UW Certificate Scholarship

Reach Your Potential

Education turns potential into possibility. Through the UW Certificate Scholarship program, you’ll have a chance to boost your potential — and your career — with a UW certificate.

WHat’s the UW Certificate Scholarship?

The UW Certificate Scholarship program is an important way to break down barriers to a UW education and help you ignite a change in your career. 

The UW Certificate Scholarship covers up to 80% of the cost, up to a maximum value of $4,000, for most of our eligible certificate programs.

The scholarship value is evenly divided each quarter of the program and delivered as a course fee waiver. The recipient is responsible for 20% of the program cost, or the remaining course fees for each quarter, along with the initial $50 application fee, any additional program fees, and the cost of any necessary books and other class materials.

Eligible Certificate Programs

Students who apply to one of these certificate programs may be eligible for an Autumn 2025 UW Certificate Scholarship.

Biotech, health care & Social Work

• Certificate in Guardianship

Business & Leadership

• Certificate in Business Strategy & Decision Making
• Certificate in Commercial Real Estate
• Certificate in E-Learning Instructional Design
• Certificate in Human Resources Essentials
• Certificate in Human Resources Management
• Certificate in Lean Six Sigma Management: Black Belt
• Certificate in Localization: Customizing Software for the World
• Certificate in Nonprofit Management
• Certificate in Program Management
• Certificate in Project Management
• Certificate in Software Product Management

Data & Applied Math

• Certificate in Building Modern Data Systems
• Certificate in Business Intelligence & Data Integration
• Certificate in Cybersecurity
• Certificate in Data Analytics: Techniques for Decision Making
• Certificate in Data Science
• Certificate in Geographic Information Systems
• Certificate in Machine Learning

Education, Nonprofit & Society

• Certificate in E-Learning Instructional Design
• Certificate in Fundraising Management
• Certificate in Guardianship
• Certificate in Museum Studies Foundations
• Certificate in Nonprofit Management
• Certificate in Paralegal Studies

ENGINEERING, CONSTRUCTION & SUSTAINABILITY

• Certificate in Commercial Real Estate
• Certificate in Geographic Information Systems
• Certificate in Wetland Science & Management

Marketing, Communication & Design

• Certificate in Audio Production Techniques
• Certificate in Digital Marketing
• Certificate in Editing
• Certificate in Film & Video Production
• Certificate in Game Design
• Certificate in Photography
• Certificate in Professional Technical Writing
• Certificate in UX & Visual Interface Design

Programming & Tech

• Certificate in Building Modern Data Systems
• Certificate in Business Intelligence & Data Integration
• Certificate in Cybersecurity
• Certificate in Embedded and Real-Time Systems Programming
• Certificate in Full-Stack Development With JavaScript
• Certificate in Game Design
• Certificate in Machine Learning 
• Certificate in Python Programming
• Certificate in UX & Visual Interface Design

Who’s Eligible for this scholarship?

To be considered for this scholarship, you must:

• Be living in Washington state
• Apply and be accepted to one of the eligible certificate programs
• Not exceed the household income limits listed below for the previous calendar year*
• Not have access to financial assistance from your employer to pay for your program
• Not have been a part- or full-time student in the last 12 months (unless taking prerequisite courses) 
• Not be a UW Continuum College employee or an immediate family member thereof

The University of Washington strives to create a community of students richly diverse in cultural backgrounds, experiences, values and viewpoints. Individuals from all cultures and communities are encouraged to apply.

* To qualify for a UW Certificate Scholarship, the applicant's total household income may not exceed 300% of the U.S. Federal Poverty Guidelines. You are required to state your household income and provide a copy of your 2024 or 2025 federal income tax return as part of the application. Please ensure your supporting documentation matches the information provided on your application and is submitted with it or before the deadline. 

SCHOLARSHIP DETAILS

• You may apply for a scholarship for one certificate program.
• Scholarship decisions are made by the Scholarship Committee. All decisions are final.  
• Scholarship awards are not transferable to other certificate programs. 
• Scholarship recipients must successfully complete each course in their certificate program to receive the scholarship award for the remaining courses. 
• Scholarship recipients cannot be enrolled in other UW programs while completing their awarded certificate program. 
• Scholarship awards cannot be deferred.
• Scholarship recipients must sign a Scholarship Agreement within two weeks of notification.
• Scholarship recipients must attend a Welcome Session and Program Information Session before the start of their program. 
• Scholarship recipients must meet all deadlines for accepting, registering, and paying fees as stated in the Scholarship Agreement. Generally, course fees must be paid two weeks before the start of a course. If the deadlines are missed, the scholarship will expire.