Types of Aid

Renton Technical College offers many different funding options. For more information, contact the Financial Aid department at 425-235-5841.

Financial aid includes grants, scholarships, work study, and student loans. Funds are offered according to the student’s eligibility, need and fund availability. The financial aid programs available to students at RTC include:

• Federal Pell Grant: are available to eligible students and prorated based on the student’s enrollment level. Eligibility is limited to a Lifetime Eligibility Used (LEU). Students who have obtained a bachelor’s degree (this includes degrees earned outside the United States) are not eligible for Pell grants.  
• Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG): are available to eligible students based on the availability of FSEOG funding.   
• Washington College Grant (WCG): offered to eligible Washington residents (including undocumented students). The grant is prorated based on the student’s enrollment level and students must be in a minimum of three (3) credits.   
• College Bound Scholarship (CBS): offered in combination with WCG to assist the students with education costs. CBS is available to students who apply in middle school, meet the pledge requirements, and attend college within one year of high school graduation. The grant is prorated based on the student’s enrollment level and students must be in a minimum of three (3) credits.  
• Passport to Careers (PTC): The Passport to Careers program helps former foster youth and unaccompanied homeless youth prepare for and succeed in college, apprenticeships, or pre-apprenticeship programs.   
• Washington State Opportunity Scholarship (WSOS): supports low- and middle-income Washington students pursuing degrees, certificates or apprenticeships in high-demand trade, health care or Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields and helps launch careers. Please visit the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship to learn more about the program.   
• Student Emergency Assistance Grant (SEAG): program provides funding for colleges to assist students experiencing unforeseen emergencies or situations that affect the student's ability to attend classes.  
• Life Essentials Grant (LEG): financial assistance for students who are currently enrolled and taking classes. Grants are provided to support current students with emergency assistance for life needs.  
• Institutional Aid (RTC) grant: Renton Technical College reserves a percentage of tuition revenue and offers these funds to Washington State resident eligible students in the form of institutional grants.   
• Federal Work-Study (FWS) and State Work-Study (SWS): provide student employment opportunity on and off campus based on students’ financial aid eligibility and fund allocation. Students must be enrolled/attending at least ½ time, six (6) or more credits, per quarter to participate in FWS and SWS.  
• Direct Federal Student Loans: are low-interest loans for students and parents to assist paying for the cost of students’ education after high school. The lender is the US Department of Education rather than a bank or other financial institution. Repayment begins six months after completion or withdrawal from school. Students must first complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and must be enrolled/attending at least ½ time, six (6) or more credits, per quarter to be eligible. There are three types of loans available under direct student loan programs:   
  • Subsidized Loans are need-based. A student’s eligibility to borrow is based on financial need as determined by the federal government which pays interest on the loan while the student is in school.   
  • Unsubsidized Loans do not require a student to show financial need; however, the cost of the student’s education must exceed any other financial aid offered. The student, not the federal government, is responsible to pay all the interest that accrues on this loan.   
  • Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS) are loans parents borrow to pay for their child’s educational expenses.   
• Alternative (private) loans: RTC does not recommend preferred lender or affiliated with any private lender. Students should contact their selected lender and their lender should work with our financial aid office directly.