility requirements and award amounts are subject to change. Funds are limited and priority will be given to students based on admission application date.