Scholarships Program

2026-2027 Scholarships Program Chair: OPEN

Lake Washington PTSA Council awards a variety of scholarships to graduating LWSD seniors pursuing two- or four- year postsecondary educations and to LWSD certificated staff. Funding for these scholarships is provided by the generosity of our local PTAs, support from our community friends at the LWEA and LWSF, and occasional donations from the community at large.

Student Scholarships

Students may apply for multiple scholarships; however, a maximum of one scholarship will be awarded per student, with each award in the amount of $1250. Scholarship funds may be used to pay for anything billed by the university/college/vocational school, including tuition, room and board, and other fees. It also includes payment for books and computers, with a receipt. We are not able to reimburse for furniture.

  • Merit scholarships for students planning on attending a four-year institution: Awarded to two students residing in each of the four LWSD learning communities (Eastlake, Juanita, Lake Washington, Redmond). Tesla STEM, ICS, Emerson and Cambridge students will be considered in the learning community in which they reside.
  • LWEA Teeley Scholarship for a student entering the field of education — funded by the Lake Washington Education Association in the name of former LWEA President Kevin Teeley.
  • Perseverance scholarship for a student who has overcome hardship: Awarded to a student who is a well-rounded community member and can show excellence in their life and academics in the face of hardship or a challenging life circumstance.
  • Turnaround scholarship for a student who has demonstrably turned their academic career around: Awarded to a student who did not perform at their best in the early years of their high school career but “turned around” their situation and can demonstrate a significant improvement in their academic achievement over the course of their high school career. 
  • Two-Year, Technical or Vocational School scholarship for a student planning on attending a two-year, vocational or technical college.
  • At-Large scholarship: The scholarship committee may choose to award an additional “At-Large” Scholarship from the entire pool of applicants.

Certificated Staff Scholarships

Scholarships are available for certificated LWSD staff members, with each award in the amount of $500, to be applied toward continuing education at an institute of higher learning or through LWSD professional development opportunities.It is our hope that these scholarships, intended as support for our dedicated staff, contribute toward achieving the goal of contributing to the classroom learning environment and fostering a team atmosphere between staff and our school community.

  • Professional development scholarships
  • LWEA Mawhinney scholarship for an educator in the field of special education — funded by the Lake Washington Education Association in the name of former LWEA president Howard Mawhinney (new for 2025). To be eligible, you must be an educator currently in the field of special education, pursuing special education training, or a para who is actively working toward special education credentials.

Dates and Deadlines

  • March TBD – Applications open
  • April TBD – Applications due by 11:59 pm
  • April TBD – Applications are evaluated by the Scholarship Committee
  • May TBD – Recipients and high schools notified of scholarship awardees
  • TBD – Reception to honor recipients at LWSD Resource Center (immediately preceding LWSD school board meeting)

Applications and Forms

  • 2027 Student Application – available when applications open
  • 2027 Certificated Staff Application – available when applications open

Applications are carefully reviewed by our scholarship program committee to redact names and all identifying information before being presented to our impartial volunteer judges, to promote anonymous, fair evaluation.

Scholarship News and Updates

Questions?

For more information, please contact LWPTSA Council’s Scholarship Program Chair(s) at Scholarships {at} LWPTSA.net.