Admissions and Registration

Admissions and Enrollment

WWCC provides access to any adult that can benefit through an “open door” admissions policy as established by the State of Washington (RCW 288.50.020). Some Workforce Education programs have specific admission criteria and limited space; however, WWCC makes every effort to assure a reasonable probability and timeframe for program admissions. The college’s admissions, satisfactory progression, academic appeals, termination, and readmission policies are clearly outlined, published, and administrated in a fair, equitable, and timely manner.

WWCC validates a student’s admissions information and matriculates applications that are full and complete.  We reserve the right to request verification of identity or high school completion, including a request for transcripts, in accordance with the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) of 2008.  Fraudulent applications are reported to the State Board of Community and Technical Colleges.

Explanation of Resident Classification

A resident student is one who is a U.S. citizen or meets specific requirements as a non-citizen and has met specific requirements demonstrating permanent residence in the State of Washington as defined in RCW 28B.15.012. Two elements are necessary to establish permanent residence. The first element requires physical presence on the location claimed as a permanent residence. The second element requires the intent to permanently reside in that location. These two elements can be established by a variety of factors and documentation, which should be dated one year and one day prior to the enrolling in the quarter for which the student is applying for residency status change.

Special regulations may apply to some eligible non-citizens, Washington higher education employees, and to military personnel and their dependents stationed in the State of Washington. For further information, contact the Office of Admissions and Records at 509.524.5168 or admissions@wwcc.edu.

Student Responsibility to Register Under Proper Classification

The student is responsible to register under the proper residency classification. If there is any question regarding residency classification, the student (prior to or at the time of registration) must discuss it with the Residency Officer in the Office of Admissions and Records. Verification must be provided.

All persons classified as residents of Washington State shall be reclassified as non-resident students whenever there is a change in legal residence to another state.

Students who have been erroneously classified as residents will be reclassified as non-residents and be required to pay the difference between the resident and non-resident tuition and fees for those quarters in which they were erroneously classified.

Application for Reclassification

Students wishing to change their residency classification must complete a residency questionnaire found at www.wwcc.edu/admissions/residency/ and provide the necessary documentation. Application for reclassification prior to registration into classes is preferred. Residency reclassification must take place within 30 calendar days of the first day of the quarter.

Students classified as non-residents will retain that status until the written application for reclassification has been approved. For more information call 509.524.5168 or email admissions@wwcc.edu.

How to Enroll in Classes at WWCC

New Student Process

All students need to complete a FREE Application for Admission to the college. Once the application has been processed, the student will receive an acceptance email that includes a ctcLink ID and instructions to activate their ctcLink account. More information about activation can be found at https://warriorlink.wwcc.edu/ctclink-resources-for-students/.

Once a student can log in to their student account, they can check their “To-Do” list for instructions on how to complete the Placement Process, apply for Financial Assistance, and sign up for an Advising and Registration session.

Financial Assistance

The Financial Aid Office at Walla Walla Community College encourages applications from all students seeking financial assistance. Financial support for students usually comes from three sources: the student, the student’s family, and financial aid programs. The Financial Aid Office is available to assist eligible students for specific college programs when their personal or family resources are not adequate to meet educational expenses. For Financial Aid information call 509.527.4301 for Walla Walla and 509.758.1703 for Clarkston or online at https://www.wwcc.edu/financial-aid​.

Eligibility

• Be a citizen of the United States or an eligible permanent resident.
• Have a high school diploma or GED® certificate.
• Students without a high school diploma or GED must meet Ability to Benefit requirements through our Transitional Studies Department
• Be enrolled in an eligible degree or certificate program offered by WWCC. Up to 45 credits of remedial coursework will be funded by financial aid if the student is accepted into an eligible program.
• Have financial needs as determined by a federally approved need analysis formula.
• Be in good standing on previous federal loans (not currently in default); be in good standing with previous federal grants (not currently in overpayment or repayment).

How to Apply

Students must complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WASFA) and the WWCC Financial Aid Information Form. Applications are available on the web at studentaid.gov​ (for FAFSA), www.readysetgrad.org/wasfa (for WASFA) or at www.wwcc.edu/financial-aid/.

Deadlines

Applications may be submitted at any time during the academic year; however, because of limited funds, the recommended application deadline for priority funding is March 1 for fall quarter enrollment. Applicants who have been admitted and have submitted all the required forms will be notified of award or denial of assistance.

A complete listing of the notification schedule for files completed can be viewed at the www.wwcc.edu/financial-aid/.

Financial Aid Programs

Other Financial Resources

• Bureau of Indian Education - available to qualified Native Americans. Information available at www.bie.edu
• Department of Vocational Rehabilitation - 509.526.2590 or 1.877.501.2233
• Veterans Administration - 509.527.1864
• WorkFirst - tuition and book assistance for qualified TANF recipients seeking training. 509.426.7973, or 509.751.4078 in Clarkston
• Basic Food Employment & Training (BFE&T) - for qualified individuals. 509.520.7206, or 509.751.4078 in Clarkston
• Worker Retraining - financial assistance to qualified dislocated workers or displaced homemakers. 509.529.1113, or 509.751.4078 in Clarkston
• Opportunity Grant - financial assistance to qualified students enrolled in high demand pathways. 509.524.5191
• Automatic Payment Plan - Call WWCC Business Services at 509.527.4204 or 509.758.3339 at the Clarkston campus for more information. Information available online at www.wwcc.edu/pay

Satisfactory Academic Progress Requirements for Financial Aid Recipients

Federal and state regulations require Walla Walla Community College to monitor the satisfactory academic progress of each student who receives financial aid. This is accomplished through a quarterly review by the Financial Aid Office before funds are disbursed to students. Satisfactory Progress means a minimum 2.0 quarterly GPA, a cumulative pace of progression of 67% or higher in a declared program, and the following credit completion rates:

Only grades of A, B, C, D, and P will count as completed credits. Grades of F, I, M, N, S, U, Q, Y, and Z do not count as completed credits.

When students withdraw or cease to attend classes, they may be required to repay financial aid funds received for that quarter. Financial aid, excluding work-study, will be repaid by the student according to the Return to Title IV Funds Policy.

A copy of this policy is available from the Financial Aid Office.

Placement Process

To be placed into English, reading, and math courses, there are various measuring tools to assess which class the student should enroll in. New students should start the Placement process by emailing testing@wwcc.edu. Placement is based on degree pathway, previous assessments such as ACT, SAT, or SBAC, and high school and college transcripts. Unofficial copies of these documents will be reviewed through the Placement Process If placement cannot be determined based on these documents, students will receive a link to the Guided Self-Placement (GSP) for in their WWCC student email. Separate links will be sent for the English GSP and Math GSP.

If a testing appointment is needed, please make an appointment. For the Walla Walla Campus, please call 509.527.4267 or email testing@wwcc.edu to make an appointment. For the Clarkston Campus, please call 509.758.3339.

Transfer students who submit to the Office of Admissions and Records official transcripts showing successful completion of college-level math and English with a grade of 2.0 or above are waived from taking that portion of the placement test. As part of the statewide reciprocity agreement, WWCC will accept math, reading, and writing placements from all other Washington State community and technical colleges.

Educational & Career Advising and Advising & Registration Sessions

WWCC provides assigned advisors to all degree-seeking students based on their program of study and are required to meet quarterly for educational planning. After planning the next quarter’s enrollment, the advisor will release the advising hold on the students account, enabling them to register for classes. Advisors use a variety of tools and assessments throughout the academic terms to help students determine appropriate career and education plans, develop quarterly class schedules, and review progress toward degree completion. However, the final responsibility for meeting all graduation requirements rests with the individual student.

Career exploration is available through courses and individual consultations to help students define their educational, personal, and career goals. Comprehensive career exploration tools are available online at www.wwcc.edu/career-services/explore. Free online assessments of students’ interests, abilities, personalities, and decision-making styles are administered and interpreted by professional personnel. Call 509.527.4262 - Walla Walla, or 509.758.3339 - Clarkston for more information or an appointment.

Advising and Registration sessions will be offered several times throughout the year to familiarize students with WWCC communications, education and career planning, online tools, the advising and registration process, as well as information on campus and community resources. For more information, contact the Advising and Counseling Center at 509.527.4262, or 509.758.3339 in Clarkston.

Registration

Registration is the process of enrolling in classes each quarter. After completing the advising process, students can register online after their scheduled registration date and time. Registration dates and times may be found in the Student Self- Service page in ctcLink. Students are able to make schedule changes online through the last day to register as specified in the “Important Dates” document online at www.wwcc.edu/calendar along with other important deadlines. It is the student’s responsibility to manage their class schedule to include adding or dropping courses at any point during the quarter.

Students are not allowed to attend a class unless officially registered for either credit or audit. Some classes, such as CAP, ESL, HSC, and GED®, have continuous enrollment.

Certain courses require prerequisite coursework at a minimum level of performance before a student can attend a particular class. Students who register for classes in which they have not met prerequisite requirements will be administratively withdrawn.

WWCC honors all military, veterans, and service-member students by allowing them priority registration. During the process of creating registration dates and time, these students are assigned a date and time one day before other students are allowed to register. This means our military and veterans students are the first to be allowed into our online registration system, therefore giving them priority registration.

Payment

The final step in the registration process is paying the bill. WWCC cashiers accept cash, checks, MasterCard, and Visa at Business Services or online. An automatic payment plan is available online using your ctcLink ID. You may set up the automatic payment plan with a bank account, MasterCard, or Discover. Information available at www.wwcc.edu/pay. Tuition and fees are usually due ten days prior to the beginning of the quarter.

Students planning to use financial aid to pay tuition will receive communication from the financial aid office when funds are available for payment. Students may track their financial aid status via the Financial Aid Portal at the WWCC website, www.wwcc.edu/financial.aid. Students who do not pay tuition by the due date may be dropped from classes and subject to a $50 re-enrollment fee.