All current and prospective students are encouraged to apply for financial aid by completing a FAFSA each academic year. The FAFSA is required to be considered for many forms of financial aid, including some grants, work study, and student loans. A completed FAFSA must be on file to qualify for any CWC private donor and institutional scholarships.
These requirements may not apply to all types of financial aid:
The Student Aid Index (SAI) is the number used to determine your eligibility for need-based federal financial aid. This is determined based on the information you provide on the FAFSA form. The SAI is calculated using the federal methodology formula which is approved by Congress. This calculation uses certain information from your tax return as well as the net worth of your assets.
Most of the tax information used to calculate the SAI is transferred directly from the IRS into the FAFSA form. Depending on your FAFSA filing status, you and your Parents or Spouse (if married) must provide consent and approval as a contributor to have your tax data transferred directly into your FAFSA form using the (FA-DDX) Future Act Direct Data Exchange. The CWC Financial Aid office will use the results to create a financial aid offer for you with the different types of available aid, including grants, scholarships, federal work-study, and/or loans.
Your federal aid offer letter will contain funding amounts based on estimated full-time enrollment status. Once the add/drop date has passed, your financial aid package will be adjusted to your actual enrollment level. If you make changes to your enrollment, please contact Rustler Central right away to update your financial aid offer.
| Enrollment Status | Credits |
|---|---|
| Full Time | 12+ credits |
| 3/4 Time | 9-11 credits |
| 1/2 Time | 6-8 credits |
| Less than 1/2 Time | 1-5 credits |
For new students who do not have access to the CWC student portal or provided a CWC e-mail account, the Rustler Central office staff communicates via the email listed on the FAFSA (when available) or provided on the admissions application.
For students who have CWC student portal access and a CWC e-mail account, the office communicates via the CWC e-mail only. It is important for students to check their CWC e-mail account regularly—even over breaks—to be sure they receive correspondence from staff at Rustler Central.
It is important for you to update your mailing and email addresses with the Rustler Central Office to ensure correspondence is sent to the correct address.
Correspondence from CWC Rustler Central staff will be sent/emailed to the student only. If the student wishes to share information about his/her financial aid package with parents or spouse, it is the student's responsibility to complete a release of information form and submit the form to Rustler Central: Download Release Form
Upon receiving a CWC email all future correspondence will only be sent to this email address.
It can take two to six weeks to process your financial aid application. The timeline for processing applications can be faster or slower depending on the time of year and whether or not requested documents have been received. The Financial Aid staff will attempt to process as many applications as possible to assist students in receiving their financial aid offer prior to the beginning of any academic semester, but cannot guarantee when funds will be received.
All Title IV federal aid offered is contingent upon institutional receipt of funds from the appropriate agencies and the laws and regulations which govern these programs and, thus, is subject to change.
Central Wyoming College is required to follow federal, state, and institutional regulations in the awarding of financial aid. Therefore, any changes in determination of need-based eligibility or aid amounts will be made in compliance with those regulations.
The U.S. Department of Education randomly selects applications to be verified during the FAFSA processing cycle. Students selected for verification must submit all requested documentation.
If you have questions concerning the documents required to verify your file, please contact the Rustler Central staff.
Federal Pell Grants, Federal SEOG, TRiO and Federal Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loans and Parent PLUS loans will not set up until all documents requested have been reviewed and verification is completed.
If changes need to be made to your FAFSA information, the Financial Aid Office will make those corrections based on the information submitted. If this new information changes your eligibility for federal aid, your financial aid awards will be corrected to reflect the new data.
Currently enrolled CWC students can log into their MyCentral student account, click the Rustler Central icon then navigate to Financial Aid. Any documents or required actions can be viewed under CHECKLIST on the main dashboard page OR by selecting Required Documents. Be sure to review your account information regularly.
New students will not have access to MyCentral until he/she is enrolled in CWC courses.
If consent to transfer tax information is missing — you, your spouse or your parent must log into FAFSA and give consent.
We recognize that the FAFSA may not always portray an accurate picture of your financial situation. Although considerations for specific situations are limited, we may be able to give additional consideration as described below. If you believe you have a special/unusual circumstance, you must contact Rustler Central staff and complete the Special/Unusual Circumstances form.
Students requesting special circumstance consideration will be reviewed. Additional documents such as tax return transcripts or other documents pertaining to your situtation may be requested. Decisions are final and will be communicated directly to the student. Any additional funding offered is only available for the academic year for which the special circumstance is approved.
The U.S. Department of Education determines a student’s dependency status based on the information provided on the FAFSA. Financial aid administrators have the authority to change a student’s status from dependent to independent in cases involving unusual circumstances. The phrase “unusual circumstances” means a situation that make it inappropriate to expect a parental contribution for the student. Unusual circumstances may warrant a dependency override.
Your financial aid offer is a conditional offer of the financial aid you are eligible to receive. Federal regulations require that funds received are to be used for educational expenses related to your program of study while attending. Educational expenses can include tuition, fees, books, course materials, supplies, living expenses (food and housing), transportation and other essential personal expenses.
Your financial aid offer will be viewable on the MyCentral portal. Login to your student account (MyCentral), click the Rustler Central icon and click the Financial Aid box.
MODIFICATIONS to your financial aid offer may occur during the academic year if your enrollment changes, you change your program of study, you receive additional educational funding, you do not maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress or there are regulatory changes to aid programs.
CWC may adjust or void your offer at any time as a result of a change in status, false or outdated information, the availability of federal, state, or institutional funding, and/or errors. Be aware that any changes to your offer could result in you owing money back to CWC.
Financial aid includes any scholarship, grant, loan, or employment that helps students cover the cost of attending college. Aid can be need based (offered because of your financial need) or it can be merit-based (offered because of your unique talents or academic ability). Some require completion of a FAFSA (marked with asterisk *).
The amount borrowed will need repaid with interest. You may decline or reduce your loan offer. To receive a student loan while attending CWC, you must accept the loan through MyCentral. Online Entrance Counseling and Master Promissory Note must be completed also. To learn more about federal student loans go to https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types/loans
All financial aid accepted by the student will be disbursed four weeks into the semester pending verification of attendance. In order for any Federal Financial Aid disbursements to be available, you must have a complete file and received your financial aid offer at least two weeks prior to disbursement dates. If you filed your FAFSA late (after August 1st for Fall or December 1st for Spring), your disbursements may not be available on the dates listed for disbursement. If this should happen, you must plan to have sufficient funds to cover all your expenses for the first two months of the term. Charges incurred by students for tuition, fees, on-campus room and board, and/or books are deducted from their financial aid funding prior to the release of funds to the students.
Friday, September 19, 2025
Friday, February 20, 2026
Friday, June 19, 2026
Please Note: Funding not disbursed during the above listed dates, will be processed and disbursed each Friday thereafter
A cost of attendance (COA) is a budget of reasonable expenses a student may incur and represents the maximum amount of federal and institutional funding a student may receive while attending CWC. It is not the actual bill from the school for a student's education. The Financial Aid Office develops the budgets for each academic year. The inflation rate and expected increases in all categories of included expenses are taken into consideration. In addition, the Department of Education has established guidelines that are followed in calculating allowable educational expenses. The COA includes tuition and fees, living expenses (housing and meals), books, course materials, supplies and equipment, transportation, and miscellaneous personal expenses.
Adjustments to the total cost of attendance (tuition/fees, housing/meals, books/course materials/supplies/equipment, transportation, and personal expenses) may be requested for additional expenses related to attendance to college, such as childcare, medical, disability, or program of study expenses. The student must submit a request in writing, identifying and itemizing the appropriate expenses for the current academic year (see Special Circumstances section).
Currently enrolled students: You can access your account to accept or decline awards, view current charges, available financial aid, view balances and/or make a payment online through your MyCentral Account.
Log into your MyCentral account. Click on the Rustler Central icon (graduation cap). Select the Student Finance from the Colleague Self Service menu. This will take you to your account summary page. On your account summary page, click the "Student Finance" link at the top and a drop down menu will appear. Click on the Account Activity link. Charges, financial aid and balance due will be displayed.
The CWC bookstore is available online only. To get started go to cwc.textbookbrokers.com. Search for your books by class or use your student ID number to find all course books at one time. Once you have selected your books you have the option purchase the books using a credit/debit card or choose to use financial aid. Please note that book charges against pending Federal Financial Aid is typically not available until one week prior to each term start.
If you receive financial aid that exceeds your direct institutional costs, CWC must refund the excess funds to you. CWC delivers your refund with BankMobile Disbursements, a technology solution powered by BM Technologies, Inc. BankMobile banking products and banking services are provided by First Carolina Bank Visit this link for more information: disbursements.bmtx.com/refundchoices
You may receive federal aid from only one institution in any given term or semester. So what happens if you are planning to enroll in courses at another institution and wish to receive Title IV funding? You must complete a CWC Consortium Agreement. Completing a consortium agreement allows your eligibility for financial aid to be based on the total credit hours attempted at both institutions for the term. For a course to be eligible it must be offered by an accredited host institution eligible to participate in Title IV federal aid programs and accepted by the home institution towards satisfying the student's degree requirements. Remedial courses do not fulfill degree requirements and are ineligible. The student must also be enrolled for a minimum of 3 eligible credits from Central Wyoming College during the term the consortium agreement is in effect. A new Consortium Agreement must be completed each term. More information can be found at: cwc.edu/consortium-agreement
The maximum amount of federal Pell Grant funds you may receive over your lifetime is limited by federal law. The Lifetime Eligibility Limit is the equivalent of six (6) years of Pell Grant (or its equivalent if you attend less than full-time). Students wishing to obtain a 4 year bachelor's degree is recommended not use more than 300% of their Pell Grant LEU eligibility towards their associate degree level (the first 2 years of their program). If more than 300% is utilized towards the associate's level, the remaining funds will be limited and may not be available to complete a bachelor's degree.
Lifetime Eligibility Used (LEU): the Department of Education keeps track of each student's LEU by adding together the percentages of their Pell Grant allocations received for each award year. If a student's LEU equals or exceeds 600%, the student will no longer receive Pell Grant funding.
To view your PELL grant LEU percentage, log into Studentaid.gov with your username and password then navigate to My Aid.
For more information concerning PELL grant limits go to: studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types/grants/pell/calculate-eligibility
Direct Student Loans have both annual and lifetime (aggregate) limits which are based on your year in college and your dependency status. Annual maximum loan limits are listed below. Keep in mind, you may not qualify for the maximum amount. Always borrow the least amount you need, especially when eligible for unsubsidized loans.
| Year in College | Dependent Student | Independent Student |
|---|---|---|
| 1st year (0-29 credits) |
$5,500 (of which a maximum of $3,500 can be subsidized loan) |
$9,500 (of which a maximum of $3,500 can be subsidized loan) |
| 2nd year (30-60 credits) |
$6,500 (of which a maximum of $4,500 can be subsidized loan) |
$10,500 (of which a maximum of $4,500 can be subsidized loan) |
| 3rd & 4th year (61+ credits) MUST HAVE BAS DECLARED |
$7,500 (of which a maximum of $5,500 can be subsidized loan) |
$12,500 (of which a maximum of $5,500 can be subsidized loan) |
If additional aid becomes available to you at a later date, your Direct Loan eligibility may be decreased by the total amount of the additional aid offered. Total Cost of Attendance represents your maximum aid eligibility from ALL sources.
If you are accepting and requesting a student loan — the following steps need to be completed:
Before you receive student loan funds, you are required to complete the steps listed below. Read through each item carefully. Depending on your loan history, you may not need to complete the task listed.
Your Financial Aid Offer can be seen in MyCentral once your file has been processed by the Financial Aid Office. You will be sent an email notice once awards are available to accept or decline. Processed awards are the maximum dollar amount of student loan funding you are eligible to borrow for the academic year at full time. If you wish to use student loans to help pay your educational expenses, you accept your student loans online through MyCentral (loan funds will be split equally between semesters), the type of loan (Direct Subsidized/Direct Unsubsidized).
NOTE: The information provided below may be slightly different than the information displayed on your computer screen due to your unique federal aid history and individual web browser settings.
Use your FSA ID username, email or phone number. If you do not remember your log in information, you may click one of the "forgot my username" or "forgot my password" links.
If you have not previously received a Direct Loan or Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL), the Federal Government requires you to complete entrance counseling to ensure that you understand the responsibilities and obligations you are assuming. If you are a transfer student, you must log into studentaid.gov and add CWC to your account and complete a new entrance counseling session.
If you have received federal student loans in the last ten years, you do not need to complete this step. If you are a transfer student, you must log into studentaid.gov and add CWC to your account and complete a new MPN. First time borrowers must complete a MPN which is a legal document in which you promise to repay your loans, plus interest & fees, to the U.S. Department of Education. The terms and conditions of your loan are explained.
Any time prior to disbursement of the loan, you may cancel all or part of the loan by notifying CWC Rustler Central. No origination fee, guarantee fee, or interest will be charged on the amount of the loan that is cancelled. Any time within 120 days of disbursement, you may pay back all or part of the loan. The loan fees will be reduced or eliminated in proportion to the amount returned.
Federal student loan exit counseling is required if you are graduating, have dropped below half-time enrollment, or if you are leaving school. You will receive exit counseling information via your CWC email regarding your rights, responsibilities and obligations to the Federal Student Loan Program.
https://studentaid.gov/exit-counseling/?counselingType=exit
The Parent PLUS Loan is an unsubsidized loan for the parents of dependent students. PLUS loans help pay for education expenses up to the student's estimated cost of attendance (minus all other financial aid). The borrower must be the student's biological, adoptive, or stepparent who's information is on the student's FAFSA. The child must be a dependent student enrolled at least half-time. Plus loan borrowers cannot have adverse credit history (a credit check will be done). In addition, parents and their dependents must be U.S. citizens or eligible noncitizens, must not be in default on any federal education loans or owe an overpayment on a federal education grant.
If the parent receives a loan approval from the Department of Education and would like the CWC Financial Aid office to originate a PLUS Loan; the parent must complete the Parent PLUS Entrance Counseling, Parent PLUS loan Master Promissory Note (on the studentloans website), request a Parent PLUS loan request form from the CWC Financial Aid Office and submit the form for processing.
If the parent receives a denial from the Department of Education, the student may request additional unsubsidized loan money up to the annual loan limit. Written requests must be made by the student to Rustler Central. Student must submit a copy of parent's loan denial.
Title IV Federal regulations require an institution establish a Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy for all students receiving federal and state funding, such as Federal Pell Grant, SEOG, TRiO, College Work Study, Direct Subsidized & Direct Unsubsidized Loans, Parent PLUS Loan and Veterans benefits. Students must maintain satisfactory academic progress both prior to and while receiving federal student aid (this includes dual / concurrent credits). Review of SAP process will take place at the end of each payment period for all degree seeking students who receive financial aid. (The institution abides by the SAP process for all degree seeking students, regardless of whether the student receives Title IV or not.)
Students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of a 2.0. Student grades of A, B, C, D, F are included in the GPA calculation. Grades of I (incomplete), Z (audit), W (withdrawal), or WI (withdrawal by instructor), X (incomplete), U (unsatisfactory), S (satisfactory) are not counted in the GPA.
Students are expected to complete two-thirds (66.67%) of all attempted credits. Student grades of A, B, C, D, F, U, S, are counted in attempted credits. Student grades of A, B, C, D, and S are counted in completed credits. Grades of F, U, and W are counted in attempted credits but 0 credits are completed. Grade of Z (audit) is not counted in attempted or completed credits. If a student has transfer equivalency (TE) credits, ALL TE credits completed will be counted in both attempted and completed.
Students must be able to complete their program of study within 150% of the published program length. For example: if a student's published program length is 60 credits, then 60 x 150% = 90 total credits (this includes ALL TE credits that transfer in). All credits are included whether or not the student received aid when the credit hours were attempted / completed. A student is ineligible for Federal Aid when it becomes 'mathematically impossible' to complete their program within 150% of their published program length. This may affect students who have changed their program of study or are pursuing more than one program. Students are highly encouraged to no change their program of study more than three times while at CWC due to the negative impact it can have on their financial aid eligibility.
| Cumulative Credit Hours Attempted | Cumulative Credit Hours Completed | Calculation of 66.67% |
|---|---|---|
| 35 | 24 | 24/35 = 68.5% |
| 20 | 14 | 14/20 = 70% |
| 12 | 8 | 8/12 = 66.67% |
| 9 | 6 | 6/9 = 66.67% |
| 6 | 4 | 4/6 = 66.67% |
Students who are receiving Title IV aid assistance (Pell Grant, SEOG Grant and Direct Loans) and cease attending or officially withdraw from all classes at CWC during the semester, may be required to repay a portion of the federal aid they received.
During the first 60 percent of the semester, a student is entitled to retain a percentage of their grant or loan assistance directly proportional to the percentage of the semester completed by the student. If a student stops attending or officially withdraws from all classes during the semester, the financial aid office must calculate the percent of the term the student completed AND adjust the student's aid to match that same percentage.
The Return of Title IV funds calculation determines the percentage of "earned" and "unearned" federal aid. This percentage is determined by dividing the number of days completed by the number of days in the payment period.
If the student has completed 60 percent or more of the enrollment period, all funds have been "earned," and there is no return of federal funds; HOWEVER, dropping classes, can affect a student's federal aid eligibility for a future term. Please see the Financial Aid Office, CWC Catalog or refer to SAP section of this handbook for additional information.
Additional information pertaining to Return of Title IV funds can be found in the 2025/2026 CWC Catalog at cwc.edu/schedules-catalogs
The Federal Work-Study program is a federally subsidized financial aid program that offers part-time jobs on campus for eligible undergraduate students. This program allows students to earn money to help pay educational expenses. Federal Work Study funding is awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis to students who have indicated on the FAFSA an interest in Federal Work Study employment.
Eligibility for this program requires students to demonstrate financial need, be enrolled at least half-time in an eligible program, complete all employment requirements and be meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). Not all students with financial need are guaranteed to receive work-study due to limited funding.
The majority of Work-Study positions are located on-campus, this program also offers a growing number of off-campus, community service and reading tutor positions. Regardless of the location, the ultimate advantage of a Work-Study position is that it affords students invaluable experience when preparing to enter the job market after graduation.
The length of a student's employment under FWS funding is based on the student's FWS award, pay rate and hours worked per week. Federal work study funding does not guarantee the student has a job or that the student will earn the amount listed on their financial aid offer letter. Students are allowed to work up to 19 hours per week. NOTE: Students hired in more than one position may not work more than 19 hours total, per week, combined. Working hours are arranged with the supervisor around the student's class schedule. The current pay rate for work study students is $10.25/hr. for the first 450 hours and $10.75/hr. thereafter. Paychecks are directly deposited into student's bank account on the last working day of the month.
Job applications/resumes are reviewed by area supervisors in need of student workers. Supervisors will contact you to set up an interview.
Federal Student Aid & ID Theft:
studentaid.gov/student-aid-and-identity-theft.pdf
Federal Trade Commission Consumer Information - Keep Your Personal Information Secure:
consumer.ftc.gov/how-keep-your-personal-information-secure
Free Money Course:
fdic.gov/resources/consumers/money-smart
Consistent with its mission to value diversity and to treat all individuals with dignity and respect, Central Wyoming College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, religion, or disability in admission or access to, or treatment or employment in its educational program services or activities. The college makes reasonable accommodations to serve students with special needs and offers services to students who have the ability to benefit. Inquiries concerning Title VII and Title IX may be referred to the CWC HR director and inquiries concerning Section 504 may be referred to the Disabilities Coordinator at Central Wyoming College, 2660 Peck Avenue, Riverton, WY 82501 (307) 855-2112 or 1-800-735-8418 (instate) or the Office of Civil Rights for Wyoming at Denver Office, Office of Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, Federal Building, 1244 Speer Blvd, Suite 310, Denver, CO 80204-3582, 303-844-5695, Fax 303-844-4303, TDD 303-844-3417, email [email protected].
The spirit of free inquiry, which characterizes the educational environment, must be allowed to flourish within the context of mutual respect and civil discourse. Discriminatory, threatening, or harassing behavior against any group or individual based on, but not limited to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientations, marital status, or gender identity), national origin, age, disability (mental and/or physical), veteran status, or genetic information will not be tolerated. cwc.edu/about-cwc/human-resources/non-discrimination