WALLA WALLA - New changes in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) have made more financial aid available, including grants that do not need to be repaid. The form is also shorter and, for many people, more accessible to complete.

Walla Walla Community College Navigators are ready to help. Call the Student Success Center at (509) 527-4262 for Walla Walla, (509) 758-3339 for Clarkston, or email warrioradvising@wwcc.edu to schedule an in-person meeting.

Students ineligible to use the FAFSA (for example, due to citizenship or immigration status) should submit a Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WASFA) application instead. By submitting either application, you will also be reviewed for WWCC's Warrior Pledge Scholarship.

Students at Walla Walla Community College can learn a trade, earn a transfer degree, or attain a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Agriculture or Business Management.

WWCC student Brittani Drennan recommends that everyone considering college apply for financial aid.

"You can do it," she says. "You can work. You can be a mom. And you don't have to put unreasonable expectations upon yourself. You just have to take that first step."

The first in her family to go to college, Drennan is studying for an accounting degree. She attends classes part-time while working full-time as a mom to two young boys.

With the assistance of a WWCC navigator, Drennan secured financial aid, received a laptop, and paid for one year of childcare.

Contact the college today to ensure your application is in the mix before the May 1 priority deadline. This gives you the best opportunity to have all the pieces in place before the summer quarter starts. It's also not too early to submit your applications for fall.