Parent and support Member Resources

For financial aid and scholarship information please review the resources below. We encourage every student to complete the Free Application for Financial Student Aid (FAFSA) Application. Our school code is 003826.​
Cashier
Financial Assistance
FERPA Form
Scholarships

 

Review the information below to learn more about the support services available to your student. 
Career Services
Counseling and Accessibility Services
Residence Life
Retention and Student Success
TRIO and Student Support Services
Student Life and Engagement
First Year Academic Advising

We are excited about parents and guests visiting students residing in our residence halls and commuter students while on campus. For those choosing to stay at a local hotel, West Virginia State University suggests the following accommodations:

Once your student recieves a WVSU Admissions Acceptance Letter they should complete the steps below:

1. Register for New Student Orienation and Advising and complete their online orientation.
2. Upload their photo to create a Student ID.
3. Complete the Sigi3 Assessment.
4. Visit MyState to view their Course Schedule.
5. Complete any outstanding Financial Aid requirements.
6. Contact the Cashier to complete any payments or payment arrangements.
7. Visit WVSU's Bookstore to  purchase books and State Gear!
8. Remind them to make plans to attend all the required Welcome Days activities.
9. Check your WVSU Campus Email for important updates!

Don’t forget to complete loan entrance counseling at www.StudentLoans.gov. Get ready for a great start at WVSU!

Is orientation mandatory for my student? 
Yes. Orientation is a mandatory requirement for all new and transfer students, even if they may have attended orientation in the past. Students must complete the online orientation to begin the advising and course registration processes.

Is there an orientation fee?
Yes. There is a $100 NSO Fee (NON-REFUNDABLE) per student.  The NSO Fee will be applied to your student's account. The fee covers orientation materials and Welcome Days activities. An Orientation Hold will be placed on your account and until the fee is recieved. Failure to pay the fee may prevent future class registration and the release of grades or transcripts.

Can parents and guests attend the online orientation? 
Yes. Parents and Guests are Welcome to attned the online orientation. Click here to create an account and log in. 

Do parents and guests have to pay a NSO Fee?
No. Parents and guests do not have to pay the NSO Fee. The online orientation is not required for parents and guests. This is a complementatry service provided to parents and guests.

Does my student have to attend orientation if I complete the online orientation? 
Yes. New Student Orientation is required for all new freshmen and transfer students. Students must still complete the online orientation to be advised and for their class schedule to be confirmed. Students will not recieve credit for a parent's/guest's completion of the online orientation. 

When will my student register for classes?
After your student has completed orientation, their information will be sent to an advisor to schedule their classes. This process may take up to seven (7) business days. An advisor will upload your student's class schedule in MyState.  

What if my student has questions or want to make changes to their schedule?
Students who have questions or that wish to make schedule changes should contact the First Year Academic Advising Center (FYAAC).  An academic advisor will work with them to to discuss their schedule, course options, and to make any adjustments to the schedule. Contact FYAAC at (304) 720-3888 or fyaac@wvstateu.edu.

I want to be able to speak with the Cashier and Financial Aid offices about my student's account/bill what should I do?
Students have the federal privacy protection of their educational records through the FERPA Act. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that affords parents the right to have access to their children’s education records, the right to seek to have the records amended, and the right to have some control over the disclosure of personally identifiable information from the education records. When a student turns 18 years old, or enters a postsecondary institution at any age, the rights under FERPA transfer from the parents to the student (“eligible student”). The FERPA statute is found at 20 U.S.C. § 1232g and the FERPA regulations are found at 34 CFR Part 99.

In order for representatives of the Cashier Financial Aid offices to speak someone other than the student, the student must complete FERPA Consent Forms designating who may access their records. To complete FERPA Consent Forms, students may contact the Cashier or Office of Student Financial Aid.
 

 

 

Don't pick your student's courses. Many parents feel the need to help their student select their classes. Please refrain, when possible. An important part of getting settled into college is finding the courses that best suit the student's interests and best satisfy the college requirements. Let the academic adviser do his or her job. Enourage your student to engage their advisor in open communication regarding their scheduling needs and preferences.

Help your student develop their passion. The single most important thing in college is that your student develop a true interest that he or she can enjoy throughout life. Let tem grow into their own passion. Do not pressure them into a major too early or to pick a field solely for its job prospects. Allow them to spend the first two years of college exploring many possibilities, without undue direction from you.

Encourage the student to go see the professor. One of the hidden resources at every college is the professor's office hours. A required part of every professor's job, the three or four office hours each week are the time that professors are available for one-on-one conferences to help students with their papers and tests. Encourage your student to avail themself of this free service as often as appropriate. You've paid for it, why not use it?

Never call the professor, department chair, or dean. There are no parent-teacher conferences in college. Professors want to hear from their students. Your is pursuing their own future. Enourage them but, don't get in the way.

Protect the last month of the semester. In many college courses, up to 70 percent of the course grade is awarded in the last month of the semester. Do not distract your student with winter vacation plans, worries about finances or what to major in, family events and celebrations, or other activities during the crucial November-December and April-May periods. These are "make or break" times for them. Please respect this time.

Talk about the realities of excessive drinking, drugs, and partying. Many college students experiment with campus drinking, recreational drugs, and all too much partying. First-year students can quickly get in over their heads and wind up causing all sorts of danger—both to themselves and to others. Educate your student about the importance of acting responsibly—even when their college-mates are acting unfavorably.

Be an anchor and stay in touch. Send care packages to let your student know you’re thinking of them. Keep them informed about changes at home. College students want their parents to accept all the changes they are making but want everything at home to stay the same. So it's important to keep them informed about changes at home, whether it's moving a younger sibling into their room, or, on a more serious note, about illness in the family or the death of a pet. They need this from you in order to feel secure and maintain a sense of trust.

Be a coach. Help your student try to solve their own problems without trying to solve them yourself. Students often call their parents to discuss issues that they are having or when things aren’t going well. Encourage them to use the appropriate campus resources such as, study halls, counseling, career services, tutoring services or faculty and staff for assistance resolving issues. Read over all of the information available on the Parent and Support Member Resources page to become an informed coach for your student