Student Success and Advising Center FAQ

You can apply for financial aid by completing the FAFSA beginning October 1st. You can complete your application electronically at www.fafsa.gov. The information you provide on the FAFSA is also used to determine your eligibility for some state and institutional scholarships. WSCC's fall priority deadline is June 30. Students who apply after this date or who turn in required documentation after this date may have to pay for tuition and fees until a determination of aid can be determined.

Yes. We encourage everyone to apply! Often students who don't think they will be eligible are eligible. The FAFSA form is free.

Complete a Free online Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as soon as possible after October 1st. This begins the financial aid process.

No. You can apply for financial aid anytime beginning October 1st; however, we will not receive the electronic copy of your Student Aid Index (SAI) until admissions is complete.

Yes. You have to fill out the FAFSA every year you are in school. Note that your eligibility for financial aid may change significantly from year to year based on household size, income number of family members in college, etc. Renewal of your financial aid package also depends on your making satisfactory academic progress towards a degree, such as earning a minimum number of credits and achieving a minimum GPA. If your financial circumstances change, you may get more or less aid.

If you use the FAFSA to apply for Federal student aid funds and provide false information, you are subject to fines and/or imprisonment under the U.S. Criminal Code. State and local laws may also apply in such cases.

Depending on the time of year you file and/or turn in requested documentation, it may take 2-6 weeks to process. Processing for the upcoming award year begins in early April of each year. The first batch of award notifications is generally emailed in late April. Students may also check MyWS for the current status of their application. Generally speaking, the closer it gets to the term start date, the longer it takes to process the FAFSA. This is due to the volume of applications that are received after the 6/30 priority deadline. Hence, apply early!

Yes, students must have test scores (ACT, SAT, *ACCUPLACER Placement Scores, SAILS scores) and high school/college transcripts on file with Walters State Admissions prior to meeting with an academic advisor. One of the main purposes of advising appointments is registering for classes, and advisors cannot recommend classes or help you register if they do not have test scores and transcripts for you in our system.

*Students that would like to improve their entrance placement status in reading, writing, and mathematics can take the ACCUPLACER Next Generation exam.  Learn more at the Testing Info page. 

Advising is a conversation providing students guidance, support, and encouragement.  You will have an appointment with an advisor in-person, by phone, or virtually for your selected major.  During the appointment, you will select classes for your major and create a class schedule. Students must meet with an academic advisor every semester to register for classes.

An advisor may be a professional advisor or faculty member who provides you with academic advice or guidance.  Each semester, you will meet with your advisor who will guide you through your education at Walters State.  You may schedule an appointment with your advisor at any time if you have questions or need assistance.

Your advisor will support you in the development of your educational plan as you strive to reach your future goals.  In addition, your advisor will assist you in determining the appropriate classes each semester that meet your degree requirements.    

All first-time degree or certificate-seeking students, including transfer and readmitted students, will complete online New Student Orientation.  Upon completion of Orientation, an advisor will be assigned to you based on your major and preferred campus, and an email will be sent from your application status portal with a link to schedule an appointment with your assigned advisor. Please allow 1-2 business days after completing New Student Orientation for an advisor to be assigned to you.

Non-degree seeking, and continuing students can schedule an advising appointment directly with an advisor.  Visit the Advising page to find the appropriate advising contact or contact the Student Success and Advising Center at 423.318.2337.

Yes.  You will see an Advising Hold each semester when you log into your MyWS account. An Advising hold will prevent you from registering for courses until you meet with your advisor. Your Advising Hold will be removed by your advisor.

Your advisor will assist you with selecting classes to complete registration through your MyWS account.  If you need further assistance with class registration, refer to the Registration page or contact Senators Central at senatorscentralFREEWS or the Student Success and Advising Center at student.success@ws.edu

Program of Study is a guide that students follow to know what courses they will take toward their major/degree.  This can be found in the College catalog at https://catalog.ws.edu. 

• (AA, AFA) - Associate of Arts and Associate of Fine Arts degrees are designed to transfer to a university and require a foreign language. 
• (AS) - Associate of Science degrees are designed to transfer to a university and do not require a foreign language.
• (AST) - Associate of Science in Teaching degrees are designed for students to transfer to a Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) teacher education program.  They follow a common curriculum.  With the AST, students are able to finish at any community college and enroll in any TBR teacher education program.  Students intending to transfer to the UT system or private institutions should consult with their academic advisor on the appropriateness of this program for transfer.
• (AAS) - Associate of Applied Science degrees are not designed to transfer to a university. If you complete an AAS degree but want to attend a university, you may have more general education requirements to complete either at Walters State or at the university level. AAS degrees prepare students for careers in the field of study.
• Certificate Programs – Prepare students for careers in the field of study and are not designed to transfer to a university.
• (TTP) Tennessee Transfer Pathways degrees are associate degrees designed to transfer to a public university in Tennessee in any one of 50 different majors.  Learn more at https://www.tntransferpathway.org/.
• Learn more about Walters State’s degrees at https://catalog.ws.edu.

 Yes, as long as you complete all of the program requirements. 

Students do not minor at WSCC.  If interested in a minor at a 4-year university, please discuss with your advisor. ‘

You can discuss this with your advisor.  Often the A.S. General Studies major is selected with guided course selection based on the intended program of study at the four-year institution. 

See the College catalog for the complete list of classes and program hours required for your program of study. Go to https://catalog.ws.edu, click the link, and select the catalog year based on the year you started.  Consult your advisor if you have questions about the catalog year or you started more than eight years ago.

Non-degree seeking and transient students are not required to meet with an advisor before registering.  You may choose this pathway because you are interested in taking a class of interest or a class to transfer to your home four-year university. Students should remember to submit a college transcript for prior completed courses and/or placement scores if you are taking a course that has a pre-requisite or college level placement.  

A change of major is when you change your program of study. Changing your major may mean you have a new advisor and can affect your academic progress toward graduation. You will need to contact the advisor for your new program of study and complete a Change of Major form.  The Change of Major Form can be found at the Change of Major Page.

Students may contact their current advisor for assistance in contacting the new advisor. 

A co-requisite is a course that you need to take with another course in the same semester. For example, if you need to take a science course, then you will also need to take the co-requisite lab course.  

A pre-requisite is a course you need to complete before taking another course. For example, you must earn credit for ENGL 1010, English Composition I, before taking ENGL 1020 English, Composition II.  

Your advisor will provide guidance on your course selection.  Course descriptions can also be found in the college catalog and will include co-requisite and pre-requisite required courses. https://catalog.ws.edu

Degree Works is a degree evaluation progress tool accessible through your MyWS account.  This tool provides your current GPA, a list of classes required for your selected degree program, and a progress meter indicating how close you are to completing your degree program at Walters State. Keep in mind, if your major is incorrect, your progress is incorrect, your list of required classes and progress meter are incorrect as well. Find more information at the Degree Works Help page.

Student Profile is a resource where you may access advising notes from the meetings with your advisor.  You can access this through MyWS account.