FAQs

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (known as the FAFSA), is a form that can be filled out annually by current and anticipating college students and sometimes their parents in the United States to determine their eligibility for federal student financial aid (including Pell grants, Stafford loans, PLUS loans, and work-study programs). For more information, click here.

1. Apply online, click here.
2. Because much of the information supplied on the FAFSA is taken from your and/or your parents’ prior-year federal income tax forms, you should make every effort to prepare your income taxes early enough to complete the FAFSA accurately and completely. If you or your parents are unable to prepare your taxes this early, use estimated income figures to complete the FAFSA.
3. Be especially careful when entering numbers such as your social security number. An error in reporting your social security number could seriously delay the application process.
4. Double check your answers before sending the FAFSA to the processing center.
5. If completing the paper FAFSA, then complete the entire form using black ink. Don’t leave any questions blank, unless instructed to do so.
6. Keep copies of all documents submitted, in case questions arise concerning your application.
7. If you need help, click here, or call 1.800.4.FED.AID.

The EFC is a calculated review of how much your family will be expected to contribute to your college costs. The EFC is subtracted from the cost of attendance at the college. The result is a calculation of the student’s financial need or eligibility for financial aid. Aid eligibility at a particular college is a function of both the cost of attendance and the expected family contribution. To calculate your EFC, click here.

When making corrections on your FAFSA, you have to wait approximately 72 business hours (3 days). Before that time, it is typical to get an error message on your FAFSA account.

Financial aid refers to any funds available to students and/or their parents to help balance the cost of higher education. Funds come from private, government, and institutional resources.

At WWCC there are various types of Aid available ranging from grants, loans, and scholarships to Worker Re-training and others depending on the students situation.  For more information on these funding sources designed to help you pay for college, click here.

Any student needing assistance with the cost of higher education should apply for financial aid. Because not all federal aid is based on need, we encourage all students to file the FAFSA, regardless of family income.

SAR stands for Student Aid Report and students should review the information on the SAR very carefully for accuracy or updates. If students need to change any information, contact the WWCC Office of Student Financial Aid for instructions. If no changes are required, no action is needed. Students should keep the SAR for their records.

Need is based on the following equation:

Cost of Attendance* – Expected Family Contribution (EFC) = Financial Need

The information you report on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is used to calculate your EFC, which is a measure of your family’s financial strength. The EFC is used to determine your eligibility for federal student aid. The formula for the EFC calculation is established by law.

If your EFC is below a certain number, you may be eligible for a Federal Pell Grant, assuming you meet all other eligibility requirements. The EFC is used to determine eligibility for other federal student aid programs, but there isn’t a maximum EFC eligibility threshold for those programs.

The EFC is a calculated review of how much your family will be expected to contribute to your college costs. The EFC is subtracted from the cost of attendance at the college. The result is a calculation of the student’s financial need or eligibility for financial aid. Aid eligibility at a particular college is a function of both the cost of attendance and the expected family contribution.

Grants are gifts of money that do not have to be earned or repaid by the student.  This is the preferred way of many students to pay for college before they start taking out loans. For a complete list of grants at WWCC, click here.

Loans are need or non-need based funds that must be repaid with interest and require a loan application.  Students generally prefer to take out the smallest amount of loans and are usually the last resort.  For a list of loans available through WWCC, click here.

Scholarships like grants are funds that do not require repayment.  Students typically seek scholarships to fund their education rather than student loans.

There are various ways to pay for college when you attend WWCC including traditional financial aid (grants, scholarships, loans) and non-traditional programs such as worker re-training and IMPACT! that require certain eligibility.  For more information on these and other programs, click here.

You can contact the Office of Student Financial Aid 509.527.4301 or Jose Godinez, Student Funding Advisor 509.524.5231 to receive information on these funding sources.

WWCC offers a tuition payment option designed to help take the burden of student who can’t afford to pay tuition in full.  For more information on payment options, click here.

For students who don’t receive a big enough financial aid award to cover all expenses, it is advisable to apply for WWCC as well as outside scholarships.  If unsuccessful, students are sometimes encouraged to consider student loans.

Cases vary greatly in this regard.  For information on your special case, please contact the Office of Student Financial Aid 509.527.4301 or Jose Godinez 509.524.5231.

The Office of Student Financial Aid will review FAFSA data once an official record is provided to our office by the federal processor. Our office will provide Financial Aid Award Letter packets to students on an on-going basis throughout the academic year upon receiving an official FAFSA from the federal processor.  You will be notified of your financial aid eligibility depending on when you submit all documents[W1]  to the Office of Student Financial Aid, for dates, click here.

Follow the instructions on your award letter to ensure a timely distribution of your award.

Some awards can be adjusted given special circumstances. Please visit the financial aid office for more information.

For information on this, click here.

For information on this issue, please contact the Office of Student Financial Aid at 509.527.4301.

Financial Aid disbursements will not be released until the first day of each quarter.  Your disbursement refund will be based upon your disbursement option that you have set up with Banking Mobile.  If you have not been awarded your Financial Aid by the first day of the quarter, disbursements will be made the next business day after your aid has been in place.

There are a variety of different types of scholarships, available from both WWCC and external sources. Most scholarships are awarded based on academic merit and some are also based on financial need.

To be eligible for need-based scholarships at CC, you must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)  or the Renewal FAFSA. The government uses this form to calculate an estimated family contribution (EFC). The financial aid office subtracts your EFC from your cost of attendance to determine your financial need. If you are determined to have financial need, you may be eligible for some need-based scholarships.

For information on this topic, please contact the source of the scholarship in addition to the Office of Financial Aid.

Check out the information in the WWCC Scholarship links or visit the financial aid office. It takes a lot of work to get scholarships, but the reward is well worth the time.

If you have earned any outside scholarship funds, you are required to notify the financial aid office so the information can be used in calculating your award package. If WWCC has met 100 percent of your demonstrated need and subsequently you receive an outside scholarship, one or more of your financial aid sources may need to be adjusted. Loan assistance is adjusted first, wherever possible.

1. Pay close attention to scholarship application deadlines. Use a calendar, make a schedule for yourself and stick to it. Applications submitted past the deadline are usually not considered.
2. Gather application materials early — give yourself plenty of time to complete each step. Applications that have been rushed look sloppy and incomplete applications probably won’t be accepted.
3. Don’t ignore small awards. Even these can add up!
4. Prepare your resume and keep it updated- this is a good way to outline your thoughts and show your activities and achievements.
5. Think carefully about who should write your letters of recommendation. Choose people who can be specific about your strengths as well as your ability to overcome your weaknesses.
6. In your essays, let your personality shine through. Present your ideas in a focused, thoughtful and meaningful manner. Write in a natural style and support your ideas with specific examples.
7. Proofread your essays and applications. Ask friends, teachers or parents for feedback. Errors or poor writing skills will have a negative effect.
8. Keep a copy of everything you submit!
9. If you are notified that you have received a scholarship made possible by a specific donor, send a thank-you note to the donor. Also, if appropriate, keep the donor informed of your progress