BEAD grant application open now; state matching funds also available
The Washington State Broadband Office opened the application period on Nov. 12 for $1.2 billion in federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) funding intended to bridge the digital divide in Washington by bringing high-speed internet to everyone.
An additional $300 million in state matching funds will be available to local governments and federally recognized tribes.
Eligibility
The BEAD program is open to:
- Units of local government, including but not limited to ports and public utility districts
- Federally recognized tribes
- Nonprofit organizations
- Nonprofit cooperative organizations
- Public private partnership
- Private companies
- Public or private utilities
Application information
- View the Notice of Funding Opportunity document (PDF)
- Go to the ZoomGrants portal to apply
- Information about BEAD funding and more is available on the Commerce Internet For All website.
Funding timeline
The first 60-day round of applications closes in January, and further application rounds may follow. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) will review applications in May and June 2025, and the Broadband Office is expected to announce Washington's BEAD projects following NTIA approval sometime next summer.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Upcoming 2025 Funding Opportunities to Support Fathers and Families
The Healthy Marriage (HM), Responsible Fatherhood (RF), and Tribal TANF-Child Welfare (TTCW) Coordination programs provide $150 million per year in discretionary grants (as well as other activities such as contracts and research and evaluation) to strengthen families, promote responsible parenting, and improve family economic stability.
Click here to learn more about these programs.
The Kurt Grinnell Aquaculture Scholarship Foundation (KGASF) is actively soliciting scholarship applications at this time.
To qualify, students or prospective students must be:
- an enrolled Member of a Tribe or First Nation, or a Member of a Metis, Inuit, Alaska or Hawaiian Native group; and
- be enrolled to study at a university, community college or a technical or trade institution.
In addition, students should be pursuing or planning to pursue a degree or certificate focused on:
- aquaculture;
- fisheries;
- natural resource management; or
- a field closely related to the above subjects, and
- must have a demonstrated interest in aquaculture.
More information on the focus or our awards is found here: https://kurtgrinnellscholarship.org/scholarship-eligibility/. Applicants must follow the instructions on the KGASF website where more information is available: https://kurtgrinnellscholarship.org/scholarship-application-2/.
Long-acting Injectable (LAI) Buprenorphine Funding Program
The Health Care Authority (HCA) is seeking interest from Tribal partners to apply for the LAI Buprenorphine Funding Program. The objective of this program is to give small providers increased access to LAI buprenorphine products for their patients and ensure that small providers have funds to continue to administer LAI buprenorphine to patients after this funding ends. You can find the provider eligibility requirements and program details in the frequently asked questions document.
To apply for the program please submit the completed Participating Provider Agreement to Leta Evaskus by email at PDP@hca.wa.gov.
The Joint Consolidation Loan Separation Application process is now available!
If you have Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) or Direct Joint Consolidation Loans (JCL), you can now apply to separate your loans into a Direct Consolidation Loan. You can read the details and download the application on the Federal Student Aid website: Joint Consolidation Loan Separation News and Updates | Federal Student Aid. You can also watch a video with instructions on how to complete the application on YouTube: Joint Consolidation Loan Separation.
FAFSA Now Available for 2025-26 Applicants
The U.S. Department of Education (DOE) has announced that the 2025-26 FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is now available. Applications typically open on October 1 for people wanting to start college the next fall. This year the application was delayed as DOE carried out a series of beta tests to mitigate problems experienced during the 2024-25 FAFSA cycle.
In Washington State, there are two ways to apply for financial aid for college or career training. U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizens can apply for federal and state aid with the FAFSA. People who can't file the FAFSA due to immigration status can apply only for state aid with the WASFA (Washington Application for State Financial Aid), as can people from mixed-status families who prefer not to file the federal form. Both FAFSA and WASFA are pathways for Washington State residents to apply for Washington College Grant (WA Grant) and other financial aid.
The 2025-26 WASFA will be available in early December. More information and resources for Washington financial aid applicants will be available at that time.