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Financial Aid

You don’t have to let cost stop you from pursuing your education. WWCC can help you figure out how to pay for college. Learn more about your financial aid options, from federal and private loans to grants and work studies.

Important News!

The biggest changes in 40 years will be happening in Financial Aid starting the 2024-2025 academic year. Are you ready?

Learn More

To Apply for Financial Aid,
Follow the steps below!

There are many types of financial aid available to help you cover the costs of tuition, books, and living expenses while you go to school. Follow the steps below and download the Financial Aid Guide for reference!

23-24 Financial Aid Guide

Be sure to pay attention to the 23-24 Checklist and 23-24 Deadlines to make sure you have your Financial Aid ready to go for the quarter!

Step 1: Apply for Financial Aid

All financial aid applications begin with the FAFSA or WASFA form.

The FAFSA application: The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) provides financial aid for U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizens, such as permanent residents. Visit the FAFSA website to create your FSA ID and to complete your application.

Complete the FAFSA

The WASFA application: The Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WASFA) is for DACA or undocumented students. Visit the Washington Student Achievement Council website to complete your WASFA application.

Complete the WASFA

Need help deciding which form to complete? Answer a few quick questions on the WASFA Questionnaire to help you choose.

Step 2: Complete WWCC’s Financial Aid Information Form

Complete the 2023-24 Financial Aid Information Form for the current year and submit it to the Financial Aid Office.

23-24 Financial Aid Information Form

To submit, complete the form online and save it to your computer. Once saved, you can print it and bring it in, mail it, or email it to the WWCC Financial Aid Office.

Step 3: Stay up-to-date on your Award Status

WarriorLink Mobile Login

Step 4: Submit Additional Documentation, If Required

If your FAFSA is federally selected for verification, you will be required to submit additional documentation to the Financial Aid Office. Verification is a review process where the Financial Aid Office ensures the accuracy of information reported on the FAFSA. Students are selected for verification by the Department of Education at the time they complete the FAFSA. Documents required for verification may include: Income Verification Form, Household Verification Form, tax transcripts or copies of 1040 tax forms and schedules, W-2 forms, verification of non-filing, and identity verification. Other documents may be requested as needed to resolve conflicting information found during verification.

Students who are selected for verification will be notified of the documents required through their “To Do” list in WarriorLink. All required documents should be turned in by the priority processing date to complete your file. Financial aid funds will not be awarded until verification is completed.

If Selected, Click Here for More Information

Other documentation may be required if you need your aid adjusted or you need to file an appeal.

Step 5: Award Notification

Students are notified by email (sent to their email account marked as preferred in WarriorLink) with a financial aid offer when their application is processed. The initial aid offer assumes that students will enroll in 12+ credits each term, which is considered full-time. Revised offers are sent with each update to an award. Updates may occur when additional funds are received or awarded, or dollar amounts on existing awards are adjusted. Students are encouraged to review all changes and take the appropriate action for the awards offered.

Your financial aid award will first be applied to any outstanding tuition and fees. Any remaining funds will be refunded to you through BankMobile after the start of the quarter.

Students may still be eligible for aid at lower enrollment levels. If eligible below half-time, federal and state grant aid is prorated based on the chart below:

Enrollment	Credit Load	Eligibility
9-11 credits	¾ Time	75% of the full-time grant award
6-8 credits	½ Time	50% of the full-time grant award
3-5 credits	Less than ½ Time	25% of the full-time grant award
1-2 credits	No financial aid eligibility

Students who plan to enroll less than full-time (12 credits) will need to complete an Enrollment Change Form to confirm their enrollment level and request to have their aid adjusted to their planned enrollment level before disbursement of funds.

As a reminder, the disbursement date that displays in your financial aid account is the earliest date your financial aid award can be applied to any charges on your account (your tuition and fee charges). This usually happens one or two days before the quarter starts. WWCC then subtracts your charges from your award, and the difference will be your refund. Refunds are issued after the quarter begins to account for any schedule changes that may affect charges.

Types of Financial Aid

Grants

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. Refer to the 2023-24 Financial Aid Guide for a complete list of all available grants.

Scholarships

Funding for scholarships is made possible through the generous support of individuals and organizations. The WWCC Foundation offers many scholarships to WWCC students each year. Students may also have scholarships from other sources, or “Outside Scholarships.” WWCC also offers a select number of athletic scholarships each year. These are separate from tuition waivers, which do not appear on award letters.

Individual scholarships may be restricted to covering specific educational expenses – such as tuition and books – or have specific eligibility criteria that must be met – such as maintaining a certain grade point average (GPA) or enrollment level – to qualify for funds awarded. Students should refer to the scholarship award letter they receive from the WWCC Foundation or sponsor for the conditions of
their award. If a student does not meet the conditions of their scholarship, incurs fewer authorized expenses than the amount of their scholarship, or obtains financial assistance that collectively exceeds their Cost of Attendance budget, Walla Walla Community College may be required to return a portion or the full amount of that scholarship to its sponsor. Scholarship applications are separate from the application for financial aid (FAFSA), although some scholarships may also require you to complete the FAFSA, as well.

Generally, scholarship applications are available between January through April, and funds are awarded for the following academic year.

Student Loans

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.

Refer to the 2023-24 Financial Aid Guide for a complete explanation of the types of student loans available and steps in applying for them.

Work Study

Types of Work Study Available

Work study is awarded based on need to students who indicate they are interested in student
employment on the FAFSA. Funds are earned through employment on and off campus. Students must
be enrolled in six or more credits per term.

Federal Work Study (FWS) – a federally funded program; providing on campus part-time jobs (8-10 hours per week) to students with financial need. Students must be taking at least 6 credits each quarter toward their intended degree and must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress to remain eligible for FWS.

State Work Study (SWS) – a WA State funded program; providing on and off campus part time jobs (15-19 hours per week) to students who are residents of WA State and have financial need. Students must be taking at least 6 credits each quarter toward their intended degree and must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress to remain eligible for SWS.

Requesting Work Study

Students who are interested in using their work study offer can get started by:

Accepting the offer online in WarriorLink
Contacting our Career Services Specialist, Kim Hamann ([email protected])
Reviewing and applying for available jobs after accepting work study offer

Offers are automatically awarded to students for fall, winter, and spring terms and are estimates based on the number of hours that could be worked throughout the year.

Financial Aid Policies

To receive and maintain your financial aid, you’ll need to agree to certain terms and conditions, including making satisfactory academic progress.

Read Financial Aid Policies

Frequently Asked Questions About Financial Aid

Who should apply for aid?

Any student needing assistance with the cost of higher education should apply for financial aid. Not all federal aid is based on need, so WWCC encourages all students to file the FAFSA, regardless of family income.

What is a FAFSA?

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. It is used to determine eligibility for federal student financial aid. Aid can include Pell grants, Stafford loans, PLUS loans, and work-study programs.

What is WASFA for DREAMers?

The Washington Application for State Financial Aid (known as WASFA) is a state financial aid program for DREAMers. Washington State offers aid to students who aren’t eligible for federal financial aid because of immigration status. Complete the free WASFA form to find out if you qualify for state financial aid.

WASFA guide en español

How will I know if I’m eligible for aid?

The WWCC 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 throughout the academic year. You will be notified of your financial aid eligibility depending on when you submit all documents to the Office of Student Financial Aid. Find more information on financial aid deadlines and the application process.

How and when will I get my financial aid?

Financial aid disbursements will be released on or just before the first day of each quarter. Your refund (the difference between your charges and award) will be based upon the option that you set up with BankMobile. 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.

What is Expected Family Contribution (EFC), how is it determined, and how does it affect my financial aid award?

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 your financial need or eligibility for financial aid. Think of it as a math equation:

Cost of Attendance – Expected Family Contribution = Financial Need

Aid eligibility at a particular college is based on both the cost of attendance and the expected family contribution.

Calculate your EFC

Do I have to enroll full-time to receive financial aid?

You do not have to be enrolled full time (12 or more credits) to receive aid. However, if you enroll for less than full time, your grant award may be pro-rated for part time attendance. Your student loan amount remains the same as long as you enroll and complete at least 6 credits. If you have a student loan and enroll for less than 6 credits, you will not be eligible for the loan portion of your financial aid. However, you may still be eligible and able to receive a small amount of grant aid.