A Promise from the President:
Student 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 eight 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.
Please read on about the particulars of our policies. Be assured that we will do our best to work with every admitted student and come to an acceptable financial arrangement.
Before the College can extend an offer of financial aid, the student and his or her family must cover, out of the following sources, as much of the total cost of the student’s education as possible.
Source 1. Outside Scholarships
As a prerequisite to receiving financial aid from the College, each student must apply for a minimum of two outside scholarships. Scholarships are often awarded by local service clubs (such as the Knights of Columbus, Council of Catholic Women, and Rotary), corporations, private organizations, religious organizations, high schools, unions, and the military. The College encourages its students to apply for as many sources of outside aid as possible.
If a student agrees to the financial aid package offered by the College, any additional outside scholarships he or she receives must be shared pro rata based on the terms of the package. If, for example, a student/parent is paying 60% of tuition and costs, 60% of the additional outside scholarship will go towards reducing the student/parent payments or loans. Students are responsible for notifying the Financial Aid Office when they receive additional outside aid, even if they have already been notified of their financial aid package.
Source 2. Wyoming Catholic College Scholarships
The College offers many scholarship opportunities for students. These include the WCC Merit Scholarship, Founders’ Scholarship, Native American Mentor-Student Partnership and the Christine Allen Memorial Scholarship. Specific details regarding each of these awards are provided on our Scholarships page.
Source 3. Payments from Parents
A student’s parents must make the greatest possible contribution towards the cost of their child’s collegiate education. Parents are encouraged to view educational expenses not only as part of their general obligation to provide for their children and to prepare them adequately for their adult lives and vocations, but also as the material support of a spiritual work of mercy and therefore as part of tithing and charitable giving. The College uses a standardized financial aid calculator to determine the family’s financial need based on the Financial Aid Application.
Source 4. Payments from Student
To be eligible for financial aid, a student must contribute a minimum of $3,000 each year from summer employment towards tuition, room, and board. If the student can contribute more from available savings, he or she is expected to do so.
Source 5. Student and Parent Loans
Please see the Financial Aid Application for specific details.
To assist in financial planning, prospective students and their families may request a preliminary evaluation of their financial circumstances and an estimate of the forthcoming financial aid prior to the student’s acceptance into the College. Such an evaluation is subject to change and in no way binds Wyoming Catholic College to accept a particular applicant.
After the scholarship possibilities have been fully utilized, students are eligible for financial aid from the College, which comes in two forms: the work-study program and need-based scholarships. It is understood that the College will exercise its own judgment in determining the amount of assistance offered to a prospective student.
Work-Study Program
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, and 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 $3,000 per year is credited against room and board. 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, upperclassmen who meet established criteria are permitted to work off-campus in lieu of work-study positions on campus.
Need-based Scholarships
If, after the above-mentioned payment sources and the work-study program have been taken into account, the student still needs additional resources to meet the full cost of tuition, room, and board, the College will make every effort to award a grant that never needs to be repaid. Grant amounts for any student will be assessed yearly on the basis of the family’s financial situation.
Donor Appreciation
During the year, a student 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.
Incoming Freshmen
Please carefully complete the Financial Aid Calculator along with the required attachments. Additional information may occasionally be required to clarify unusual circumstances. These items must be submitted by April 15th or 30 days after acceptance, whichever is later.
Returning Students
Returning students receiving financial aid must submit a Financial Aid Application each year along with the required attachments. These items must be submitted by April 15th.
Notification of Aid
The College makes every effort to inform students of their financial aid packages by May 1st of each year. In most situations, the sooner the College receives a student’s completed Financial Aid Application and the required attachments, the sooner that student will receive his or her notification of aid.
All student payments, including those from loans, are due by the respective student check-in dates for the fall semester. Parent payments from outside loans are due on the same dates.
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–$750. 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 $300–$500. 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. This payment plan requires a $100 one-time processing fee to be paid with the first payment. The fee is waived if monthly tuition payments are made by automatic bill pay or ACH payments through your personal bank.
The College encourage families to use our online financial aid calculator. For those who prefer a paper application, you can download one HERE.
Completed applications can be scanned and sent to Christina Bolin, Director of Financial Aid, at christina.bolin@wyomingcatholic.edu or mailed to the College at this address:
Wyoming Catholic College
Attn: Financial Aid
306 Main St.
Lander, WY 82520
