Tamariya Smith is a Washington College Grant recipient pursuing her passion for early childhood education. She recently earned her Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree and is continuing her studies at North Seattle College in the Early Childhood Education Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) program. In this Q&A, Tamariya shares how her passion for helping young learners and the support of financial aid have shaped her journey to higher education.
Washington has a nation-leading financial aid initiative, the Washington College Grant. But too many students can’t access this financial aid because of barriers like financial aid application completion challenges. Our state currently lags way behind many others in supporting students to complete the application:
Financial aid is a game changer for many students, so the legislature and state agencies should work to provide assistance to students and families on FAFSA/WASFA completion to open the door to the Washington College Grant and Pell Grants.
“I wish more students knew that the Washington College Grant is available to so many people and can make college possible…”
“Financial aid doesn’t just fund an education. It builds opportunity, and that benefits all of us…”
“Without the Washington College Grant, I would’ve worked more hours outside of work-study and felt more financially insecure…”
“‘Receiving the Washington College Grant changed the question from ‘Can I afford higher education?’ to ‘What school do I want to go to?’…”
“Be sure to apply for FAFSA. Just apply—it doesn’t hurt, and you never know what you might qualify for…”
“Education or training after high school is important…”