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19 Resources Wyoming Residents Should Know About Paying for College

The cost of college tuition may seem overwhelming, especially when you’re not sure if you qualify for financial aid.

Thankfully, if you’re a Wyoming resident, you may be eligible for many scholarships and grants to help fund your college education and lessen the burden of tuition.

Scholarships and grants exist on the federal, state, and local levels. Plus, you may be eligible for privately administered aid, as well.

Let’s look at the four steps all Wyoming residents should take to fund a college education.

Step 1: Apply for Federal Funding

Regardless of which state you live in, or plan on attending college in, the FAFSA is your first step in funding your college education. The FAFSA stands for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and its is a long form that will evaluate your eligibility for different types of financial aid.

Don’t let the length of the form deter you though, because completing the FAFSA can qualify you for scholarships and grants to use towards your education.

Submitting the FAFSA has the potential to qualify you for:

• Federal grants
• Federal subsidized and unsubsidized loans
• Some state grants
• Some types of financial aid offered directly through the college you plan to attend

Be sure to submit the FAFSA as soon as possible, so that you don’t miss out on scholarship and grant opportunities with early deadlines.

We’ve created a helpful guide to help you through the process, so make sure you check it out if you have questions.

Step 2: Apply for State Funding and Scholarships

After you’ve completed step one, it’s time to apply for state funding and scholarships. While the FAFSA can qualify you for some state funded aid, Wyoming has additional offerings that you will want to take a look at as well.

Wyoming scholarships include:

• Hathaway Scholarship for Wyoming middle school and high school students pursuing a postsecondary degree at the University of Wyoming or a Wyoming community college. There are four separate Hathaway Scholarships and a need-based supplement that students may apply for.
• Douvas Scholarship for first-generation American students attending the University of Wyoming or a Wyoming community college. This is a $500 scholarship that will be awarded to one eligible applicant each year.

Wyoming grants include:

• GEAR UP Wyoming provides academic support, college preparation, and family services to a minimum of 2,000 low income Wyoming residents each year. The program works to improve recipients’ academic achievement, raise their academic aspirations, and increase awareness of higher education options.

Wyoming students may also earn free college credit while in high school, through Wyoming’s Dual and Concurrent Enrollment Program. The program allows Wyoming high school students take Wyoming community college classes prior to college enrollment, free of charge. Concurrent enrollment programs are taught by college professors in high school classrooms, and the dual enrollment programs are taught at the colleges themselves.

Step 3: Apply for Institutional, Local and National Scholarships

In order to locate as many financial aid opportunities as possible, you will want to do some searching on your own as well.

Browse for scholarships and grants on your computer or smartphone by using keywords that indicate the state that you live in, and certain personal characteristics and skills that could be important, such as your high school achievements.

Current high school students should make an effort to visit their high school guidance office. Your counselor can probably inform you on local scholarship listings.

You can apply for aid directly from your college and university, as well. The University of Wyoming offers Wyoming residents first-time student scholarships and transfer-student scholarships.

Additionally, Eastern Wyoming College has  school-specific scholarships that you can apply for through their Award Spring application.

If you’re thinking about attending a Wyoming community college, you can check out their various financial aid opportunities here.

Some other scholarship resources that you might want to check out include:

• Big Future by College Board, where you can search from over 2,300 sources of college funding.
• Army Scholarship Foundation, which awards one-year financial scholarships to students who are children of current or former Army service members or spouses of current Army service members.
• The Dream.US Scholarship for immigrants who have Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) or Temporary Protection (TPS) status.
• United Negro College Fund (UNCF), which manages scholarships for students attending UNCF member schools.
• Peterson’s Scholarship Search, where you can search for potential scholarships based on your answers to a few basic questions.
• Sallie Mae's Scholarship Search, a database of constantly updated scholarships.

Step 4: Apply for a Private Loan

If you re still in need of more aid, a private loan may be able to provide the remaining funds you need.

Before taking out a loan, check out our NitroScore tool to help you evaluate how your loan repayments will fit into your future finances. The tool will evaluate your potential loans needed, and how easy they will be to repay based on your projected salary.

To use NitroScore, enter a college and major into the boxes provided. For more personalized results, customize your information with potential aid opportunities and scholarships. You can also play around with different major and college combinations.

A college education doesn’t have to be out of reach for Wyoming residents. Start planning for your future today!

Click here to see the best banks for a private student loans.