A Promise from the President:
Students and parents are sometimes scared away from small, liberal arts colleges because they think they can’t afford the education. It’s different at Wyoming Catholic College. We are committed on principle to providing an affordable education to each student.
As the father of six children, I deeply respect the sacrifices of parents to educate their children in the Christian Faith. Our primary work is to perfect this education in each student, not just during their four years here, but also in their future lives and vocations. Students will emerge from college with a unique experience in the Great Books and in God’s creation—but they will not be crippled by debt.
Through the generosity of our donors, we can provide an education to our students that costs them much less than the actual operating cost per student. Their generosity allows us to give financial aid to any student who has a demonstrated financial need. However, we have a fiduciary responsibility to students and alumni to ensure that each family is contributing as much as they are able. Read on to learn how we design our Financial Packages.
Family Contribution
Each student and their parents should contribute as much as possible toward the cost of education. This includes contributions from the student’s summer earnings, personal savings, and parental support.
Work-Study Program
Unless there are exceptional circumstances, students are expected to participate in a full work-study position before receiving additional need-based aid.
Student Loans
The College board has decided not to participate in federal loan programs to preserve our financial and academic freedom. This choice is supported by a broad consensus among our community, including students, parents, donors, alumni, faculty, and staff. We have worked to find alternatives to federally funded loans for our students which you can review below:
External Scholarships
We encourage students to seek out external scholarships, as these can further reduce the cost of attendance. See a list of externals scholarships below:
Need-Based WCC Grants
To address any remaining financial need, the College may provide WCC grants. These grants, funded by our generous benefactors, do not require repayment.
Apply for Financial Aid by completing the CSS Profile
College Scholarship Service Profile
Please follow the link to the CSS profile hosted by Collegeboard.com and complete the Fall 2024/Spring 2025 College Scholarship Service Profile. The WCC Code is 4748.
This profile with enable the Office of Financial Aid to evaluate your family’s need and provide a comprehensive Financial Package.
For new students, please be aware that Financial Aid is awarded on a first come basis with the most competitive awards being issued at the beginning of the cycle.
All student payments, including those from loans, are due by the respective student check-in dates for the fall semester. Failure to make these payments could result in late-payment fees.
For the balance of cash payments from parents, one of the following payment plans may be selected:
Plan 1: Single-Payment Plan. Parents whose enrolled child is not receiving financial aid from the College and who pay for both semesters by June 30th will receive a discount of $500. If the student is receiving financial aid from the College, parents may still choose Payment Plan 1, but no discounts will be given.
Plan 2: Two-Payment Plan. Parents whose enrolled child is not receiving financial aid from the College and who pay for each semester by June 30th and December 31st, respectively, will receive a discount of $350. This discount is deducted from the second payment. If the student is receiving financial aid from the College, parents may still choose Payment Plan 2, but no discounts will be given.
Plan 3: Ten-Payment Plan. The total amount due is paid in ten equal monthly installments beginning on July 1st.
During the year, a student who has received merit or need-based aid from the College may be contacted by the Advancement Office and asked to write a letter of appreciation to the donor(s) who helped to make possible the financing of his or her education.
Work-study positions, which make a genuine contribution to the common good of the entire college community, are available in areas such as food service, maintenance and groundskeeping, library, administrative, and faculty offices. The usual number of hours required of a student on work-study is ten hours per week for 30 weeks. For this work, a maximum of $3,300 per year is credited against the students cost of attendance. It is the student’s responsibility to work the required hours and to meet the work-study amount credited as financial aid.
Work-study wages are taxable income to the student. If a student chooses to withhold federal/state taxes from his or her wages, it may result in a shortfall in work-study compensation. A W-2 form will be provided to the student no later than February 28th each year. Please be aware that the student may incur a tax liability at the end of the calendar year.
A student who has accepted aid in the form of work-study agrees to accept the work assignment given and to abide by the work schedule assigned. The work that students are assigned does not interfere with class times. A student’s failure to complete the weekly hours or to do the work adequately may result in disciplinary action, up to and including the loss of work-study financial aid. The student is responsible for repaying to the College any shortfall in the work-study credit amount provided in the financial package.
At the discretion of the Work-Study Committee, students who meet established criteria are permitted to work off-campus in lieu of work-study positions on campus.
