Supporting Students
State and local governments have an opportunity to support their students financially, opening doors and strengthening the future growth of their local communities. The Washington Center works with elected leaders of a state, its agencies and universities to launch State Relations Initiatives, which are scholarship programs for university and college students to attend TWC at a price comparable to a semester at their home institutions. One hundred percent of state-provided funding is directed to students attending colleges and universities in that state.
State-funded scholarships defray a portion of the costs associated with The Washington Center’s program. The cost of the program includes a program fee and a housing fee. Additionally, students must plan for expenses associated with living and working in Washington, D.C., such as meals, transportation and incidentals.
For more information on state funding:
The Role of State Funds [2] Structuring State Scholarship Programs [3]
The Role of State Funds
The Washington Center’s goal is for students to attend its programs at a cost comparable to what the student would pay for a semester at their home institution. State scholarships play an integral role in this process, especially with public university and college students.
TWC’s staff works diligently with each student to understand the funding criteria and scholarships available to them. The first opportunity is for state colleges and universities to waive tuition for the semester or forward students’ tuition (less administrative fees) to The Washington Center. When state institutions allow for these kinds of tuition arrangements, students are freed from an additional financial burden of studying in Washington.
State Relations Initiatives play a critical role in students’ ability to enroll in The Washington Center’s unique program. State scholarships provide for program fees to help make the experience much more affordable, creating more opportunities for students who may struggle to pay for their education.
Structuring State Scholarship Programs
The Washington Center works with governors, state legislators, state agency officials and universities to launch State Relations Initiatives. These initiatives solidify a partnership between TWC and a state for the benefit of a state’s university and college students.
Under this type of initiative:
- One hundred percent of the funding will go directly to students as academic scholarships.
- States will establish a structure of the partnership including school eligibility, scholarship amounts, and residency requirements.
- States can limit scholarships to public institutions only or provide scholarship to both public and private institutions.
- States can set one scholarship amount for all students or provide differing levels for public and private institutions. Individual scholarships tend to range from $3,000 to $6,000 per student.
- States can impose a residency requirement for scholarship eligibility or maintain open eligibility for all students attending its universities and colleges.
- Over the last 15 years, 23 states have funded scholarships for university and college students, many from economically disadvantaged and diverse backgrounds.
