Workforce Programs & Funding

BFET can help you pay for tuition, fees, books, and more, no matter what SPSCC program or Pathway you’re in.

To be eligible, you should be living in Washington State and receiving food benefits through DSHS, but not receiving TANF (Temporary Assistant to Needy Families). If you haven’t already, you should also complete the FAFSA within the first quarter of taking classes.

WorkFirst is a program to assist parents who are receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) to gain the skills needed to become employed or to advance in employment through wage and skill progression. Students who qualify may be eligible to receive funding for up to one quarter to cover tuition and fees, books, transportation, childcare, or tools.

WorkFirst Work Study is also available to students who are receiving TANF to provide employment opportunities while attending school.

Eligibility

• Currently receiving TANF.
• Must be referred by your DSHS case manager for specific eligible programs.

Worker Retraining is a state-funded program to help recently unemployed or military-discharged students retrain in a new field to re-enter the workforce. You may qualify if you:

• are receiving unemployment
• have exhausted unemployment within the past 48 months
• have separated from the military within the past 48 months
• received a lay-off notice
• lost a main source of income due to spousal divorce, separation, death, or disability
• are out of work due to a natural disaster

Students who qualify may be eligible to receive funding for up to one quarter to cover tuition and fees, books, transportation, childcare, or tools.

Eligibility

• Live in WA state
• Enrolled in an ABE/GED/ESL program, vocational or professional technical non-transfer degree, or certificate program
• And have one of the following circumstances: currently receiving unemployment benefits, eligible to receive unemployment benefits, and/or exhausted unemployment benefits within the past 48 months

Required Documents

• Current unemployment check stub, or
• Documentation from the Employment Security Department that you have exhausted unemployment benefits within the past 24 months, or
• Warning notice from your employer, or
• Legal documentation proving eligibility as a Displaced Homemaker

The Opportunity Grant program helps low-income students complete up to one year of college and a certificate in a high-wage, high-demand career.

Eligibility

• Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WASFA, for undocumented students); and demonstrate unmet financial need.
• Be a Washington state resident student as defined by law.
• Have an income at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level (see the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Poverty Guidelines).
• Maintain a grade point average of 2.0.
• Enrolled in an eligible program of study.

Services Provided

• Funding for tuition and fees up to 45 credits (one year, full-time).
• Funding for required books and supplies up to $1,000.
• You may also receive tutoring, career advising, and college success classes.

Apply for the Opportunity Grant