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Non-Resident Students

We recognize the cost to attend a university in another state is a significant financial investment. As a non-resident student, your financial aid award will primarily consist of federal financial aid. We realize that for many non-resident students, federal loans may make up most or all of their financial aid offer from UW so, we encourage students and their families to take that into consideration in their decision to attend the university, particularly if finances are a factor in their selection of a college. We are unable to offer state, or university grants to non-resident applicants.

Our scholarship funds are limited relative to the size of our talented student population and The University of Washington-Seattle offers scholarships that cover a wide range of academic pursuits, musical and athletic talents as well as community service and research activities. Our scholarship programs are highly competitive as we have more talented students than we have scholarship funds. Many of our University scholarship programs are also restricted to Washington residents, however, there are some notable exceptions.

The Purple and Gold Scholarship is only for U.S. students (U.S. citizens, permanent residents, refugees, and undocumented residents) who are not residents of Washington state and who will attend the UW Seattle campus. Recipients are not now, nor will they become, residents of the state of Washington or eligible for Washington resident tuition for the four-year duration of the award. Selection, by the Office of Admissions, is predominately academic but also incorporates activities, achievements, leadership, and socio-economic factors. The scholarship, which is not need-based, is renewable for four years as long as the recipient maintains good academic standing. See Purple and Gold Scholarships for more details.

All admitted U.S. non-resident applicants are automatically considered for the Purple and Gold Scholarship based on their admission application. No other application, including the FAFSA, is required. You will be notified by letter in mid-March from the Office of Admission if you are selected as a recipient.

The UW Honors Program applicants are considered for scholarships opportunities as entering first-year students. The application to the Honors Program also serves as your application for any Honors scholarships available to incoming students and you will be notified at the same time you are notified about your admission to the Honors Program (via email). Please visit the UW Honors website for more information.
The University also offers scholarship programs awarded through many of our academic departments for freshmen (including non-resident students). Some of these scholarships are not need-based and do not require filing the FAFSA. If your academic department is not a department that directly admits freshmen or if you are not selected as a freshmen direct admit, you can apply in future years for scholarships your department offers. We recommend you visit Undergraduate Scholarships for more information on scholarship opportunities and links to helpful UW scholarship resources and private sources.
Our student budgets will provide you with an estimate of the cost to attend the UW. Tuition is typically an estimate until June when final rates are set. Although students can sometimes spend less on their living expenses than what we project, these figures are a good guide of what many students spend to cover their living expenses locally.
The requirements to receive Washington residency status are complex and can be difficult to achieve.  Questions about your current status and future status can be addressed by our Residency Office.