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Applying for Financial Aid

Eligibility requirements

To receive financial aid at Pierce College, you must meet the following general eligibility requirements.

  • Have a high school diploma or GED.
  • Enroll in an eligible degree or certificate program.
  • Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen.
  • Have a valid Social Security Number.
  • Make satisfactory academic progress in your classes.

First time applicants must also complete the Pierce College Financial Aid Orientation Session before we can review your application for financial aid. You will be notified when you need to complete orientation. Do not complete it until requested to do so.

Some programs have additional requirements:

  • Stafford Loan or Washington State Need Grant: enroll in at least six credits.
  • State Need Grant, Tuition Waiver, Pierce College Day Care Grant or Pierce College Grant: be a Washington State resident.
  • Each scholarship has its own requirements and application process.

How to apply

  1. Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA is a free, nationwide program run by the United States Department of Education, which provides information to colleges and universities. The Pierce College Federal School Code is 005000.

    2. The best way to apply for financial aid is to complete your FAFSA on the Web.
    need money for your education? start with www.fafsa.edu.gov

  2. If you are not currently a student at Pierce, apply for admission. See the admissions page for more information, including a link to the online application.
  3. Wait for a response packet from the Financial Aid office. You will then complete the following steps:
    • Complete the verification form and submit tax returns, if requested by the Financial Aid Office.
    • Complete a financial aid orientation (new students only), if requested by the Financial Aid Office.
  4. If you have attended other colleges or universities, have these credits evaluated by Pierce College and submit the completed evaluation to the Financial Aid Office. See the evaluations page for more information and procedures.

Eligibility notification

After all application materials have been received, a financial aid staff member will review your application for financial aid. If your application contains any errors, he or she will reprocess it with the U.S. Department of Education.

Then we will assign a student budget that reflects your living situation while attending Pierce College. Student budgets reflect tuition, fees, books, room and board, transportation and child care expenses for the number of quarters you will attend Pierce College during the academic year.

After we determine the student budget, we subtract the expected family contribution amount determined by the FAFSA data. The remaining amount is your need for financial aid. Students who do not qualify for need-based financial aid may still be eligible for non-need-based student loans

We will send you a written notification of the grant, work and loan programs you are eligible to receive to attend Pierce College. The award notice will list the dollar amounts by program and academic terms you are scheduled to receive financial aid.

If you do not wish to receive financial aid from a program listed on your award letter, you must notify the Financial Aid office in writing.

Financial aid awards are based on full-time attendance (12 credits or more) unless you have filed an Award Status Revision form requesting three-quarter-time (9-11 credits), half-time (6-8 credits) or less than half-time (1-5 credits) attendance.

If you do not enroll for a quarter that you are scheduled to receive financial aid and you do not file an Award Status Revision form, the balance of your financial aid award for the academic year will be cancelled.

Avoiding Application Mistakes

Pierce College processes over 3000 applications for financial aid each year, and every year students make careless mistakes when completing the FAFSA. We need your help to be able to process your financial aid application most efficiently and to ensure that you receive the aid you need.

  • Always use the full name that appears on your Social Security card for all financial aid and registration forms.
  • Read the FAFSA directions carefully, especially for the tax form sections. The FAFSA lists the specific lines from the IRS forms for the information required. Carefully copy tax data (AGI, taxes paid, etc.) from the specific line number for the tax form that you completed for the most current year.

Application errors can cause up to a month delay in sending your award notification. Your attention to detail in completing your application will help us serve you more efficiently.