Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC)
The Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) is a Washington State government agency that administers need-based and merit-based financial aid programs, operates theWashBoard.org scholarship clearinghouse and OtterBot SMS support service, and coordinates postsecondary attainment strategy for Washington high school students, families, and colleges.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- Headquarters—
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) does
Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) is a Washington State government agency, founded in 2012 and headquartered in Olympia, WA, that coordinates postsecondary access and attainment strategy for the state. WSAC administers the state's portfolio of need-based and merit-based financial aid programs, including the Washington College Grant (WA Grant), College Bound Scholarship, State Work Study, Passport to Careers, American Indian Endowed Scholarship, WAVE, and several targeted workforce programs (Aerospace Loans, Washington Health Corps, Behavioral Health Conditional Scholarship, National Guard Grant, and tuition waivers for veterans' dependents). It also administers targeted programs such as Career Launch Grants, GEAR UP, the 12th Year Campaign (College Application Campaign, College Goal Washington, FAFSA Completion Initiative), and the Washington Completes FAFSA Campaign.
The agency operates a small set of digital platforms that underpin its service delivery. theWashBoard.org is a free web-based scholarship matching clearinghouse operated in partnership with the Washington Scholarship Coalition, using profile-based matching to connect Washington students with state and local scholarships. OtterBot is a free 24/7 SMS messaging service built on MainStay (formerly AdmitHub) chatbot technology, providing financial aid reminders and college planning guidance to high school students and, since March 2023, to parents and guardians in 100+ languages. The Portal is an internal-facing platform used by college financial aid administrators to administer state financial aid programs. Additional tools include Plan Your Future (college and career planning resources) and dashboards supporting the 2027 Strategic Action Plan.
WSAC's business model is non-commercial: all services are provided free of charge to students and families, and the agency is funded through state appropriations and select federal pass-throughs. It serves horizontal customer segments — primarily Washington high school students (9th–12th grade), with secondary segments of parents/guardians, high school counselors and educators, and college financial aid administrators. The agency's competitive position rests on its statutory authority over state financial aid administration, degree authorization, and SARA processing, supported by an institutional distribution network spanning Washington high schools and college financial aid offices.
Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC)
- Legal name
- Washington Student Achievement Council
- Website
- https://wsac.wa.gov
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- The Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) is a Washington State government agency that administers need-based and merit-based financial aid programs, operates theWashBoard.org scholarship clearinghouse and OtterBot SMS support service, and coordinates postsecondary attainment strategy for Washington high school students, families, and colleges.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) industry classification
Industry- Product category
- State Government Higher Education Services
- NAICS
- Administration of Economic Programs (926), Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Tuition Assistance & Voucher/ESA Program Administration (EDADAHAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Work-Study & Student Employment Program Administration (EDADAHAG), Public Workforce Development Programs (WIOA/One-Stop Career Centers) (EDAAAOAA)
Keywords
Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) product offering
Product offeringCore offering
WSAC is a Washington State government agency that administers state financial aid programs (Washington College Grant, College Bound Scholarship, State Work Study, Passport to Careers) and provides free college access services to residents, including digital tools such as theWashBoard.org scholarship matching platform, OtterBot SMS-based student support service, and Plan Your Future college planning resources. The agency also coordinates statewide workforce development initiatives including Career Connect Washington and the Washington Jobs Initiative.
Product overview
WSAC operates as a state government agency offering a portfolio of financial aid programs and college access services. The core offerings include need-based grants (Washington College Grant, College Bound Scholarship), work-study programs, and specialized support for foster youth (Passport to Careers). Digital platforms include theWashBoard.org for scholarship matching, OtterBot for automated SMS-based financial aid guidance, and Plan Your Future for college planning resources. These services are complemented by outreach initiatives like 12th Year Campaign and GEAR UP, plus workforce programs including Washington Jobs Initiative and Career Connect Washington.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- OtterBot: A free 24/7 texting service providing financial aid support to students and parents, managed by MainStay and WSAC
- theWashBoard.org
Companies that use Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC)
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) partnerships and signals
Strategic signalRecent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board: Texas state agency coordinating higher education policy and administering financial aid programs including TEXAS Grants and Top 10% Scholarship. Comparable to WSAC in statutory role coordinating state postsecondary strategy and administering need-based grants.
- Florida Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA): Florida's state student financial aid office administering Bright Futures and other state grant programs. Directly comparable peer administering large-scale state-funded scholarship and grant programs for in-state students.
- California Student Aid Commission: California's state student financial aid agency administering Cal Grants, Middle Class Scholarship, and similar programs. Operates the largest state financial aid portfolio in the U.S., making it the most directly comparable peer to WSAC in terms of mission and program structure.
- Massachusetts Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA): Massachusetts state financial aid office administering MASSGrant and state scholarship programs. Direct peer to WSAC in administering need-based state financial aid and supporting postsecondary access for state residents.
- New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC): New York's state student financial aid agency administering TAP grants and other programs. Directly comparable peer to WSAC in administering state-funded need-based aid and serving as the central financial aid authority for the state.
Broad incumbents
- Federal Student Aid (FSA): The federal student aid office administering Pell Grants, federal student loans, and FAFSA. Functions as the broad incumbent national-level counterpart to state agencies like WSAC, with overlapping responsibilities for financial aid administration and policy coordination.
- College Board: National nonprofit administering SAT, AP, and CSS Profile, plus college planning and scholarship search tools. Comparable to WSAC in providing college access resources and scholarship matching infrastructure, though at a national rather than state scale.
Regional players
- Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission: Oregon's higher education coordinating body administering Oregon Promise and state grants. Regional peer to WSAC serving a neighboring Pacific Northwest population with comparable state-level financial aid and postsecondary coordination functions.
Emerging players
- Fastweb: National scholarship matching and college search platform comparable to theWashBoard.org in function. While WSAC serves only Washington, Fastweb operates nationally — representing a scaled, commercial counterpart in the scholarship matching category.
Others
- MainStay (formerly AdmitHub): Conversational AI / SMS chatbot vendor used by WSAC to power OtterBot. Functions as a technology infrastructure provider to WSAC rather than a direct peer, but is materially relevant as the underlying vendor for one of WSAC's flagship student engagement tools.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) social profiles
Digital presenceWashington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC)
What does Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) do?
WSAC is a Washington State government agency that administers state financial aid programs (Washington College Grant, College Bound Scholarship, State Work Study, Passport to Careers) and provides free college access services to residents, including digital tools such as theWashBoard.org scholarship matching platform, OtterBot SMS-based student support service, and Plan Your Future college planning resources. The agency also coordinates statewide workforce development initiatives including Career Connect Washington and the Washington Jobs Initiative.
Is Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) a public or private company?
Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) founded?
Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) was founded in -1. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Who are Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC)'s main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, Florida Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA), California Student Aid Commission, Massachusetts Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA) and New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC). Broad incumbents are Federal Student Aid (FSA) and College Board. Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission is listed as a regional player. Fastweb is listed as an emerging player. MainStay (formerly AdmitHub) is listed as an others.
Does Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) have an API?
No public API is recorded for Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC).
What industry is Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) in?
Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC)'s product category is State Government Higher Education Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDADAHAF, Tuition Assistance & Voucher/ESA Program Administration, with a secondary code of EDADAHAG, Work-Study & Student Employment Program Administration. Its NAICS code is 926 and its SIC code is 8200.