Apply for Financial Aid

New or Incoming Students

STEP 1: Create an FSA ID

Create a Federal Student Aid ID (FSA ID) before starting a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) on the web for the first time. You will use your FSA ID to sign your FAFSA each year. If you are considered a dependent student for federal financial aid purposes, the parent who is now defined as a contributor will also need to create an FSA ID to sign your FAFSA.

 

STEP 2: Complete the FAFSA

Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online each year.  WWC urges students to complete the FAFSA as soon as possible.  Whenever possible, please use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool when completing the FAFSA.  

WWC FAFSA School Code:  002979

          Gather the following applicable documents/information to complete the FAFSA

    • Social Security Number
    • Driver license 
    • Alien registration number if you are not a U.S. citizen
    • Federal tax information including IRS W-2, tax returns, etc.

 

STEP 3: North Carolina Residents: Complete Residency

North Carolina students or any student wishing to be considered for NC Free Tuition should complete the NC Residency Determination. 

NC Need Based Funding or the North Carolina Need-Based Scholarship requires students to complete residency determination before they are fully eligible to receive any funding from the state of North Carolina.  

Click here to visit NC Residency. 

North Carolina determines if students are residents based on information gathered by RDS. 

If you would like to appeal your residency decision you will need to contact RDS directly for a reconsideration. 

Warren Wilson College or the Financial Aid Office does not determine if a student is eligible based on residency.  

 

STEP 4: Complete Pending Requirements

Pending requirements can be found on Financial Aid Portal

If you have not previously logged into your Net Partner account, you will need to do the following:

  • On Financial Aid Portal, in the log-in section on the right-hand side, click on “First Time User”
  • Enter your Social Security Number on the following page, and then click "Submit"
  • Create your personal security questions and unique password

 

STEP 5: Financial Aid Offer

After all pending requirements are completed, the WWC Financial Aid Office will process and generate your financial aid offer.   

New and incoming students will receive their WWC financial aid offer by mail.  

Financial aid offers are viewable on the Financial Aid Portal once you have been notified that the offer has been processed.  

Financial aid will not be disbursed until after the drop/add date.

 

STEP 6: Monitor your email

The WWC Financial Aid Office's main method of communication is email.  Make sure you check your email regularly for updates about financial aid.  The WWC Financial Aid Office will use the email you provided on your FAFSA and/or your student email.  

You will also want to check your new student portal with the admissions office in order to complete any outstanding checklist items or required tasks. 

The WWC Student Accounts office will send bills for the fall semester at the beginning of June.  The first statement will be sent to the attention of the student at their listed home address.  Accounts are also viewable online.  

 

STEP 7: Complete the FERPA/Parent and Family Access

Complete the FERPA

FERPA is an acronym for the Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act.

FERPA restricts the ability of WWC from releasing student information (including financial and academic records) to anyone including a parent, guardian, or family member who hasn't been authorized by the student.  This means that a student must authorize their parent or family member to view their student account, grade reports, or to speak with college personnel about non-medical issues relating to their attendance at Warren Wilson.

Records for the Counseling Center and Health Center are considered medical records and are not covered under FERPA guidelines. A separate release form must be obtained from these departments.

Once the FERPA is completed online, it can take 2 to 3 business days to process.  

Returning Students

STEP 1: Complete the FAFSA

Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online each year.  WWC urges students to complete the FAFSA as soon as possible.  Whenever possible, please use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool when completing the FAFSA. For returning students, our priority deadline for the 2024-2025 FAFSA is May 1st.

WWC FAFSA School Code:  002979

          Gather the following applicable documents/information to complete the FAFSA

    • Social Security Number
    • Driver license 
    • Alien registration number if you are not a U.S. citizen
    • Federal tax information including IRS W-2, tax returns, etc.

 

Step 2: Complete Pending Requirements

Pending requirements can be found on the Financial Aid Portal previously called Net Partner. 

If you need assistance accessing your Financial Aid Portal, please contact the WWC Financial Aid Office. 

 

Step 3: Financial Aid Offer

Returning students are offered financial aid late in the spring semester of each academic year. 

The WWC Financial Aid Office will notify students by email when their personal financial aid offer is ready to be viewed in their Financial Aid Portal. 

 

Step 4: Accept or Decline Federal Student Loans

Students will need to log in to the Financial Aid Portal and choose the "Financial Aid Offer" option from the menu on the top left. 

Federal student loans are offered to those students who completed the FAFSA.  

Students need to accept or decline each loan offer.

After making these selections, click "Submit" to finalize your offer.  

Financial aid will not be disbursed until after the drop/add date of each semester. Please note some financial aid is based on enrollment in term classes. 

 

 

STEP 5: Look for your Bill in Early June

After you have completed all the steps for your financial aid, the next step is to wait for your bill to be processed and made viewable on your myWWC portal.  

Student Accounts will generate returning student bills, and you will be notified by email when your billing statement for the next semester is ready. 

You will not receive a paper billing statement. You can view your billing statement online at anytime. 

The payment deadline for the fall semester will be July 15th of each year.  

The payment deadline for the spring semester will be December 15th of each year.  

Re-Admitted Students

STEP 1: Complete the FAFSA

Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online each year.  WWC urges students to complete the FAFSA as soon as possible.  Whenever possible, please use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool when completing the FAFSA. For returning students, our priority deadline for the 2024-2025 FAFSA is May 1st.

WWC FAFSA School Code:  002979

          Gather the following applicable documents/information to complete the FAFSA

    • Social Security Number
    • Driver license 
    • Alien registration number if you are not a U.S. citizen
    • Federal tax information including IRS W-2, tax returns, etc.

 

STEP 2: Complete the Scholarship Appeal Form

Students who leave the college due to an official withdrawal or official exit will need to submit a Scholarship Appeal Form to the financial aid office for merit and tuition-only scholarships to be reconsidered. Approved appeals will re-instate the student's previous merit and/or tuition-only scholarships.

 

STEP 3: Complete Pending Requirements

Pending requirements can be found on the Financial Aid PortalIf you need assistance accessing the portal please contact the WWC Financial Aid Office. 

 

STEP 4: Financial Aid Offer

The WWC Financial Aid Office will notify students by email when their personal financial aid offer is ready to be viewed in the Financial Aid Portal. Students can then log in to the Financial Aid Portal to view and accept/decline any pending aid.  

 

Eligibility Requirements

Merit Scholarships: 

  • Merit-based scholarships are awarded for a total of 8 semesters of continuous enrollment. 

  • Students who leave the college due to an official withdrawal or official exit will need to submit a Scholarship Appeal Form to the financial aid office for merit scholarships to be reconsidered. 

  • Approved appeals will reinstate merit scholarships the student was awarded at the initial time of admission. If for any reason an appeal is denied, the student can submit a new appeal for reconsideration for the following academic year. 

  • Students who are enrolled less than full-time (12 hours) are not eligible for merit-based scholarships. Exceptions to this policy are made only if a student is in their final semester before graduation as confirmed by the WWC registrar's office. Once enrollment is confirmed, merit aid will be prorated based on the number of hours enrolled.        

 

NC Free Tuition Plan and Milepost One:

  • The NC Free Tuition Plan and Milepost One scholarships are awarded for a total of 8 semesters of continuous enrollment.

  • Students who leave the college due to an official withdrawal or official exit will need to submit a Scholarship Appeal Form to the financial aid office for reconsideration of these tuition-only scholarships.  

  • Students must meet the renewal requirements to be eligible for NC Free Tuition or Milepost One scholarships. 

  • A successful appeal will reinstate the student’s scholarships to cover tuition only. If the appeal is denied, the student will be evaluated for a WWC Need-Based Grant. The amount of the need-based grant will not replace the full tuition scholarships.    

 

Federal Grants, Need-Based Scholarships, and Student Loan Eligibility:

  • Eligibility for federal grants and student loans is based on the current year's Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).   

  • In order to determine eligibility for federal grants, federal student loans, and the WWC Need-Based Grant, students must complete a FAFSA annually after the application becomes available.

  • Students need to submit a FAFSA for the academic year encompassing the semester they plan to seek enrollment.  



Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

  • Students are required to maintain SAP and remain in good academic standing to continue to be eligible for financial assistance. 

  • Students who withdraw from WWC for any reason will be evaluated as not making SAP.  Once a student seeks admission after a period of non-enrollment, the student will need to contact the Financial Aid Office regarding their SAP status. A student's previous SAP status will determine if an appeal and academic plan are required for financial aid. 

  • Students seeking re-enrollment after an official exit will be evaluated based on the SAP status they had at the time of their exit from the institution.    

  • For more information on SAP, please review the Financial Aid SAP policy on our website. 

 

Graduate Students

STEP 1: Complete the FAFSA

Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online of each year.  WWC urges students to complete the FAFSA as soon as possible.  Whenever possible, please use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool when completing the FAFSA.  

WWC FAFSA School Code:  002979

          Gather the following applicable documents/information to complete the FAFSA

    • Social Security Number
    • Driver license 
    • Alien registration number if you are not a U.S. citizen
    • Federal tax information including IRS W-2, tax returns, etc.

 

STEP 2: Complete Pending Requirements

Pending requirements can be found on the Financial Aid Portal

If you have not previously logged into your Net Partner account, you will need to do the following:

  • On the Financial Aid Portal, in the log-in section on the right-hand side, click on “First Time User”
  • Enter your Social Security Number on the following page, and then click "Submit"
  • Create your personal security questions and unique password

 

 

STEP 3: Financial Aid Offer

Graduate students will receive an email from the WWC Financial Aid Office once financial aid has been offered in their Financial Aid Portal. 

  • Students will need to log into their Financial Aid Portal to accept or decline any federal student loans offered.
  • Any scholarships awarded by a graduate program at WWC will already be accepted on behalf of the student.  
  • Make sure to "Submit" your decisions