University of Washington Early Learning Equity Scholarship 2026

They are excited to share the newly launched Early Learning Equity (ELE) Scholarship, made possible by an extremely generous gift from the Ballmer Group. The mission of this scholarship is to strengthen, increase, retain and diversify Washington state’s early learning education workforce by removing financial barriers to degree programs.

This 2-year scholarship supports newly enrolled Early Care & Education and Early Childhood & Family Studies - Teaching and Learning students, or those returning after 1 or more years away from UW. It covers a student’s unmet financial need, including the cost of attendance for Washington state residents. Applicants must demonstrate a commitment to entering or remaining in the early education field after graduating.

Table of Content

• Summary
• Benefits
• Requirments
• Application Deadline
• How To Apply

Summary

• Application DeadlineNovember 21, 2025
• Study LevelUndergraduate
• SponsorUniversity Of Washington

Benefits

The scholarship amount is dependent on a student’s calculated unmet financial need. Unmet financial need is calculated by the Office of Student Financial Aid, using your WASFA or FAFSA, and other sources of financial assistance you have available to help pay for your education, which may include private scholarships, UW departmental scholarships, and government grants/scholarships. 

Requirements

In order to be considered for the scholarship, you must meet the following requirements:

• Be a Washington state resident
• Be a newly enrolled student, or returning to UW after at least one year away, and admitted to one of our early learning bachelor’s degree programs:
  • Early Childhood & Family Studies (Teaching & Learning)
  • Early Care & Education
• Submitted or in the process of submitting one of the following financial aid applications for the academic year you hope to receive funds for:
  • Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
  • Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WASFA)
  • To receive more information or complete your FAFSA or WASFA application, please contact the Office of Student Financial Aid to speak with a financial aid counselor.
• Committed to joining or remaining in the early learning education workforce after graduating, and working in WA state
• Clearly demonstrates an understanding of and commitment to racial equity and educational justice for children, families and communities that are disproportionately impacted by systemic racism and poverty
• Will be or is within their final 2 years of program completion. Occasional exceptions may allow for up to 1 additional year of funding on a case-by-case basis.

DACA recipients and other undocumented Washington residents must submit a WASFA application to be eligible for state financial aid, including the ELE Scholarship.

Application Deadline

How To Apply

1. Apply for and be accepted to the ECE or ECFS program
   1. Note: you do not need to have received a decision letter at the time you submit the ELE scholarship application. The award is contingent upon being accepted into the program.
2. Ensure your FAFSA or WASFA is submitted for the correct academic year
   1. We recommend submitting by UW’s priority deadline, January 15 for the next academic year to ensure your paperwork is processed in a timely manner.
3. Login into CommunityForce with your UW NetID and complete the application.

For more details, visit University of Washington Scholarship webpage