Student Scholarships

Overview: Scholarship awards are based on financial need, personal history, academic merit, achievement, and/or specific areas of study. The annual application process for student scholarships takes place during spring quarter. A maximum of three quarters of tuition and fees (based on a 15-credit load) may be awarded and can be used as early as summer quarter of the same year.

Scholarship awards for South Seattle College students are made by the South Seattle College Foundation, based on donor specifications and preferences. Unrestricted SSCF scholarship funds are also available. In the Spring 2025 scholarship round, awards were made to 111 students for 311 quarters of scholarship for a total of $498,100 in awards. In the Spring 2024 scholarship round, awards were made to 102 students for 289 quarters of scholarship for a total of $434,000 in awards. In the Spring 2023 scholarship round, awards were made to 96 students for 242 quarters of scholarship totaling $350,000.

The South Seattle College Foundation awards scholarships from money derived from three sources: Endowment Funds, Adopt-A-Student Funds, and the General Scholarship Fund. The South Seattle College Foundation is a separate and distinct entity from the South Seattle College.

Scholarship awards help cover the cost of tuition, fees, and other educational expenses, including textbooks and supplies. Awards can be as much as $2,000 per quarter for three quarters, and up to a total of $6,000 for the year. A single, easy application allows applicants to apply to multiple scholarships. Your future is worth it!

Eligibility: General scholarships are open to SSC students (part-time or full-time), including international students, BAS students, undocumented students, Running Start students graduating from high school this year, as well as current ESL/ABE students transitioning to college-level or professional/technical courses.

Scholarship applications for the 2026–27 school year will open on March 30 and close on May 8. We encourage you to visit our website and apply for an award once our application window opens.

If you have further questions, please contact Kathie Pham at [email protected]. Or log in to the AwardSpring portal to check on the status of your applications: southfoundationscholarships.awardspring.com

Kathie Pham

Who to contact for information and assistance

Kathie Pham
[email protected]

Quotes from past scholarship winners:

  • It was so nice to know that I have someone who also believes in my future academic goals. Finally a person that is generous and kind.

    Catrina Pugh

  • After living in domestic violence, you have to build yourself up again. It’s something that always stays with you. But I want to let people know they can do it. You can start over. You can build a better life. For me, I don’t think it would’ve been possible without the scholarship.

    Mary Platero

  • It was a big leap. I was afraid of not doing well, of feeling out-of-place as an older student. But that went away after my first class at SSCC. The campus is so diverse - there were plenty of older students, so that wasn’t a problem.

    Stanford Neering

  • When it felt like too much, I thought about my instructors and that I couldn’t give up. I can’t let them down. So I stay focused on the future. A degree will be worth it. And after all the help I’ve gotten from the Foundation and the instructors, I want to give that back. When I have my degree, it will be my turn to help people.

    Anna Le

  • I am raising an 8 month old daughter on my own. To continue with my education, obtain my bachelor’s degree and be able to provide my daughter with a better life, the support from the South Seattle Community College Foundation is helping me reach my goal so that I can help improve other people’s health.

    Buchheng Kak