If your kids go to a Seattle public high school, they can attend one of the Seattle Colleges tuition-free for the first two years of school.
Tuition & fees for years 3 and 4– if continuing on for a Bachelor’s and not stopping at an Associate’s degree– are roughly $27,000/year* as of 2026. There are other Seattle Colleges scholarships too.
Seattle Promise is the program that sponsors this via a tax levy that run for 6 years starting in June 2026 (so expiring unless voters renew in June 2032.) Read more about it here.
The Washington College Grant— something you are automatically considered for when completely FAFSA (or WAFSA for those without legal US residence status like ‘Dreamers’ or undocumented immigrants)– is another option for Washington state residents outside of Seattle.
*Data as of June 2026. Three 15 credit quarters is a full year, so multiply the below by three to get annual tuition & fees:
| Student Residency Status | Annual Tuition (15 credits/quarter) | Approximate Mandatory Fees | Total Expected Annual Cost |
| WA State Resident | $8,131.35 | $663 | $8,794.35 |
| Non-Resident (U.S. Citizen) | $8,729.10 | $663 | $9,392.10 |
| International Student | $22,487.40 | $663 | $23,150.40 |
Screenshot of the programs’ description. The same link has a list of eligible Seattle high schools:
