financial aid Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Justice Declares State Of Emergency Over FAFSA Forms

During his regular press briefing Tuesday, Justice said the declaration allows the state to bypass FAFSA requirements for state programs such as the PROMISE scholarship.

Gov. Jim Justice has declared a state of emergency for the state’s higher educational system.

During his regular press briefing Tuesday, Justice said the declaration allows the state to bypass FAFSA requirements for state programs such as the PROMISE scholarship.

“We have to find a way to bypass this FAFSA requirement that will provide eligibility to our high school kids in regards to their scholarships, especially PROMISE and on and on and on,” he said. “We have at this time a 40 percent decline in applications and the reason for that is, our kids don’t know what to do.”

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) unlocks both federal and state financial aid for students. The federal government released a shortened FAFSA at the end of last year that was intended to simplify the financial aid process for students, but the rollout of the new form has been plagued with delays and technical issues.

Justice was joined by Higher Education Policy Commission Chancellor Sarah Tucker, who assured West Virginia students they will get the support they deserve.

“To the students and families, I want you to know that we have your back,” she said. “We want you to know that if you qualify for PROMISE and or the higher education grant, you will get that money for this fall regardless of your FAFSA status.”

Tucker warned members of the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability at an interim meeting earlier this month that the confusion over the new form was causing delays for the state’s educational programs and would require a creative solution.

“With Governor Justice’s proclamation, students who qualify and apply for the Promise scholarship by September 1 will receive an award of up to $5,500 for the 2024-2025 academic year,” Tucker said. “If a student completed last year’s FAFSA and qualifies for our need based higher education grant, they will receive the award of up to $3,400 for the fall semester.”

Tucker and Justice both implored students and parents to call the commission’s hotline at 1-877-987-7664 and to keep working on completing their FAFSAs.

According to Tucker, students who do not have a FAFSA on file can also qualify for Higher Education grants by presenting their eligibility letter for Department of Human Services programs such as SNAP, Medicaid or WIC to their higher education institution’s financial aid office.

Justice indicated West Virginia is leading the country by declaring a state of emergency to try and resolve FAFSA-related issues.

“We’ve got to still get you through this FAFSA requirement for you to get fed dollars,” he said. “But to get you state dollars, this state of emergency absolutely, we ought to be able to move forward.”

Miscalculation Means Fewer College Students May Get Federal Aid Than Expected

Fewer college students than anticipated will be eligible for Pell Grants this year after a miscalculation from education officials. Last week, Congress passed a bill rectifying the error, but reducing student eligibility for the program.

Fewer college students may be eligible for federal financial aid this year than initially anticipated, following a miscalculation from education officials.

Three years ago, the U.S. Department of Education began to overhaul its Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

The FAFSA determines how much federal and state aid college students are eligible for based on factors like household income and assets, but has long been criticized as overly complicated.

The overhaul slashed the number of FAFSA questions by about two-thirds. It also allowed students to submit financial data through the Internal Revenue Service directly, instead of reporting it themselves.

Additionally, the change reconfigured the FAFSA eligibility formula, expanding federal aid eligibility to more students. These adjustments initially brought a three-month delay to this year’s FAFSA process.

But that delay only grew when, in January, education officials discovered a miscalculation in the new aid formula overstated how many students qualify for a federal grant called the Pell Grant by at least 100,000.

The Pell Grant provides low-income students thousands of tuition dollars that they are not required to repay.

In the weeks following the discovery, lawmakers have scrambled to fix the FAFSA process so students can receive financial aid information before making college decisions.

On Thursday, the United States Congress passed a resolution that corrected the formula error, reducing the number of students who will be eligible for federal grants in the year ahead.

Some Democratic lawmakers expressed concern in reducing financial aid eligibility. However, several Republican lawmakers said the resolution passed last week preserves the integrity of the FAFSA process.

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., expressed support for the formula fix in a press release Monday. She said it ensured this year’s federal aid distribution adheres to the law, and that it will end the repeated FAFSA delays.

“I was proud to help author a fix to the FAFSA Simplification Act,” she said. “I am hopeful that this fix will sustain and shore up the Pell Grant program for the future.”

The Department of Education plans to help colleges and universities process FAFSA information this month. West Virginia University and many other state institutions across the country have delayed application deadlines because of the complications.

WVU Extends Certain Financial Application Deadlines

West Virginia University is extending multiple key deadlines for incoming students following delays at the federal level.

West Virginia University is extending multiple key deadlines for incoming students following delays at the federal level for the 2024-2025 Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA.

WVU’s deadline for the financial aid FAFSA priority consideration is now April 1, moved back from March 1.

The U.S. Department of Education has been working to create a simplified version of the form, which unlocks both federal and state financial aid for students, for three years after bipartisan legislation was passed in 2021.

The new FAFSA was published at the end of last year on Dec. 31, 2023. However, the FAFSA is normally published in early October, and the new release was almost three months later than normal.

Other state colleges and universities across the country, including both the California and Pennsylvania state university systems, have also extended their deadlines for applicants.

WVU Extension To Hold College Prep Weekend For High Schoolers

High school juniors and seniors interested in attending West Virginia University will have a unique opportunity to prepare this spring.

West Virginia University Extension is hosting a free, family-friendly college preparation event at WVU Jackson’s Mill March 1-3. Called “Let’s Go Weekend,” students will participate in guided workshops to prepare for and complete the FAFSA, Promise Scholarship application and other scholarship opportunities. Attendees also will get the opportunity to apply to WVU and have their application fee waived.

Rachel Meininger, the director of recruitment for WVU Extension, said the event aims to address a need for West Virginia students interested in attending WVU and other colleges.

“One of the things that we had seen in talking with our youth is that there is a lack of knowledge for some of our rising juniors and seniors who are getting ready for that post-secondary transition and sort of wanting to help fill in some of those learning gaps,” she said.

Beyond financial topics, Meininger said other workshops will focus on aspects of college life “like how to cook in your dorm, and how to make friends and some of that social student life aspect.” She said the weekend will be helpful for many students, especially first generation students who have not had a parent or a family member go through the application and college process before.

“It’s really just the best way to come together and get a sense of community, meet some families and students who are looking at that same transitions and struggles that you’re facing and come together and learn in person in small groups,” Meininger said.

There are 50 spots for the “Let’s Go Weekend.” Registration is now open and will close on Feb. 14.

WVU Extension offers more college resources, including online FAFSA resources and cost estimations.

“This is just one of the offers that we have,” Meininger said. “A lot of our county 4-H agents also are working with their local school districts and their 4-H to help kids gain these types of soft skills to prepare them for college prep, job and career readiness entry.”

Higher Ed Officials Change PROMISE Eligibility, Sponsor FAFSA Sign-Up Events

The coronavirus pandemic has had a big impact on all students. This includes high school students — some of whom did not qualify for West Virginia’s PROMISE Scholarship this year.

There are also students who still have yet to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which, last fall, officials said submissions were down by 25 percent compared to the previous year.

Higher education leaders, however, are trying to address both issues.

Temporary Changes To PROMISE Eligibility

The West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission voted Friday to temporarily change the requirements for applicants of the PROMISE Scholarship, to allow more students to now be eligible for aid.

On average the state sees about 3,200 eligible PROMISE recipients each year, according to officials, but for 2021, just 2,500 students are, so far, considered eligible.

“These students have struggled so much this year, and they have tried so hard,” West Virginia HEPC Chancellor Sarah Armstrong Tucker said. “I, as your chancellor, cannot recommend sitting on millions of dollars that should be given to students to help them forward their education. If we have the opportunity to make these changes to help hundreds of students, then I really believe that we ought to do it.”

The pandemic forced thousands of West Virginia students this year into inconsistent learning models, resulting in a third of K-12 students failing core subjects in the fall.

To help more students be eligible for aid, test score requirements have been lowered by a single point in all subjects, and the grade point averages for renewals this year have been waived:

For students in the high school graduating class of 2021: The standardized testing deadline to qualify for the PROMISE Scholarship has been extended from August 2021 to October 2021. Colleges and universities statewide are continuing to offer free ACT On-Campus exams.
For students in the high school graduating classes of 2021 and 2022: These students will now qualify for super-scoring to achieve the minimum standardized testing scores necessary to qualify for the PROMISE Scholarship. This allows students to take their top scores from sub-sections of different ACT or SAT tests and combine them for a higher overall score.
For students in the high school graduating class of 2021 receiving the PROMISE Scholarship for the first time in 2021-22: The test score requirements have been lowered as follows:
- ACT composite score – 21 (regularly 22); ACT English score – 19 (regularly 20); ACT Reading score – 19 (regularly 20); ACT Science score – 19 (regularly 20); ACT Math score – 19 (regularly 20).
- SAT composite score – 1080 (regularly 1100); SAT Evidenced-Based Reading and Writing score – 510 (regularly 530); SAT Math score – 510 (regularly 520).
- For students who received either the Higher Education Grant or the PROMISE Scholarship for 2020-21 and are renewing it for the 2021-22 award year: The grade point average required for renewal is waived for this upcoming award year only.

“College Bound Saturday” To Tackle FAFSA Decline

This Saturday, students and families across the state will have opportunities to attend the state’s first ever “College Bound Saturday” events.

These free workshops will allow students to learn more about state and federal financial aid programs, as well as get direct help filing the FAFSA.

“We are working hard to bring direct help to students and their families as they continue making plans for college,” said Brian Weingart, HEPC’s senior director of financial aid. “Typically, we would have been in high schools across the state over the past year, [but due to COVID-19] our outreach has been largely virtual or over the phone. While we’ve been able to reach and help many students over that time, we know that direct, in-person support is always the best.”

Students who file the FAFSA at these events will be entered into a drawing and could win a free computer.

“College Bound Saturday” will be held on June 12 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the following locations across West Virginia:

Concord University (Athens, WV)
James Monroe High School (Lindside, WV)
Lincoln County High School (Hamlin, WV)
Marshall University (Huntington, WV)
Mid-Ohio Valley Center (Point Pleasant, WV)
Salem University (Salem, WV)
Shepherd University (Shepherdstown, WV)
Southern WV Community and Technical College (Mt. Gay, WV)
Spring Mills High School (Martinsburg, WV)
West Virginia University Institute of Technology (Beckley, WV)
West Virginia Northern Community College (Wheeling, WV)
West Virginia State University (Institute, WV)
West Virginia University (Morgantown, WV)

HEPC Chancellor Tucker said West Virginia has more than $100 million in state financial aid each year to help students and their families pay for college.

Students can pre-register for “College Bound Saturday” and find more information – including a list of items to bring here.

W.Va. House Rejects Bill To Require FAFSA To Graduate

A bill aimed at ensuring high school students fill out the FAFSA prior to graduation has died in the West Virginia House of Delegates.

HB 2702 would have made filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid a requirement to graduate high school in West Virginia.

Opponents of the bill said it would have created an extra burden on students and shouldn’t be mandated to receive a diploma. Those in support said it was an incentive to ensure students find out how much aid they may be eligible to use for higher education.

The bill was rejected 42-56. It was the first piece of legislation in the 2021 session to be rejected on the floor of a full chamber.

Higher education officials reported prior to the start of the legislative session that FAFSA applications in the state were down by 25 percent.

Officials said this was largely due to students being out of schools because of the coronavirus pandemic.