Governor Ferguson focuses on value of FAFSA during visit to CWU

The Central Washington University community gave a warm welcome to Washington Governor Bob Ferguson on Saturday during an impromptu visit to Ellensburg.

Ferguson, who was sworn in last month after being elected in November, spoke to a crowd of about 500 people at the Student Union and Recreation Center, focusing on the statewide need to increase FAFSA financial aid applications.

“I’m excited to be here at Central Washington University to promote the fact that Washington state has tremendously generous financial aid for potential college students,” Ferguson said, noting that our state ranks near the bottom nationwide (48^th) for FAFSA completion. “But the problem is that too many students don’t fill out a form that unlocks that financial aid.”

Before addressing the attendees at 10:15 a.m., Ferguson met with CWU President Jim Wohlpart and other members of the Executive Leadership Team. He also spoke to reporters and met with community members — many of whom were on campus for CWU’s Winter Preview Day for admitted students.

Wohlpart thanked the governor for making the trip across the mountains and for his desire to work with CWU to expand access to higher education.

“We appreciate Governor Ferguson’s partnership in our ongoing effort to provide affordable and accessible higher education opportunities for the people of our state,” the president said. “We look forward to working alongside him and our state lawmakers over the next four years to address Washington’s current and future workforce needs.”

Ferguson noted that Washington has money for students seeking to pursue higher education, but the general public doesn’t always know what resources are available to them. He said one of his goals as governor is to make sure that information is getting out there to more people.

Ferguson explained that it’s his duty to inform the public about the many state resources available to them.

“That's the primary reason I’m here: to make sure parents and students understand that this one single form can unlock thousands of dollars of financial assistance for their higher education dreams,” he said.

He explained that if a family is at a certain income level, their children are entitled to free tuition and fees. All they have to do is fill out the FAFSA and their journey toward a better future can begin.

“There are literally thousands and thousands of students in college right now who could have financial assistance — they just don't realize it,” Ferguson said. “And they never completed the form.”