What is the FAFSA Simplification Act?

The FAFSA Simplification Act represents the biggest change to Financial Aid in 40 years starting with the 2024-2025 school year. These changes to the FAFSA are intended to reduce errors, remove barriers, and expand student eligibility for federal aid.

What’s Changing with the 2024-25 FAFSA?

• The FAFSA will be more streamlined with fewer questions to answer.
• The FAFSA will be available in more languages.
• Expanded eligibility for federal financial aid including the Federal Pell Grant.
• The FSA ID is more important than ever. All students and their parent(s) must have an FSA ID to submit the FAFSA. There is a one to three business day waiting period when setting up a new FSA ID.
• Applicants will be required to use the IRS Data Exchange. All persons on the FAFSA must provide consent for the Department of Education to receive tax information or confirmation of non-filing status directly from the IRS. The IRS Data Exchange will automatically import tax information into the FAFSA.
• The Expected Family Contribution (EFC) will no longer be used. In its place, the Student Aid Index (SAI) is now used to assess a student’s eligibility for need based financial aid.
• Dependent students may be required to report a different parent on the 2024-25 FAFSA or WASFA compared to prior year applications. Students will begin to report the parent who provided the most financial support in the 12 months prior.
• The application has new terms. Instead of “parent” or “spouse”, the form uses “contributor” to identify someone who is asked to provide information on the FAFSA, like a parent or spouse did previously and “consent”. Each contributor will be required to consent to their information being included on the FAFSA.
• Contributors will receive an email informing them that they have been identified as a contributor and will need to log in using their own FSA ID to provide the required information on the student’s FAFSA. Students and parents must log in to the FAFSA separately to complete each of their respective sections. Each contributor must provide information on the FAFSA, or the application will be incomplete.

The Department of Education has announced that the transferring of completed FAFSA applications to colleges will be delayed. After the FAFSA application has been successfully completed, an email acknowledgement from Federal Student Aid will be sent confirming the submission. Students will not be able to go back into their FAFSA application to make any corrections until their school receives their FAFSA.

FAFSA (FREE APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL STUDENT AID)

U.S. Citizens and residents who have Permanent Resident Status in the U.S should complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form to apply for financial aid for college. Complete the FAFSA at fafsa.ed.gov.

• Whatcom Community College school code:  010364
• It takes WCC approximately 1 week to receive student’s FAFSA information.
• Need help completing the FAFSA? Call 1.800.433.32.43 or go to Filling Out the FAFSA Form.

FAFSA Application

WASFA (WASHINGTON APPLICATION FOR STATE FINANCIAL AID)

The Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WASFA) is for people who don’t file a federal FAFSA application. People who complete a WASFA are applying for state aid. There are various reasons to complete a WASFA instead of a FAFSA:

• A person may not be eligible for federal aid due to:
 - Citizenship or immigration status, including being undocumented.
• A person may choose not to apply for federal aid due to:
 - Family members who do not want to file the FAFSA.
 - Other personal reasons.

After you complete the WASFA, the college(s) or program(s) you choose will determine whether you meet state residency requirements and state financial aid eligibility. State financial aid could include Washington College Grant, the College Bound Scholarship, Passport to Careers, National Guard Grant, or State Work Study.

WASFA Application

• WCC receives student’s FAFSA/WASFA information. An email is sent verifying the FAFSA/WASFA has been received.
• Students can then login to ctcLink >click Student Homepage > click Tasks. Here is where any 'To Do List' items can be viewed. 'To Do List' items are additional requirements necessary to complete the file.
• FAFSA/WASFA application is reviewed. This review process may take 6 to 8 weeks. 

• After the FAFSA/WASFA application has been reviewed and completed it can now be awarded. This process can take 2 to 3 weeks.
• The student is reviewed for Federal (PELL) and State (WCG) grants. Once awarded, a Financial Aid Offer is sent outlining the student's aid offer and directing students to view their awards in ctcLink.
• To view awards login to ctcLink >click Student Homepage >click Financial Aid tile >click View Financial Aid > click Aid Year and Institution.
• If a student is not eligible for grants, an email is sent notifying students they can now apply for loans, and the WCC student loan process.
• Housing costs are assumed to be off campus, without parent.  Students living with parent may contact the Financial Aid Office to have their Cost of Attendance recalculated, lowering the Cost of Attendance will reduce a student’s budget.

• Once your financial aid file has been reviewed and awarded, if you are eligible for grants, work study or scholarships, a Financial Aid Offer will be sent notifying you and outlining your financial aid awards.

• You can also view your awards in ctcLink by clicking the Financial Aid tile. Login to ctcLink >click Student Homepage > click Financial Aid tile.

• It is recommended to download or save your Financial Aid Offer.

• Student Financials applies your award(s) to outstanding charges on your ctcLink student account for the quarter including tuition, fees and WCC housing (if applicable).
• Once outstanding charges are processed, Student Financials will then send any refund to BMTX, Inc.
• How quickly you have access to these funds depends on your selected refund preference.

• You can view your account balance in ctcLink by clicking the Financial Account tile.
• Login to ctcLink > click Student Homepage > click Financial Account tile.
• Your balance is shown at the top of the left sidebar and in the main window.

• Remaining funds, after outstanding charges are paid, are refunded to the student beginning the first day of the quarter via BankMobile Disbursements, a technology solution, powered by BMTX, Inc.
• A BankMobile Disbursements Profile needs to be set up for Whatcom Community College in order to receive a refund. A BankMobile Disbursements Profile from another college will not work for WCC.
• Keep mailing addresses, email addresses, and banking information up to date to prevent delays in receiving funding.

Please note: If a preference is not set up a check is sent out. This can delay the receipt of funds by 2 to 3 weeks.

• After a student’s FAFSA application has been completed and reviewed for grant eligibility students can apply for Federal student loans.
• WCC’s loan process is done online and is a multi-step process. Please ensure you have completed all the steps.
• Students need to be enrolled in 6 or more credits to be loan eligible. Loans cannot be processed until a student is enrolled in classes.

Start the loan process by clicking: Yes, I have been notified by WCC that I am eligible to apply for a loan. If you have not been notified you are not eligible to proceed.

If you are planning to enroll for summer quarter 2024, awards in ctcLink work differently than other quarters.

• Students must be enrolled for summer 2024 classes before the FA Office can award aid of any kind, including but not limited to, grants loans, and scholarships.
• In May 2024, the FA office will have additional information available on how to request funds for summer quarter.
• A Summer Request Form (SRF) will become available in May 2024 for CURRENT financial aid students to submit AFTER they have enrolled for their summer 2024 classes.

To select your refund preference with BankMobile Disbursements, a technology solution, powered by BMTX, Inc., follow these steps:

• Log into mywcc.whatcom.edu.
• Click GENERAL
• Click FINANCIAL AID REFUND
• Select how you want your money delivered.
• Visit this link for more information about BankMobile Disbursements: http://bankmobiledisbursements.com/how-it-works.

Note: Keep mailing addresses, email addresses, and banking information up to date to prevent delays in receiving funding.

For assistance with your MyWCC Student Portal, network account or student email, please contact the Student Help Desk at studenthelpdesk@whatcom.edu or 360-383-3410.

PLEASE NOTE: We cannot accept documents via email due to sensitivity of the information.

2024-2025 Financial Aid Forms 

2024-2025 Quarterly Adjustment Form

2024-2025 Activation of Financial Aid

2024-2025 Dependent Verification Forms

2024-2025 Independent Verification Forms

2024-2025 Petition for Independence

2024-2025 Petition for Reinstatement of Aid

2024-2025 Petition for Special Circumstances

2024-2025 Release of Information Authorization