Want a Free Tech Bootcamp in Washington? How WRT Can Help Pay (2026)

Steps Overview

• Prerequisites and what you’ll need
• Understand how Worker Retraining funding works
• Find your eligibility path
• Choose an approved tech bootcamp
• Get pre-screened for funding with the school
• Apply to the bootcamp and complete FAFSA/WASFA if required
• Finalize your Worker Retraining funding package
• Protect unemployment benefits with CAT and Training Benefits
• Enroll, attend, and stay eligible
• Verify funding and program access
• Troubleshoot common problems and avoid pitfalls
• Next steps and how to move forward
• Common Questions

Understand how Worker Retraining funding works

On the map, funding looks simple: an arrow from “state program” to “your tuition.” On the ground, it feels more like following a creek that disappears under rocks and reappears downstream. Understanding how Washington’s Worker Retraining (WRT) money actually moves - who holds it, how schools bill it, and what it can’t touch - turns that confusing stream into a clear, marked route.

At its core, Worker Retraining is a state-funded program managed by the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC). Dollars flow to Washington’s 34 community and technical colleges and a selected group of licensed private career schools and colleges (PCSCs), including tech-focused providers like Nucamp and Skillspire. Those schools can then use WRT to offset costs for eligible students in professional-technical programs aimed at rapid re-employment, not general education or university-transfer degrees. For private career schools, SBCTC’s current PCSC guidelines set standard reimbursement rates of $84.80 per quarter credit, $127.20 per semester credit, or $4.24 per clock hour, as outlined in the Worker Retraining program guidance for PCSCs.

“The WRT and Job Skills Programs (JSP) are highly responsive to economic shifts, often training incumbent workers or new hires depending on regional demand.” - Mike Nielsen, Director, Green River College

In practice, that means WRT behaves like a targeted tuition and fees tool, not a paycheck. It can reduce or cover tuition, mandatory fees, and sometimes books or transportation, depending on the college’s policies. It cannot pay your rent or groceries directly, and it never deposits cash into your personal bank account. Each college or approved bootcamp receives a limited yearly allocation tied to the state fiscal year, which resets on July 1; once a school has committed its Worker Retraining funds for a given period, new students may have to wait for the next cycle or look at different funding options.

Here’s how those numbers play out on the ground. If you choose an approved non-credit bootcamp that runs 120 clock hours with tuition of $3,000, a PCSC like Nucamp could bill WRT at 120 × $4.24 = $508.80. The program then has to braid that with other aid or scholarships, or you pay the difference out-of-pocket. Some providers structure their pricing to stretch WRT further: for example, Nucamp’s Washington Retraining Scholarship can cover up to 80% of tuition for eligible students, leaving a typical out-of-pocket of $100 per month for 5 months ($500 total) while WRT and the scholarship cover the remaining balance. Not every student will see exactly those numbers, but that’s the shape of how “mostly covered” can look.

The mental model to keep in your pocket is simple: WRT is a pot of state money sitting at your college or approved bootcamp. The school converts your program into credits or hours, applies the fixed reimbursement rates, layers in any federal or state grants you qualify for, and whatever is left becomes your portion. Funding is limited, tied to specific programs, and focused on job-oriented training. If you treat it as a powerful tuition discount rather than a guarantee of a completely “free” bootcamp, the rest of the trail - picking programs, timing your application, and combining aid sources - will make a lot more sense.

Find your eligibility path

Standing in front of the trail map, you’ll notice the first big fork isn’t about which bootcamp to choose; it’s about which path into Worker Retraining you’re actually standing on. The state uses specific labels - terms like “dislocated worker” or “vulnerable worker” - and until you match your real-life story to one of those, the rest of the route stays foggy. Take a breath. You only need to fit one eligibility category to move forward.

Know which Worker Retraining category fits you

Washington’s workforce agencies group most eligible people into a short list of paths. The Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board summarizes these on its statewide Worker Retraining overview, and individual colleges and bootcamps follow the same framework. In plain language, you’ll usually qualify if at least one of these describes you:

• You are currently receiving Washington unemployment insurance (UI) or have been ruled eligible.
• You exhausted your UI benefits within the last 48 months and haven’t fully re-established your career.
• You are a dislocated worker: laid off, furloughed, working reduced hours due to lack of work, or holding an official layoff notice.
• You are an unemployed veteran within 48 months of discharge and seeking civilian work.
• You are a displaced homemaker whose primary financial support ended due to divorce, separation, death, or permanent disability of the main earner.
• You are a vulnerable worker: at clear risk of layoff, with limited college credits and skills that no longer match local demand.

Match your story to concrete proof

Once you can point to a category, the next “trail marker” is documentation. Workforce offices don’t expect you to know policy, but they do need paperwork that backs up your situation. Common examples include a UI award letter or claim printout for those on unemployment, a layoff or WARN notice from your employer if you’re dislocated, a DD-214 showing your separation date if you’re a veteran, or court and medical documents that show the loss of household income for displaced homemakers. Colleges and approved bootcamps then use that evidence to certify your eligibility before they can attach Worker Retraining funds to your program.

• Unemployment-based: UI award letter, recent payment history, or eligibility decision.
• Layoff-based: employer termination letter, furlough notice, or documentation of reduced hours due to lack of work.
• Veteran-based: DD-214 with a discharge date within 48 months and current employment status.
• Displaced homemaker: divorce decree, separation agreement, death certificate, or disability determination for the primary earner.

“The program was invaluable… beyond the technical skills, the support helped me navigate a career change I never expected to face.” - Worker Retraining participant, WorkSource Pierce success story

Edge cases: stop-gap jobs, self-employed, and military transitions

Here’s the part most people miss: working a low-wage “stop-gap” job after a layoff doesn’t automatically disqualify you, and neither does having been self-employed. Many Worker Retraining offices can qualify people who lost a business due to economic conditions, or who landed in short-term, lower-skill work just to keep the lights on. Some approved providers, including tech-focused schools like Nucamp, also recognize expanded paths such as active-duty service members with a separation notice or veterans within 48 months of discharge who are under-employed in civilian roles. If your story doesn’t fit neatly into one bullet point, that’s a signal to talk it through with a workforce advisor rather than give up.

Pro tip: write down the single category that best matches your situation, list two or three documents that prove it, and keep everything in one digital folder. You don’t have to meet every definition on the state’s list; qualifying for just one path is enough to reach the next blaze on the trail, whether you eventually choose a community college program or a WRT-approved bootcamp that’s built for career changers.

Choose an approved tech bootcamp

Once you know you’re eligible, the next question is which actual trail to take. Online, every coding bootcamp brochure looks like a clean, color-coded line on the map. At the real trailhead, though, some of those paths dead-end for Worker Retraining because the provider isn’t approved, the program isn’t professional-technical, or the schedule doesn’t work with unemployment rules. Choosing an approved tech bootcamp is about finding a clearly marked route, not just the prettiest photo on the website.

Start with the approved-provider lists

Worker Retraining dollars don’t follow you to any random online course; they stay with colleges and licensed private career schools that the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges has vetted. For tech, that usually means either a community or technical college IT program, or a short, intensive course at an approved Private Career School. Tech-focused PCSCs include options like Nucamp, which is officially approved for Worker Retraining and focuses entirely on software and cybersecurity, as well as other providers such as Skillspire, the Academy of Interactive Entertainment in Seattle, and Perry Technical Institute in Yakima. Each school’s WRT contact can confirm exactly which of their certificates, bootcamps, or tracks are eligible, because approval is tied to specific professional-technical programs, not just the school logo.

Compare tech bootcamp options that work with WRT

Once you’ve narrowed to programs that can actually accept Worker Retraining funds, compare them the way you’d compare different trails to the same summit: look at distance (program length), terrain (difficulty and prerequisites), and conditions (online vs. in-person, evenings vs. daytime). The table below gives a snapshot of how a few Washington-approved tech providers line up for someone using WRT.

“The curriculum is well-curated and I was able to build full-stack applications from scratch.” - Student, UW Coding Boot Camp, via Course Report

Match the program to your schedule and goals

After you’ve confirmed a bootcamp is truly WRT-eligible, the next filter is your real life. If you’re juggling kids, caregiving, or part-time work, a fully online, part-time model like Nucamp’s weekly workshops and flexible weekday study time may fit better than a full-time, on-campus program. If you’ve always wanted to work in cybersecurity or backend development, steer toward programs with those specific tracks, not just generic “learn to code” branding. Some providers, including Nucamp and Skillspire, build in structured career support - resume guidance, portfolio help, mock interviews - which matters when the whole point of Worker Retraining is landing a job in a high-demand role rather than just collecting another certificate.

Watch for unmarked forks

This is where many people accidentally step off the marked trail. Choosing a well-known national bootcamp that isn’t on Washington’s approved list means Worker Retraining simply can’t follow you there. Enrolling in an academic-transfer computer science pathway instead of a professional-technical IT track can have the same effect at a community college. To avoid those unmarked forks, always ask two direct questions before you commit: “Is this exact program approved for Worker Retraining?” and “Do you have WRT funds available for my start date?” Reviewing an approved provider’s own guidance, such as Skillspire’s Worker Retraining information, can also help you see how different schools describe their WRT-eligible paths. When you treat approval status, schedule, and career focus as non-negotiable markers, you’re far more likely to end up in a tech bootcamp that Worker Retraining can actually help pay for - and that you can realistically finish.

Get pre-screened for funding with the school

Pre-screening is that first bright blaze on the tree just past the parking lot: the moment a real person at the school looks at your situation and says, “Yes, you probably qualify for Worker Retraining here, and yes, we have money left for you,” or, “No, we’re out of funds for this term.” It’s not just another form; it’s how schools match your eligibility path to their limited WRT dollars before you invest time in a specific bootcamp start date.

What pre-screening actually does

Behind the scenes, every college or approved bootcamp has to follow state rules before they can attach Worker Retraining money to a student. They must confirm that you fit at least one WRT category, that you’re enrolling in an eligible professional-technical program, and that they still have grant funds available in the current fiscal year. Workforce offices at community and technical colleges report that Worker Retraining serves thousands of Washington residents each year, but funds are finite and reset each July, so timing matters. Pre-screening pulls all of that into one place: your documents, your chosen program, and the school’s current budget.

Typical pre-screening steps with a school

Most approved providers, from community colleges to tech bootcamps, follow a similar sequence before they promise you any WRT support. Expect something like this:

1. Initial contact: You reach out to the school’s Worker Retraining, Workforce Education, or admissions office and say you’re interested in funding for a specific program.
2. Eligibility questionnaire: You complete an intake form or a tool like Start Next Quarter, answering questions about unemployment, layoff history, veteran status, and education level.
3. Document upload: You send copies or clear photos of proof documents (UI letter, layoff notice, DD-214, etc.) so staff can verify your category.
4. Funding check: The school’s WRT coordinator checks whether the program is approved and whether they still have Worker Retraining dollars available for your planned start date.
5. Next steps email: You receive a message outlining whether you appear eligible, what portion of your tuition WRT might cover, and what you need to do next (financial aid forms, admissions steps, deadlines).

Pro tip: treat any “you appear eligible, pending documents” email as a trail marker, not the summit. You’re on the right path, but you still need to finish admissions and any financial aid requirements before funding is actually applied to your account.

How Nucamp’s pre-screen works in practice

For an approved bootcamp like Nucamp, pre-screening is integrated into its Washington Retraining Scholarship process. You start on Nucamp’s Washington Worker Retraining scholarship page, fill out a short eligibility form about your situation and chosen program (for example, Full Stack & Mobile Development, Back End with SQL and Python, or Cybersecurity Fundamentals), and then upload supporting documents such as your unemployment letter or layoff notice. After you sign a simple self-attestation, Nucamp’s team reviews your file, typically within about 48 hours. If everything lines up and they still have WRT-linked scholarship capacity, they email you a coupon code that reduces your tuition so you pay $100 per month for 5 months ($500 total), with the remainder expected from Worker Retraining and the school’s own scholarship funds; you then use that code when you register and pay the initial $100 to hold your seat. Warning: until you have that written confirmation and code in hand, don’t assume WRT is locked in for a specific cohort - funds are first-come, first-served, and start dates can fill quickly.

“Funding is limited and determined on a first-come, first-served basis, so we encourage students to contact us as early as possible.” - Workforce Education staff, North Seattle College

Apply to the bootcamp and complete FAFSA/WASFA if required

Once a school has pre-screened you, the map lines get more real: there’s a specific program, a start date, and a seat with your name on it. This is where you step from “I might do a bootcamp” into actually applying, and where the financial side shifts from a rough estimate to a plan. For most Worker Retraining students, that means two tracks in parallel: applying to the bootcamp itself and, when required, completing federal or state financial aid forms so the school can combine grants with WRT dollars.

Apply to your chosen bootcamp

The admissions process at approved tech bootcamps is usually more straightforward than a college degree program, but it still has a few defined steps. Expect something like:

1. Online application: You fill out a basic form with your contact information, work history, and the specific course you want (for example, web development, back-end Python, or cybersecurity).
2. Skills or placement check: Some providers include a short logic, typing, or problem-solving assessment to understand your starting point; others simply ask about your comfort with computers.
3. Advising call or email: An admissions or workforce advisor confirms the program details, schedule, and whether it aligns with your Worker Retraining eligibility.
4. Acceptance and seat hold: Once accepted, you receive an email with next steps and may need to pay a modest deposit or seat fee to reserve your place in a specific cohort.

At a WRT-approved provider like Nucamp, this application runs alongside their retraining scholarship process, so the same staff who admit you are also looking at whether your chosen course is on the eligible list and how it might be funded. Other schools, like community and technical colleges, may route you through general admissions first and then hand you off to a dedicated Worker Retraining or Workforce Education office.

Complete FAFSA or WASFA when the school requires it

Here’s an unmarked fork that trips up a lot of people: even if you’re focused on Worker Retraining, many colleges and some bootcamps will still require you to complete either the FAFSA (for U.S. citizens and eligible noncitizens) or the WASFA (for certain Washington residents who can’t file FAFSA). They do this so they can “braid” funding sources - federal Pell Grants, the Washington College Grant, institutional scholarships, and WRT - into one package. According to the state’s description of the Washington College Grant, a family of four with income up to roughly the low-$130,000s can still qualify for some level of tuition support, which means even middle-income households sometimes receive help that reduces what Worker Retraining has to cover.

• If you’re attending a community or technical college, plan on filing FAFSA or WASFA as a standard requirement.
• If you’re attending a private bootcamp, ask directly whether their Worker Retraining process requires these forms; some do, some don’t.
• Use your most recent tax return when you complete the application, and be ready to upload verification documents if the financial aid office asks.

Keep your file moving and avoid delays

Once your bootcamp application and FAFSA/WASFA are in, most of the work shifts to the school’s side, but there are still a few things only you can do. Check your email frequently for requests from admissions, financial aid, or the Worker Retraining office - missing a simple follow-up, like confirming your program choice or signing an electronic form, can stall your funding. If you change your mind about which program or start date you want, tell the school right away so they can update your record before they build your funding package. Pro tip: create a short checklist with three columns - bootcamp admissions, financial aid, and Worker Retraining - and note the date you finished each item; that way, when you talk to an advisor, you can quickly see what’s done and what’s still blocking you from registration.

The goal of this stage isn’t to have every dollar nailed down - that comes next - but to make sure you are fully admitted to a specific, approved program and that all the required financial aid paperwork is in the pipeline. Once those pieces are in place, the school can finally tell you, in writing, how much Worker Retraining and other aid they can attach to your tuition and what your true out-of-pocket cost will look like.

Finalize your Worker Retraining funding package

This is the point where the map and the trail finally line up. You’ve been gathering documents, answering intake questions, and filling out financial aid forms; now your school’s staff turn all of that into a concrete funding package that says, in plain numbers, who is paying what for your bootcamp. It’s where “I might get help from Worker Retraining” becomes “Here is exactly what WRT, other aid, and I will each cover.”

How schools assemble your funding package

Behind the scenes, your school’s workforce and financial aid teams follow a set sequence. They confirm that your program is coded as a professional-technical credential, verify your eligibility category, and then convert your bootcamp into the credit or clock-hour units that the state uses for reimbursement. Next, they look at any grants you qualified for through FAFSA or WASFA - federal Pell Grants, the Washington College Grant, or institutional scholarships - and layer Worker Retraining on top to fill remaining tuition gaps. Colleges with dedicated workforce offices, like Bellevue College’s Worker Retraining program, do this kind of “braiding” every day to stretch limited state dollars as far as they can.

From your side of the desk, this usually shows up as a written breakdown or award letter. It lists your total tuition and mandatory fees for the program or term, the amounts expected from grants and scholarships, the portion the school intends to bill to Worker Retraining, and any remaining balance that is yours to pay. At an approved tech bootcamp, that remaining balance may be structured as a simple monthly payment plan; at a community or technical college, it may look like standard tuition with a smaller gap after aid. Either way, this is your chance to see whether the numbers match what you were told during pre-screening and to ask questions before you sign anything.

“The Worker Retraining program plays a critical role in Washington state's ability to respond to economic changes.” - State Board for Community and Technical Colleges

What realistic funding outcomes look like

For some students, especially those in shorter, lower-cost certificates at public colleges, Worker Retraining and grants together can cover the full tuition bill, leaving only books or minor fees to handle. For others in longer or more intensive tech bootcamps, WRT often acts as a substantial discount rather than a total waiver, reducing a several-thousand-dollar program to a much more manageable out-of-pocket share spread over the length of the course. Schools like Nucamp build their Washington retraining scholarship model around this reality, using Worker Retraining plus institutional aid to shrink the portion that falls to you while still keeping programs sustainable.

Lock it in: signatures, timing, and confirmation

To finalize everything, you’ll usually need to sign one or more documents: an enrollment agreement for the bootcamp, a financial responsibility statement, and sometimes a specific Worker Retraining authorization or education plan. Funding isn’t truly locked in until those pieces are signed and processed, so pay close attention to any deadlines the school gives you. Before your start date, log into your student portal or ask for an updated statement to confirm that the promised WRT and grant amounts are actually posted to your account. If the numbers don’t look right, bring it up immediately with the workforce or financial aid office; small data-entry errors are fixable, but they’re much easier to correct before classes begin than halfway through the term. At this stage, your goal is simple but important: walk into day one of your tech bootcamp knowing exactly how your training is being paid for, with no surprises waiting around the next switchback.

Protect unemployment benefits with CAT and Training Benefits

If you’re already on unemployment, the decision to start school can feel like hiking as the light fades: every step matters, and a wrong turn could mean losing the check that’s keeping you afloat. Worker Retraining can help with tuition, but only Washington’s Employment Security Department (ESD) controls your benefits. That’s where two programs - Commissioner Approved Training (CAT) and Training Benefits (TB) - come in. Used correctly, they act like an official waiver and an extension, letting you focus on an approved tech program without being penalized for not applying to jobs full-time.

Understand what CAT and Training Benefits actually do

CAT and Training Benefits are related but different tools. Commissioner Approved Training (CAT) is essentially ESD’s permission slip: if they approve your schooling, they can waive your usual work-search requirement while you attend an approved program, so you don’t get flagged for focusing on class instead of applying to a set number of jobs each week. Training Benefits (TB) go a step further for some people by adding extra weeks of unemployment payments while you are in full-time, approved training - often crucial for longer tech programs. Not everyone who gets CAT is eligible for TB, and both decisions are separate from Worker Retraining; the school can recommend, but only ESD can approve. The state’s own description of the Training Benefits program on ESD’s job-training support page makes it clear that these benefits are designed to support “approved training that will help you get a good job” while you’re on UI, not to fund casual or recreational classes.

Step-by-step: apply for CAT and Training Benefits

The exact forms and names can change, but the process usually follows a predictable set of steps. Think of it as a small side trail that loops back into your main route:

1. Talk to WorkSource early: As soon as you’re serious about a WRT-approved tech program, contact your local WorkSource office and explain that you’re on UI and planning to start a specific course (for example, a Nucamp cybersecurity bootcamp or a community college IT certificate). Ask whether CAT, Training Benefits, or both might apply to your claim.
2. Gather program details from your school: You’ll need written information about the training: program name, start and end dates, weekly hours, and whether it’s considered full-time. Most Worker Retraining or advising staff can fill out a training plan form that ESD will recognize.
3. Submit CAT and/or TB applications through ESD: Using your eServices account with ESD, complete the Commissioner Approved Training request and, if appropriate, the Training Benefits application. Answer carefully and consistently with what your school has on file.
4. Respond quickly to follow-up questions: ESD may contact you for more details or to clarify your training schedule. Delays in answering can stall or derail approval, so check messages from ESD as closely as you check your bootcamp emails.
5. Keep certifying weekly and report honestly: Until your CAT and/or TB status is officially updated, continue to file weekly claims and report your schooling exactly as ESD instructs. Once approved, follow their directions on how to answer work-search questions while in training.

Avoid unmarked forks that can cost you benefits

This is one of those spots where a lot of people accidentally step off the marked trail. Starting a full-time or intensive program without CAT approval can lead to your claim being denied for not meeting work-search requirements, even if Worker Retraining is paying your tuition. Assuming that WRT approval from the school automatically means CAT or Training Benefits are approved is another common mistake; they are completely separate systems. Pro tip: don’t begin a demanding bootcamp that conflicts with daytime job search expectations until you’ve at least submitted CAT paperwork and talked through timing with ESD or WorkSource. Warning: Training Benefits often have strict deadlines tied to when your claim started or when you were laid off, so waiting until your UI is almost exhausted can mean you miss the window entirely. If anything in ESD’s letters or online portal is unclear, call and ask directly how your planned training will affect your benefits - clearing that up before your first day of class is far easier than trying to fix an overpayment notice months later.

Enroll, attend, and stay eligible

At some point, the planning stops and you actually step onto the trail. For Worker Retraining, that moment is enrollment: you’re registered in a specific cohort, your funding is showing on your account, and a real schedule is waiting on your calendar. From here on out, staying eligible is less about forms and more about habits - showing up, doing the work, and telling people early when something gets in the way.

Confirm you’re truly enrolled and funded

Before day one, double-check that all the pieces you worked for are actually in place. Log into your school’s student portal (or check your bootcamp dashboard) and verify three things: you’re listed in the right program and start date, your tuition shows the expected Worker Retraining and any scholarships, and your remaining balance matches what your advisor told you. If you’re at a provider like Nucamp, that usually looks like your Washington Retraining coupon code applied so your out-of-pocket is $100 per month for 5 months ($500 total), with the rest covered by Worker Retraining and Nucamp’s scholarship structure. Community and technical colleges lay out similar details through their workforce offices; for example, North Seattle College’s Worker Retraining page emphasizes that funding is tied to specific programs and requires active enrollment. Pro tip: save PDFs or screenshots of any tuition statements that show your aid - those records can be helpful if questions come up later.

Treat attendance and coursework like a job

Worker Retraining isn’t passive support; it assumes you’ll put in steady, trackable effort. Schools are required to monitor that effort, whether your classes are on campus or online. In a tech bootcamp, that usually means consistent attendance in live sessions, regular logins to the learning platform, and on-time assignments. At Nucamp, for example, you’ll have weekly live workshops capped at about 15 students per instructor plus self-paced lessons that often add up to 15-20 hours per week of focused work; instructors can see who’s participating and who’s drifting. To stay eligible and keep momentum, block out specific “school hours” on your calendar, show up to every live workshop you can, and treat project deadlines the way you’d treat tasks from a supervisor: communicate before you miss one, not after.

Speak up early when life gets in the way

Life doesn’t pause for retraining. Illness, childcare gaps, or extra shifts can push you off pace if no one knows what’s happening. The key to staying eligible is telling people early: start with your instructor or bootcamp advisor, then loop in the Worker Retraining or workforce office if your enrollment might change. Many programs can adjust timelines or point you to support services if they hear from you while options are still on the table. Pro tip: keep a single email thread or notes document where you log every important conversation - dates, names, and what was agreed - so you’re not relying on memory in a stressful moment.

If you’re also on unemployment with CAT or Training Benefits approval, add one more habit: whenever you drop, pause, or change your training in a way that affects your schedule, notify Employment Security as they’ve instructed. Failing to report a withdrawal or major change can create overpayment problems later, even if the choice felt small at the time. The students who make it through this stretch - like many of the career changers highlighted in WorkSource Pierce success stories - aren’t the ones with the smoothest lives; they’re the ones who treat retraining like serious, structured work and keep talking to their school and ESD when the weather changes. Staying eligible is less about being perfect and more about staying present, accountable, and connected as you climb.

Verify funding and program access

Right before you commit to the first week of class, it’s worth pausing at the overlook and making sure everything you’ve been promised is actually in place. Verifying your funding and program access is like checking your pack and your boots before a long climb: five quiet minutes now can save you from a nasty surprise halfway up the trail.

Start with the money. Log into your student portal or billing page and confirm that your account shows the correct program, start date, and tuition. Then look line by line at how that tuition is being covered: Worker Retraining should appear as a payment or credit, along with any Pell Grant, Washington College Grant, or school scholarship you were told you’d receive. At a WRT-approved bootcamp like Nucamp, that usually looks like a reduced tuition balance after your Washington Retraining scholarship and WRT funds are applied, plus a clear, predictable payment schedule for your share. At public colleges, workforce offices such as Lake Washington Institute of Technology’s Worker Retraining program encourage students to review award letters carefully and reach out if charges and aid don’t match what was discussed.

Next, confirm that you can actually get into the “classroom.” For an online bootcamp, that means logging into the learning platform, opening at least one lesson or module, and testing links to live sessions or virtual labs. For campus-based or hybrid programs, it means checking your class schedule, room numbers or Zoom links, and any required software or accounts. Make sure you have working access to email, chat, and whatever system the school uses for announcements, since that’s how you’ll hear about schedule changes or additional steps. If anything is locked, missing, or confusing, contact your instructor, bootcamp support, or the Worker Retraining office right away; don’t wait until the first day to troubleshoot logins.

If you’re also on unemployment, take one more pass through your Employment Security Department messages or eServices account before classes begin. Look for written confirmation about your training status and any changes to your work-search requirements, especially if you applied for Commissioner Approved Training or Training Benefits. Then make a simple checklist for week one: confirm your funding is posted, verify your access to course platforms, and make sure you know when and where your first session meets. Colleges that work extensively with WRT students, like Renton Technical College’s workforce education programs, consistently stress the same thing: when in doubt, ask before you assume. A quick call or email now is far easier than fixing a billing error, a missed class, or a benefits issue once the term is already underway.

Troubleshoot common problems and avoid pitfalls

Even with a good map, real trails in Washington have blowdowns, washed-out sections, and confusing side paths. Worker Retraining is the same: most people hit at least one snag - a missing document, a funding delay, a confusing letter from Employment Security. The key is knowing which problems are common, what they actually mean, and how to correct course quickly instead of turning back.

When the school says “we’re out of Worker Retraining funds”

Because WRT dollars are limited and tied to the state fiscal year, it’s common to hear that a college or bootcamp has exhausted its allocation for the quarter. That doesn’t always mean the end of the road. First, ask your school’s workforce office whether waitlists are available or if additional funds might open up later in the year. Second, check if other funding streams (like BFET, Opportunity Grants, or institutional scholarships) could reduce your tuition in the meantime. Third, consider shifting your start date to align with when new allocations typically arrive, often shortly after July 1. Schools that manage multiple workforce programs, like the Worker Retraining office at Clover Park Technical College, can sometimes suggest alternate start terms or related programs that still move you toward a tech role while fitting the available money.

When paperwork or coding errors throw things off

Another frequent pitfall is a quiet one: a form that isn’t fully signed, a program that’s coded as “academic transfer” instead of “professional-technical,” or FAFSA/WASFA that’s submitted but flagged for verification. If your aid or WRT doesn’t appear on your account when you expect it, take these steps in order: (

1. Contact the financial aid office to confirm your FAFSA/WASFA is complete and not stuck in verification; ask exactly what, if anything, they’re waiting on from you. (
2. Check with the Worker Retraining or workforce office to verify that your education plan lists the correct plan code and program name - even a small mismatch can block funding. (
3. Ask the business office to walk you through your current bill line by line so you can see whether aid is pending, posted, or missing

Pro tip: keep a simple log of every call or email - who you spoke with, on what date, and what they said would happen next - so you can follow up precisely if something stalls

When ESD denies CAT/Training Benefits or your situation changes

Sometimes Employment Security denies Commissioner Approved Training or Training Benefits, or your personal situation changes mid-program in a way that affects your unemployment claim. When that happens, don’t ignore the letter or notification, even if it’s confusing or upsetting. Instead, (

1. read the reason for denial carefully and note any appeal deadlines; (
2. talk with a WorkSource counselor about whether additional documentation from your school (showing program length, hours, or demand in the labor market) might strengthen an appeal; and (
3. if you decide to continue training without CAT/TB, ask ESD directly how to meet work-search rules while in class so you don’t create an overpayment. Warning: changing your enrollment (dropping classes, switching programs, or taking a break) without telling both your school’s WRT office and ESD can cause problems on both sides - lost funding at school and potential benefit issues at Employment Security

Whenever your schedule or status shifts, treat “inform the people funding me” as a required step

Big-picture pitfalls to avoid from the start

A few missteps are easier to prevent than to fix. Choosing a non-approved bootcamp because of slick marketing, skipping FAFSA/WASFA because you “never qualify for aid,” waiting until the last minute to contact Worker Retraining, or assuming that verbal assurances equal guaranteed funding are all versions of the same problem: relying on the glossy map instead of the posted trail markers. The safer pattern looks like this: verify in writing that your program is WRT-eligible, apply early for both admissions and aid, get a written breakdown of who is paying what, and ask questions every time something doesn’t match that plan. If you treat each snag as something to be diagnosed and addressed - not a verdict on whether you “deserve” help - you’re much more likely to work through the inevitable obstacles and stay on a path that leads to a completed tech bootcamp instead of a half-finished attempt.

Next steps and how to move forward

By now you’ve picked your way through a lot of switchbacks: eligibility rules, acronyms, funding formulas, school choices, and unemployment rules. It can feel like you’ve been circling the same hillside. This last piece is about turning that big, messy map into a short, clear plan you can follow over the next few weeks, one step at a time.

Turn the map into a simple checklist

Instead of trying to hold everything in your head, write down a short sequence you can actually act on. For most people using Worker Retraining for a tech bootcamp, it looks like this:

1. Confirm your eligibility path: Decide which Worker Retraining category best fits you (unemployed, dislocated worker, recent veteran, displaced homemaker, vulnerable worker, or one of the expanded paths schools recognize) and list the documents that prove it.
2. Gather your “gear”: Put your UI letters, layoff notice, DD-214, ID, and tax info into one digital folder so you’re not scrambling every time a form asks for proof.
3. Shortlist approved tech programs: Pick two or three WRT-eligible options that match your goals and schedule - for example, an IT certificate at a technical college and an online bootcamp focused on web development or cybersecurity.
4. Contact the right funding office early: Reach out to a Worker Retraining or workforce education office at your chosen school and complete their pre-screening or intake so they can check both your eligibility and their remaining funds.
5. Apply to the program and complete any required aid forms: Finish the bootcamp application, and if your school requires it, submit FAFSA or WASFA so they can combine grants with WRT.
6. Get your funding package in writing: Ask for a clear breakdown of tuition, how much Worker Retraining and other aid will cover, and what your share will be, plus when it’s due.
7. Protect UI if you’re on unemployment: Talk with WorkSource and ESD about Commissioner Approved Training or Training Benefits before your program starts so your schooling and benefits don’t work against each other.

Choose your first conversation

When everything feels tangled, it helps to decide who you’ll talk to first rather than which form you’ll fill out next. For some people, that’s a WorkSource counselor who can help translate state language into plain English. For others, it’s the Worker Retraining contact at a community college or an advisor at an approved bootcamp who works with laid-off workers every day. Articles aimed at newly unemployed workers, like the University of Washington’s piece on how to train for an in-demand job after a layoff, make the same point: you don’t have to have everything figured out before you ask for help. One honest conversation about where you are right now can unlock the next two or three steps automatically.

If a WRT-approved bootcamp is your likely trail

If you already know you want the structure of an online tech bootcamp, your next move is to connect that preference to the Worker Retraining system. For a provider like Nucamp, that means starting with its Washington retraining scholarship form, sharing your work situation, and letting their team confirm both eligibility and funding availability before you lock in a cohort. For a public college, it means asking the workforce office which specific IT or coding programs are WRT-eligible and how they schedule them for working adults. In both cases, think of this as choosing a trail that’s clearly marked for the conditions you’re in now: one that fits around childcare or part-time work, and one that your funding sources can actually cover.

Keep moving, even in patchy weather

The fog of job loss and career uncertainty is real, and it makes even simple tasks feel heavier. The way through isn’t a single dramatic leap; it’s a series of small, boring, important steps you take even when you’re tired: one email to a workforce advisor, one FAFSA or WASFA submitted, one follow-up call to clear up a confusing letter, one bootcamp application finished. Each of those is a blaze on a tree. If you keep your focus on the next one or two markers instead of the whole mountain, you’ll eventually find yourself where this guide is pointed: sitting in a WRT-funded tech program, learning skills Washington employers actually need, and looking out at a landscape that includes more than just “what now?”

Common Questions