Ability to Benefit
Ability to Benefit (ATB) is an alternative process which can be used to qualify students who do not have a US High School Diploma, GED, or a foreign equivalent for federal and state financial aid funds, including grants and scholarships. This process has quarterly requirements and check ins that the student must perform, to maintain eligibility. ATB can provide enough funding to cover tuition and fee costs at Highline College.
Eligibility Requirements
- Must be at least 16 years of age;
- Have not received a high school diploma or completed a GED;
- Must meet ONE of the following:
- Pass Accuplacer test with the following scores:
- Reading: 233
- Writing: 235
- Arithmetic: 230
- Complete six college credits
- Pass Accuplacer test with the following scores:
- Submit FAFSA or WASFA application;
- Must be pursuing a Professional/Technical degree program.
If you are interested in ATB, schedule an appointment with ATB Advisor, Deborah Tugaga. They will assist you with how to get started, plan out your next steps, and submit the Application. Once application is completed, Financial Aid will process application within 60-90 days. Students must check their student email and ctcLink accounts for any email contact from Financial Aid office. If you have any questions, contact Deborah at dtugaga@highline.edu.
- Congratulations on your ATB status! ATB students much fulfill these requirements in order to continue their grant funding for their degree program:
- Schedule quarterly check-in meetings with ATB Advisor.
- Meet with your faculty advisor to plan out your next classes.
- Submit FAFSA/WASFA applications per academic year.
- ATB grant funding follows Financial Aid Policies & Procedures. Review these state and federal rules and requirements so that you are aware.
Yes, but keep in mind that not all classes are offered online, so plan accordingly if you need to be on campus for your classes.
Once students meet the eligibility requirements and submit their FAFSA/WASFA application, it takes about 60-120 days for our Financial Aid office to process your application. Once they process your application, Financial Aid may request more information from you. It is important that you check your ctcLink message and emails for any information from Financial Aid and respond ASAP since there is a 10-day deadline for required documents/contact. Once your application is approved, students will receive an Award Letter that will show how much funding you will receive per quarter. Reach out to your ATB Advisor if you have any questions.
If you are a new student to Highline College, please see our “Getting Started Resources” section to learn more about which applications to submit.