West Virginia University
PA-8: Affordability and Access

Student Support Services

Eligibility

Student Support Service programs are designed to serve undergraduate college students who meet specific program requirements. To be eligible for admission to WVU’s SSS program, students must meet at least one of the following criteria:

Income: Each year, the U.S. Department of Education publishes guidelines which define low income based on family size.

First Generation College Student: First generation college students are defined as those whose parents or legal guardians have not completed a Bachelor’s degree (neither father, mother, nor legal guardian(s) has graduated from a four-year institution).

Disability: Disability refers to students with a physical or mental impairment which limits a major life activity. This includes learning disabilities. Such disabilities must be documented with the WVU Office of Accessibility Services.

Benefits

What are the perks of being an SSS participant?

Some of the FREE services and programs we provide include:

Individualized tutoring : SSS participants are eligible for free one-on-one tutoring in a variety of academic disciplines including math, English, chemistry, physics, biology, geology, accounting, economics, philosophy, and foreign languages. SSS also provides tutoring in other areas if at all possible. The tutoring staff consists of graduate and undergraduate students who have successfully completed the courses they are tutoring. During tutoring sessions, tutors will also provide peer advising with SSS students as needed in regard to time management, study skills, test taking anxiety, as well as other issues that may be affecting a student’s academic achievement.

Assistance with the financial aid process : Each program participant is assigned an SSS counselor who will sit down with you and assist you with your application for financial aid, and assist you in understanding your award package from WVU. Counselors will also assist you in identifying alternative forms of aid available to college students.

Academic Advising : SSS participants who are general studies or pre-studies majors are advised by SSS professional staff members who are trained by the Undergraduate Academic Services Center. During pre-registration, participants meet with their SSS advisor to plan their schedules based on University requirements and student interests. SSS staff takes the time to explore with each student the trends in employment, areas of interest, high skill areas, and prospective career paths. They will also review the student’s high school and college records as appropriate and work with the SSS participant to develop the most effective plan toward achieving graduation.

Variety of activities, events, and program : SSS participants will have the opportunity to take advantage of variety of social activities, cultural events, and academic programs. Examples include:

Social activities– bowling, pizza parties, picnics, movie nights, trips

Cultural events– theatre tickets, concerts, dinner programs

Academic programs– time management, mid-term/finals preparation, stress reduction

Computer workstations : As an SSS participant, you will be able to take advantage of our office computer work stations, which includes free printing for all of our students.

Personal one-on-one support from trained SSS professional : Each SSS participant is assigned a counselor who meets with students at least once a semester to provide assistance.

https://sss.wvu.edu/join-sss

The Rack
WVU has made efforts to assist students who face hunger. Students are welcome to come to the Student Organizations Services office to visit The Rack, where non-perishable goods are available for students in need. In addition, perishable food items (such as fruit, meat, and dairy) are available during a set schedule.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG) may be offered to some degree-seeking undergraduate students who display exceptional financial need based on data provided on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). https://financialaid.wvu.edu/grants

WVU offers a variety of opportunities for nontraditional students including the flexible, individualized academic Regents Bachelor of Arts program, and a number of unique online courses and degree programs through WVU’s Office of Academic Innovation, which places special emphasis on nontraditional and adult learners. Furthermore, we encourage new students to apply for the Osher Scholarship: http://olliatwvu.org/scholarships.

More than 1,700 nontraditional students attend WVU to change career focus, develop additional skills, or simply to satisfy a thirst for learning. Nontraditional students are invited to get involved in traditional student programming and to take part in one of more than 450 WVU student organizations.

Student Family Resources (SFR) adheres to West Virginia University’s student-centered approach through the delivery of high quality services and programs for students who are parents. SFR provides a support system that can reduce family conflict, stress, and risk factors, allowing WVU’s student parents to pursue and complete their studies at West Virginia University.

West Virginia University is pleased to offer a program to help offset the costs associated with quality child care for students who are parents. The Student Child Care Assistance Program (SCCAP) provides low-income program eligible WVU students with financial assistance for a portion of their child care expenses. SCCAP uses a sliding scale providing financial assistance to several students with limited funds. The eligibility guidelines for the program are summarized below.

Applicant must be a full-time low-income WVU student enrolled at the main campus.

Applicant’s child(ren) must be 0-12yrs of age.

Spouse or partner of student must be working more than 20 hours per week or enrolled full time as a student at an accredited college or university.

https://childcare.wvu.edu/child-care-assistance

https://campuslife.wvu.edu/student-advocacy/nontraditional-students/student-resources

The percentage of students that participate in or directly benefit from the institution's policies and programs to support low-income and non-traditional students is a rough estimate. To protect the anonymity of each student we don't track certain program participation statistics.