Financial Aid FAQs

If you are a United States Citizen, submit a FAFSA online at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa. The information collected from the FAFSA allows us to provide Pell Grants and Loans to students, depending on need. If you are an international student, you can find and apply for scholarships at www.iefa.org. You can also find institutional and external scholarships listed on our website.  Certain types of aid, usually loans, do require additional paperwork AFTER you have been awarded aid (Annual Student Loan Acknowledgment - starting Summer 2021, Entrance Counseling and Promissory Note)  But only the FAFSA is required to determine your eligibility. Please contact Mustang Central with any questions or assistance completing the FAFSA at (307) 382-1677.

The financial aid process takes several weeks to complete. It is recommended that students attending school in the Fall complete their FAFSA by the priority deadline of April 1. Students may complete the FAFSA at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa

Students can begin their FAFSA application starting October 1^st.

 

Useful documents include your income tax returns from the previous 2 years, as well as your parents' return if you are a dependent student, or your spouse's, if you are married. Other records such as W-2 forms are also very useful. Please make sure that the school has received all required documents such as academic transcripts, if you will be a new student.

 The government considers any student under the age of 24 to be a dependent, excluding special circumstances, and requires that your parents provide their income on the FAFSA. You will answer a series of questions on the FAFSA that determines whether or not you should be classified as a dependent or independent student. For more information, visit https://studentaid.gov/apply-for-aid/fafsa/filling-out/dependency.

 

The Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) prohibits us from discussing any specific financial information with anyone but the student. 

 Yes. You can make corrections to the  Student Aid Report information by returning to https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa and submitting your corrections electronically with the use of your FAFSA ID.  The FAFSA is a legal binding form, so it is very important to read and complete with accuracy.  Do not guess on any of the questions.  It is important not to make lots of corrections or changes on the FAFSA.

It is likely that you, your parents, or your spouse made more money in the past year, putting you over the threshold of eligibility for the Pell Grant. If you think you have special circumstances and should still qualify for aid, you may fill out a Special Circumstances Form.

The school will first apply your loan to your school account to pay for tuition, fees, room and board, and other school charges. If any additional funds remain, they will be returned to you. Loans must be used for your education expenses. Student loans are disbursed on two separate dates during the semester. Refer to your master promissory note or contact Mustang Central to find out the dates your loan will disburse. Disbursement dates are regulated by the federal government, so we can't disburse your loans any earlier.

 

 

You may accept any amount less than your maximum award. Come into Mustang Central or call the financial aid advisor at 307-382-1653 to reduce the amount of your loan. For the maximum amount a student may borrow, for this information, visit the Federal Student Aid website at https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types/loans/subsidized-unsubsidized.

No, the Pell grant is awarded based on enrolled credits. After the last day to add a full semester class the financial aid office completes a degree evaluation and adjusts Pell awards based on enrollment. The Pell grant pays for coursework that is part of the degree program.

Sign in to your MyWestern account and in the Self-Service Menu, choose For Students. This will open a drop-down menu on which you need to choose My Financial Aid., Review My Financial Aid. In your financial aid Award Letter you will see what you have been awarded for the year and the criteria for maintaining the award. After you have viewed your aid award letter, go to "Accept-Reject FA Awards." Here, you may choose which awards to accept and which to reject.

If accepting a loan, you will need to complete the Entrance Counseling and Master Promissory Note. Starting Summer 2021, students will also be required to complete the Annual Student Loan Acknowledgment every academic year. These links are also located on this page.  It will transfer you to the FAFSA site, so you will need your FAFSA ID to log in and complete this process.  Loans will not be processed without these two steps being completed.

If your aid has not been awarded, it could be for any number of reasons. Perhaps you have not submitted all of the necessary documents to Mustang Central.  Some students are randomly selected for verification and additional information will need to be provided.  If this happens a student will be notified through their MyWestern email, with instructions on how to complete this process. Perhaps your aid has been put on suspension. Contact Mustang Central (307) 382-1677  for more information about why your aid hasn't been awarded.

You can pay for school out of pocket or by using financial aid. Complete your FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa to see if you are eligible for the Pell grant, Federal Work Study, or Subsidized or Unsubsidized loans. Visit the financial aid website to research scholarship opportunities.

How to view and apply for scholarships available to Western students:

• Visit the AcademicWorks Scholarship System.
• Click the red "Sign In" button in the top right corner to apply.
• Sign in with your westernwyoming.edu e-mail address and password. This information is provided after applying for admission to Western. Contact Mustang Central at (307) 382-1677 if you have any username and password issues.

Review your Letter of Intent, speak to your coach/instructor, or ask Mustang Central to help you review your aid and your expenses. We recommend reviewing your My Western, Self- Service for Student, Review My Financial Aid and your Student Finance Account.

The donor will send the external scholarship funds to the Western Wyoming Community College, where it will be processed and deposited into your student account. If the check has both Western's and your name listed on it, we will need you to endorse the check before it can be applied to your account. If you have any questions, please contact us at email or 307-382-1653.

You may have reached your maximum cost of attendance. The Financial Aid Office would notify you of the adjustment through your Western email account.  Contact Mustang Central for a review of your account at 307-382-1677 or at email.

 

You can view your account balance and make payments through your MyWestern account.  All payment questions should go to the Business Office, 307-382-1684.

Typically refunds are available approximately four weeks after the semester begins. Please visit the Business Office page for more information or contact their office at 307-382-1613.

Dropping a class can have great impact or no impact on your financial aid. It depends on how many credits you were enrolled in originally, how many credits you will end up completing after the drop, and what your final semester GPA is. It is wise to consult Mustang Central to ensure that you fully understand the impact that dropping a class can have on your financial aid.

Visit our Satisfactory Academic Progress page or look up your account in the MyWestern Portal, Self-Service for Students, Review My Financial Aid. Consult with a Financial Aid Advisor on how to get back on track.

If you intend to attend Western after your mission, please notify Mustang Central that you are going on a mission and would like for us to hold your scholarships for you. Please send Mustang Central a copy of your Call Letter and a statement requesting that we hold your scholarships until you return from your mission. If you are returning from your mission and did not notify us beforehand, please bring us a copy of your Call Letter, your Mission Release and a statement requesting that we reinstate your scholarships.