West Virginia Gov. Justice issues State of Emergency for education, broadens state aid availability

The application process also opened months later than its usual date of Oct. 1, leading to a nationwide decrease in students applying for federal financial aid.

Justice said West Virginia alone has seen a 40% decline in FAFSA applications, claiming that part of the problem is that the process has become too difficult for students and their families to understand and complete.

“A lot of kids are sitting on the sidelines wondering not when the money can come, but ‘Am I going to be able to go to college?’” Justice said. “The way around this is for the governor to declare a State of Emergency for the state of West Virginia so we can bypass this FAFSA stuff and we can at least get on to getting our kids state funding.”

West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission Chancellor Dr. Sarah Tucker explained that under the State of Emergency, students who apply for and qualify for the Promise Scholarship by Sept. 1 will receive up to $5,500 for the 2024-25 academic year.

Further, if a student completed last year’s FAFSA, Tucker said, and qualifies for the need-based West Virginia Higher Education Grant, the student will receive up to $3,400 for the Fall 2024 semester.

“If you do not have a previous FAFSA on file but are eligible for one of the following programs through the West Virginia Department of Human Services, you can show your eligibility letter to your higher education institution’s financial aid office to receive the higher education grant,” Tucker said.

The programs she listed include the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, Women, Infants and Children and the Childcare Subsidy Program.

“If a student or a family needs a replacement eligibility letter to provide to the financial aid office, you can call 877-716-1212 to request a new one,” Tucker said.

As long as students qualify for the Promise Scholarship or the West Virginia Higher Education Grant, they will receive the money for the fall semester regardless of their FAFSA status, she said.

Tucker further encouraged students and their families to contact the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission for help with completing the FAFSA.

“We can’t let our kids suffer,” she said. “I continue to urge all of our students to continue to try to apply for FAFSA. If you are able to complete it and receive the maximum (federal Pell Grant award), that’s an additional $7,395 that will go toward your college education, and that’s important money for you to receive. Please call us and work with us, and we’ll help you as much as we can.”

After the announcement Tuesday afternoon, Fairmont State University President Dr. Mike Davis told WV News that he’s thankful for the broadening of state financial aid.

He said that roughly 90% of Fairmont State’s students are West Virginians, and providing this sort of aid to incoming students is a needed shot in the arm for the upcoming academic year.

“Right now, we’re in very good shape enrollment-wise, but we’re also seeing a lag compared to previous years in terms of students’ acceptance of merit-based scholarships, and we think that’s a direct result of the holdup with FAFSA,” Davis said. “We were thrilled to see the governor’s announcement today because we think it’s going to supercharge the recruitment efforts that are already happening on campus, because students will actually know how much they’ll have to pay to come to Fairmont State next year.”

Those looking for help with financial aid are encouraged to contact the state’s hotline at 1-877-987-7664 or visit www.collegeforwv.com.