On May 19, partners from across Washington State will gather for the Financial Aid Summit 2026 to strengthen one of the most important pathways to opportunity for students: access to financial aid.
Hosted by a dedicated group of statewide collaborators, the summit is designed to bring together the people and organizations working every day to help students navigate college, career training, apprenticeships, and postsecondary opportunities.
Learn more about the summit here:
Financial Aid Summit Website
Register here:
Summit Registration
Why This Summit Matters
For many students, especially first-generation students, low-income families, rural communities, tribal communities, and historically underserved populations, financial aid applications can become a major barrier between students and the future they hope to pursue.
Even when funding exists, students often miss out simply because the systems are difficult to navigate alone.
Across Washington, schools, nonprofits, higher education institutions, Educational Service Districts, community organizations, tribal leaders, philanthropy groups, and policymakers are all working toward the same goal: helping more students access the support they deserve. But too often, those efforts happen in isolation.
This summit was created to change that.
The Financial Aid Summit is not death by PowerPoint presentation. It is a statewide working session focused on collaboration, coordination, and action.
A Summit Designed Around Collaboration
The structure of the summit is intentionally designed to move participants through multiple layers of collaboration throughout the day.
Participants will first gather in affinity groups with others who share similar expertise or lived experience. This creates space for honest conversations about what is working, where barriers exist, and what support communities need most.
From there, everyone reconvenes for statewide updates and spotlight presentations featuring innovative programs, regional successes, policy developments, technology tools, and emerging strategies helping students complete financial aid applications and access postsecondary opportunities.
The afternoon then shifts into regional collaboration labs organized by Educational Service District (ESD) regions. These smaller conversations focus on implementation: how communities can adapt ideas locally, strengthen partnerships, and coordinate support systems for students and families.
Finally, participants return together for a closing conversation focused on the future: how Washington can continue building stronger statewide coordination, shared strategies, sustainable funding, and collective action beyond this single event.
The goal is simple but powerful:
Move from isolated efforts toward a more connected ecosystem of support for students statewide.
Who Should Attend?
The summit is open to anyone invested in helping students access education and career opportunities after high school.
Participants include:
K-12 staff, educators, and counselors
High School and Beyond Plan coordinators
College and university partners
Apprenticeship and workforce programs
Tribal education leaders
Students and student-led organizations
Parent and family organizations
Nonprofits and mentorship organizations
Policymakers and government leaders
Funders and philanthropic partners
Data and research teams
Community organizations, state agencies, and businesses
Whether you support students directly or help shape systems behind the scenes, your perspective matters.
Building on Existing Momentum
The summit builds on work already happening across Washington through organizations and partnerships focused on increasing financial aid completion and postsecondary access.
FuturesNW has continued supporting students through FAFSA/WASFA completion events, one-on-one pathways navigation, peer navigator training, and community partnerships designed to reduce barriers to education and career planning.
Recent initiatives have included:
Community-wide financial aid volunteer training
Peer-to-peer financial aid navigation programs
Regional FAFSA/WASFA completion events
Family engagement efforts
Sharing text support tools like FuturesBot and OtterBot
Collaborative events with colleges, schools, and statewide partners
The summit creates an opportunity to connect these efforts, share lessons learned, and scale strategies that are helping students succeed.
A Shared Vision for Washington Students
At its core, the Financial Aid Summit is rooted in a shared belief:
Students should not have to navigate complex systems alone.
When communities coordinate support, share knowledge, and work together across sectors, more students can access the grants, scholarships, education, and career opportunities already available to them.
This summit is about strengthening those connections so students across Washington have clearer pathways toward their futures.
Join the Conversation
May 19, 2026
11:30 AM – 3:30 PM
Virtual Event
Clock hours available for Financial Aid training (Session 1)
Learn more:
Financial Aid Summit Website
Register today:
Summit Registration
Can’t attend but still want your voice included?
Summit Feedback Survey