December 26, 2023 

Media Contacts:  
Michael Hicks, WVC financial aid director, 509-682-6816 
Jennifer Korfiatis, WVC interim public information officer, jkorfiatis@wvc.edu 

WVC preparing for federal financial aid application changes  

Wenatchee Valley College students who are applying for financial aid in 2024-25 should expect to see some changes to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, form.  

The U.S. Department of Education is revising the form to expand eligibility for federal student aid and to offer a more streamlined experience. The new form will be available by Dec. 31, 2023. The WVC Financial Aid Office is in the process of revising the financial aid web pages to reflect the FAFSA changes.  

Revisions to the FAFSA website include:  

• making more students from low-income backgrounds eligible to receive Federal Pell Grants 
• providing an early estimate of potential federal student aid after submitting the form 
• having a spouse or step-parent participate in the application process as a contributor. A contributor is someone who would provide information, consent, approval, and a signature on the FAFSA. The contributor is based on the applicants’ dependency, tax filing, and marital status. Being a contributor does not mean that the person is responsible for school costs. 
• transferring federal tax information directly from the IRS into the form 

• consenting to and approving the transfer of federal tax information 
• creating a StudentAid.gov account for applicants and their contributors 
• allowing contributors who don’t have a social security number to create a StudentAid.gov account 
• sending the FAFSA to up to 20 colleges and universities 
• skipping up to 26 questions depending on individuals’ circumstances, which could shorten the completion time.  

In addition to these changes, students may begin completing the FAFSA on Dec. 31, but completed applications will not be distributed to schools until late January. 

Michael Hicks, WVC Director of Financial Aid, said that the financial aid office will offer a FAFSA and WASFA application night in mid-January to assist students and their families with the FAFSA process. The application night will be announced soon.  

For more information about FAFSA changes, visit the WVC Financial Aid page, www.wvc.edu/financialaid, or the U.S. Department of Education’s website, studentaid.gov/announcements-events/fafsa-support.  

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Wenatchee Valley College enriches North Central Washington by serving educational and cultural needs of communities and residents throughout the service area. The college is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion for all students and employees and provides high-quality transfer, liberal arts, professional/technical, basic skills and continuing education for students of diverse ethnic and economic backgrounds. Visit our website, wvc.edu. 

Wenatchee Valley College is committed to a policy of equal opportunity in employment and student enrollment. All programs are free from discrimination and harassment against any person because of race, creed, color, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, or the use of a service animal by a person with a disability, age, parental status or families with children, marital status, religion, genetic information, honorably discharged veteran or military status or any other prohibited basis per RCW 49.60.030, 040 and other federal and state laws and regulations, or participation in the complaint process. The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies and Title IX compliance for both the Wenatchee and Omak campuses: 

To report discrimination or harassment: Title IX Coordinator, Wenatchi Hall 2322M, (509) 682-6445, title9@wvc.edu. 

To request disability accommodations: Director of Student Access, Wenatchi Hall 2133, (509) 682-6854, TTY/TTD: dial 711, sas@wvc.edu.