LACEY, Wash. - Washington State has one of the most generous state financial aid programs in the country, due in part to the Washington College Grant. 成人抖音 seeks to provide resources for navigating the financial aid process and affording a college education Staff are offering increased assistance this year, as nationally the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is delayed by changes ordered by the U.S. Department of Education.
The Catholic Benedictine university in Lacey is dedicated to providing options for students and families to fund a college education. Saint Martin成人抖音also joined a national coalition improving financial aid offer transparency and communications, and rolled out strategies to support students impacted by 2024-2025 FAFSA delays.
Washington College Grant provides free money to qualified 成人抖音 students
The 成人抖音 Office of Financial Aid is committed to making college a reality for its students in their academic journey through financing assistance and support. At Saint Martin鈥檚, 99% of first-year, full-time students receive financial aid.
One such program is the state成人抖音Washington College Grant (WCG). The WCG provides to eligible Washington residents based on income data and financial aid eligibility calculated using the FAFSA or the Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WASFA). Most institutions include this grant in their financial aid award offer. Students do not repay the grants, making them 鈥渇ree money鈥 for school.
鈥淎t this time, the Washington College Grant offers up to $9,739 for a student to attend post-secondary education,鈥 says Saint Martin成人抖音Director of Financial Aid Erin Schaffer. 鈥淭his is a generous amount of aid that can make a huge difference in a family成人抖音ability to pay and readiness to enroll, particularly as it relates to a private college education.鈥
Saint Martin成人抖音Dean of Admissions and Enrollment Patty Lemon says the grant expands post-high school options. 鈥淭he Washington College Grant is one of the most generous financial aid programs in the country,鈥 says Lemon. 鈥淲ashington students and families are not aware that the grant can be used for not only public and private colleges but also for apprenticeship and certificate programs in Washington.鈥
Saint Martin成人抖音joins 鈥楥ollege Cost Transparency Initiative鈥 to clarify financial aid offers
成人抖音 is among the first five institutions in Washington, and hundreds across the nation, joining the (CCT). CCT partner schools voluntarily follow providing students financial aid offers that are clear, accurate and transparent about college costs. Lemon explains that making financial aid easier to understand empowers students and families to make informed decisions based on actual costs.
鈥淐ollege costs can be intimidating,鈥 says Lemon. 鈥淣ot understanding financial aid is one of the barriers that many prospective students and families face after being admitted to an institution. Saint Martin成人抖音partnership with the College Cost Transparency reflects its commitment to supporting students and families in navigating the complexities of college costs and financial aid. This means that students will receive financial aid offers that adhere to the CCT Initiative成人抖音principles. This includes transparent information about tuition, fees and other costs associated with attending Saint Martin鈥檚.鈥
成人抖音 rolls out strategies to help students manage federal FAFSA delays
Saint Martin成人抖音is also supporting students impacted by the 2024-2025 FAFSA delays. 鈥淭he biggest challenges colleges and universities are faced with in relation to the FAFSA delays are pretty universal,鈥 says Schaffer.
The U.S. Department of Education (DOE) typically opens the FAFSA each October to students applying for federal financial aid. This schedule means institutions like 成人抖音 that use the form成人抖音income data can make timely financial aid offers for the next academic year.
In 2020, Congress required to simplify the FAFSA and adjust the award formula. The new FAFSA was not released until the end of 2023, unfortunately giving less time for families to complete the form for 2024-2025 and for schools to make financial aid offers. And the DOE recently announced that correcting the FAFSA award formula error means schools won鈥檛 receive FAFSA data until mid-March.
Schaffer says Saint Martin成人抖音implemented the following strategies to ease the delay成人抖音impact:
- Extend the University deposit deadline and FAFSA filing priority deadline to June 1, 2024.
- Stay in regular communication with students on their financial aid offer status, as the DOE provides updates.
- Provide a for estimating costs and potential financial aid.
鈥淲e definitely do not want families to be worried! These updates and delays impact the whole of higher education in this country,鈥 says Schaffer. 鈥淎s a result, there is now a brief period of time in which schools like Saint Martin成人抖音have the ability to utilize our position as a College Cost Transparency institution to have preliminary conversations with families to help alleviate concerns about next steps.鈥
To learn more, contact the 成人抖音 Office of Financial Aid.
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