[Wsssc] Hot Topics Follow-up on FAFSA updates

[Lauren Hibbs]

Dear WSSSC,



Thank you to those who attended WSSSC hot topics Thursday morning and to our special guest Dani Bundy who clarified the financial aid awarding questions you have. We want to take a moment to follow up and clarify the questions that arose during the discussion and share an invitation for next Wednesday. The below information has also been shared verbally with WACTC this morning during the business meeting.



Next System FAFSA Q&A: Paul Francis will soon send out an invitation for our next system FAFSA Q&A session on Wednesday, May 1, from 9:30-10:30am via zoom. This is open to all relevant CTC stakeholders.



June 8 Timeline: First and foremost, we want to emphasize that the state board maintains the June 8 timeline for system updates, despite the known Oracle and PeopleSoft bugs and adjustments that will continue through the summer months. These systems updates are normal and will continue to be worked through.



Using 2024-25 SAI for awards: SBCTC Support consulted with FAC last week on a proposal of utilizing the 24-25 SAI for awards. As shared today in the WSSC meeting, a random sample of 2024-25 ISIR indicated the current information being provided from the Department of Education is incomplete and/or inaccurate and will require later adjustment. This is not unique to our Washington colleges, as this is an issue being reported nation-wide and the Department of Education has stated they are working to resolve the FAFSA issues ongoing. We understand that each college has unique circumstances and considerations, and we support their ability to make informed choices in this regard. Ideally, we would encourage a system approach and common business practices for all colleges.


"Manual" Awarding: Essentially, this refers to not utilizing all the functionality within the system for processing financial aid files. Colleges will still use ctcLink for processing and awarding student files for the 24-25 academic year. However, given the persistent issues with the Department of Education, FAFSA errors and Oracle, it will be essential to only rely on the basic required elements in the system to ensure student files are awarded in a timely manner.



If you have any further questions or require additional clarification on any of these points, please don't hesitate to reach out and we welcome the collective knowledge at next Wednesday system session. Our aim is to provide colleges with the clearest guidance possible to facilitate their decision-making processes.
[Compass]
Lauren Hibbs, Ed.D
Director, Student Services
Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges
lhibbs at sbctc.edu*<mailto:lhibbs at sbctc.edu*> o: 360-704-4334 *
sbctc.edu<https://www.sbctc.edu/> * Twitter: @SBCTCWashington<https://twitter.com/SBCTCWashington> * Facebook: @WASBCTC<https://www.facebook.com/wasbctc/>

SBCTC Vision:

"Leading with racial equity, our colleges maximize student potential and transform lives within a culture of belonging that advances racial, social, and economic justice in service to our diverse communities."



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