Emergency Declaration and Additional Funding Assist West Virginia Students in Affording College

The federal government’s redesign of the student aid application has faced challenges, but West Virginia’s higher education leaders credit Gov. Jim Justice and the state Legislature for putting the state in a better position than others.

The release of the 2024-2025 Free Application for Federal Student Aid forms was delayed until January, following a national delay.

Gov. Justice declared a state of emergency in April concerning the FAFSA, allowing West Virginia students to qualify for state school aid without filling out the form.

The state Legislature allocated about $83.2 million from the rainy day fund to the state Higher Education Policy Commission to assist college-bound students for the upcoming fall semester.

Senior director of communication at the state HECP, Jessica Tice, expressed relief that students can afford college this fall and looks forward to seeing enrollment and award numbers.

The commission granted funding through the Higher Education Grant Program to 43,510 students for the new school year compared to 31,867 students in the previous year.

An additional 30 Promise Scholarship recipients without a current FAFSA received the scholarship due to the changes.

To date, 63,291 West Virginia students have completed the FAFSA, according to Tice.

The state Legislature’s additional funding increased the grant award to $6,800 from $3,300 last year, intended to aid students with financial need.

Institutions received funds to offer $2,000 College Access Grants to students in greater need.

Concerns about the FAFSA now reside primarily at the college and university level, especially with the Department of Education’s recent announcement about batch corrections, putting pressure on institutions.

West Virginia University is processing the 2024-25 FAFSA on schedule, with classes set to begin on Aug. 21.

Officials are preparing for the launch of the 2025-2026 FAFSA, expected to be available in December, causing worry about potential delays.

“As we work to provide state aid despite FAFSA status, we are apprehensive about another delay,” expressed Tice, emphasizing the benefits of FAFSA for accessing maximum financial aid.