Educational Opportunities

The Washington State Opportunity Scholarship (WSOS) was created in 2011 to address unfilled seats in the high-demand sectors that drive our economy like aerospace, engineering, technology and health care as well as rising tuition costs at Washington colleges and universities. Businesses and the Washington State Legislature joined forces to fulfill the promise of better education and career opportunities for Washington students. This first-of-its-kind program supports Washington students from low- and middle-income households to attain bachelor’s degrees in high-demand fields including science, technology, engineering, math (STEM) and health care through scholarships of up to $22,500 as well as professional development, skills-building workshops and genuine industry exposure to help increase the rate at which students enter our state's workforce.

SHPEP is a free six week summer enrichment program focused on improving access to information and resources for college students interested in the health professions. SHPEP’s goal is to strengthen the academic proficiency and career development of students underrepresented in the health professions and prepare them for a successful application and matriculation to health professions schools.

SHPEP is implemented at 13 program sites across the nation including the University of Washington. Each site provides scholars with academic enrichment in the basic sciences and math, clinical experiences, career development activities, learning and study skills seminars, and financial planning. SHPEP at the University of Washington is a collaboration of the Schools of Medicine, Dentistry and Public Health.