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Financial Aid
Student Services Building
423.585.6811
fax: 423.585.6763
WS School Code
008863
Resources
A majority of Walters State students receive financial aid to help pay for college. A variety of resources are available from federal, state institutional and private sources including grants scholarships, loans and work study programs. One of the first steps in the financial aid process is filling out the Free Application for Federal Students Aid (FAFSA).
Financial Aid News
2013-2014 FAFSA
Apply Now! The 2013-2014 FAFSA application is available. This application must be completed each year as it is required for all federal and state programs, including the Tennessee Lottery Scholarship.
If applying early, prior to completing your 2012 federal tax return, you can complete the application using "estimated" income information. However, you will be required to log back into the FAFSA and update your application with accurate income and tax information when available.
Students and Parents are strongly encouraged to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool when completing the FAFSA. This option allows tax return information to be transferred electronically from the IRS database directly into the FAFSA. This option should be available in late February. Please allow 3 weeks after filing your tax information electronically before logging back into the FAFSA to use this tool. Also, some students and parents may not be able to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool based on filing status or type of return. If you are unable to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, you will be required to provide the Financial Aid Office a copy of an official IRS tax return transcript if selected for verification.
Need help completing the FAFSA? Click here for a tutorial to help students and parents complete the 2013-2014 FAFSA.
Not sure how to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool? Click here for a free tutorial to help students and parents transfer data from the IRS database directly into the FAFSA application.
Reminder the FAFSA is a free application!
Fall 2013 Priority Deadline
The priority deadline for Fall 2013 is June 30, 2013. In order to have aid packaged by fee payment deadlines the FAFSA must be filed and all verifications documents submitted to our office by this date. Be proactive by submitting all required documents and checking your StarNET account frequently. Students that fail to meet the financial aid priority deadline should make other arrangements to pay fees. Failure to pay fees by the appropriate deadline may result in a student schedule being deleted.
Direct Stafford Loan Program Ending at Walters State
Effective with the 2013-2014 academic year Walters State Community College will no longer be participating in the William D. Ford Direct Stafford Loan Program. As a result, we encourage all students to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as soon as possible after January 1, 2013.
We will continue to process loan requests for the 2012-2013 academic year. See deadlines below:
- Spring 2013 Term: April 5, 2013
- Summer 2013 Term: June 14, 2013
Alternatives for funding your college education cost are available here. Also, the college does offer a deferred payment plan. Click here for information on the college’s deferred payment plan.
Please plan ahead for the upcoming academic year by completing the FAFSA early and remembering that deadlines are important. If you have questions regarding your loan status, eligibility or repayment information please stop by the financial aid office or call 423.585.6811.
Attention Class of 2013: tnAchieves scholars
tnAchieves provides an opportunity for Tennessee public high school graduates to receive assistance for community college tuition. Because tnAchieves is a “last dollar” scholarship, it fills the gap between what the student is expected to pay in tuition after all federal and state monies have been awarded.
Important Deadlines
To become a tnAchieves scholar you must comply with the following requirements and deadlines as listed below:
- Submit an application by October 12, 2012.
- Attend all scheduled team meetings. With a mandatory New Student Orientation (NSO), the student will be responsible for four mandatory meetings. Click here for a detailed list by county of meeting times and locations.
- Complete the 2013-2014 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form by February 1, 2013. The application is available online starting January 1, 2013. Information you will need to complete the FAFSA.
- Complete the ACT (American College Test) by April 13, 2013.
- Apply for admission by April 15, 2013. Student must begin at the post-secondary institution in the fall directly following high school graduation.
- Register for classes by July 1, 2013. Reminder: You must be enrolled in 12 hours to be eligible for this program.
- You will also be required to attend an assigned tnAchieves New Student Orientation (NSO) held during the summer.
- Provide all documents to the post-secondary institution by the established deadline of selected for financial aid verification. Note: The Financial Aid Priority Deadline for WSCC is June 30, 2013.
- Complete at least eight hours of community service each semester. This service can begin in June following the student’s high school graduation. Refer to the tnAchieves website for more information.
2012-2013 FAFSA
It is not too late to complete your 2012-2013 FAFSA Application. Apply now using your 2011 tax information. The results from this application will determine your eligibility for the following terms: 2012 Fall, 2013 Spring and 2013 Summer.
Already Filed your 2012-2013 FAFSA? Click here to log into your StarNET account to see if any additional information is needed to complete the processing of your financial aid application.
Have you activated your STARmail account? If not, click here to activate now. All notices from the Financial Aid office will be sent to your student email account as this is Walters State Community College's primary mode of communication.
New for 2012-2013
Verification
WSCC can no longer accept copies of federal tax returns for FAFSA verification purposes.
Federal regulations now require that you submit a signed copy of an official IRS tax return transcript to the Financial Aid office or link your information directly to the FAFSA using the IRS Data Retrieval tool.
Students and Parents are strongly encouraged to use the new IRS data retrieval feature when completing the FAFSA. If you use the data retrieval feature to complete or update the tax information on the FAFSA and no changes are made to the tax information, a tax return transcript may not be required. Watch the video below to learn how to save time by submitting your information using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool.
The IRS information may not be available for up to 2 weeks if you file electronically or 4-6 weeks if you file a paper form.
Certain tax filers are not eligible to use the IRS data retrieval feature based on filing status (Married filing separately or Head of Household) and type of return (amended or foreign tax return).
You may obtain a copy of an IRS tax return transcript by contacting the IRS at www.irs.gov or 1-800-908-9946. Click here for detailed instructions on how to request this information from the IRS.
Books and Supplies
A new provision is being made available beginning with the Fall 2012 term to allow students an opportunity to purchase books and supplies. Click here for more detailed information, including updates on when all balance of aid funds will be released.
Federal Pell Grant Lifetime Eligibility
The amount of Federal Pell Grant Funds a student may receive over his or her lifetime is limited by a new federal law to be equivalent of six years (600%) of Pell Grant Funding or receipt of a Bachelor's degree whichever is sooner. A student whose Lifetime Eligibility Used (LEU) is equal or exceeds 600% is no longer eligible to receive Pell funding.
The Department of Education keeps track of your LEU by adding together the percentages of your Pell Grant scheduled awards that you received for each award year. The calculation of the duration of a student's eligibility will include all years of the student's receipt of Federal Pell Grant funding. This change in the duration of students' Federal Pell Grant eligibility is not limited only to students who received their first Federal Pell Grant on or after the 2008-2009 award year, as the HEA previously provided when the duration of eligibility was 18 semesters.
Loans
The interest subsidy provided during the 6 month grace period for Direct Stafford Loans for which the first disbursement is made on or after July 1, 2012 and before July 1, 2014 has been eliminated. Students receiving a subsidized loan during this limited timeframe will be responsible for the interest that accrues on the loan during the grace period.
Important Deadlines:
- Last day to submit a request for a Fall Loan is November 1, 2012.
- Last day to submit a request for a Spring Loan is April 5, 2013.
- Last day to submit a request for a Summer Loan is June 14, 2013.
The purpose of the Financial Aid Office at Walters State Community College is to provide access to higher education for all students by providing comprehensive financial assistance through quality service and timely processing of aid for all eligible students.
