An image of a group of students walking into Heiner Center

Get Started at Orca Central

WCC's Student Support & Welcome Center

Orca Central is designed with students in mind. It's a center with all the student services you need to begin and succeed as a WCC student. You'll find representatives for key services including Entry & Enrollment, Advising, Financial Aid and more.

WCC HAS SUMMER FINANCIAL AID BASED ON YOUR 2023-24 FAFSA

Whatcom Community College is one of the select colleges that can provide summer financial aid based on the 23-24 FAFSA. We offer both in-person and online classes, and we welcome any students who want to maintain their academic momentum by taking classes at WCC this summer.

To ensure your financial aid is in place for the start of summer quarter, please apply by May 30th. For application and financial aid support, contact Orca Central, WCC's Student Support & Welcome Center, or stop by our Express Enrollment Day on May 30 from 11am to 4pm and complete all enrollment steps with one visit to campus.

Apply by May 30 to ensure summer financial aid.

Contact Orca Central, for application and financial aid support:
Phone: 360-383-3080 or
Email: orcacentral@whatcom.edu

Our team will help you each step of the way.

At Orca Central, located on the Main Floor of Heiner Center, you'll find up-to-date information and assistance with:

Applying and getting started at WCC
Campus tours (group visits and drop-in tours available)
Paying for college
Advising and Career pathway exploration
Enrolling in classes
Express Enrollment Days
Connecting with resources
…and anything else you have questions about!

We look forward to meeting you.

Want to take a virtual look around campus? Take a virtual tour of Whatcom Community College's campus hosted by Megan, one of our Pod Leaders!

Start by Choosing Your Student Type:

General Application & Enrollment Process
First time in college, prior college experience, returning to WCC, and non-degree seeking students

International Programs
International students looking to enroll with WCC

Running Start
High school juniors and seniors seeking college credit with WCC

Pre-College Adult Education, Adult High School Completion, GED & English Language Learner
Pre-college English/math courses, GED, adults seeking a high school diploma, English language learner (ELL) and integrated basic education and skills training (I-BEST)

Explore Your Funding Options

There are many types of funding options, including financial aid, that can make your college education more affordable. Students can apply for several options and pull together multiple sources to create their funding plan. Visit Tuition & Fees for more detail on the cost of attending.

Student Success

ACADEMIC ADVISING

Support for Returning Students

Student Support Programs & Resources

ACCESS & DISABILITY SERVICES

AIM PROGRAM FOR ACADEMIC COACHING

WORKFORCE EDUCATION FUNDING

Whatcom Community College offers several programs that may be able to provide you with the financial assistance you need to attend college. In addition to financial aid packages and scholarships available to students, there are a variety of programs designed to provide aid to individuals experiencing specific circumstances.

Start here to learn about some of the Workforce Education Funding Programs for which you may be eligible, including BFET, Opportunity Grant, WorkFirst and Worker Retraining.

COUNSELING

WCC Counseling Center is offering secure tele-mental health services. If you would like to make an appointment, please email us at counseling@whatcom.edu.

During the first appointment, the counselor will review the intake form with you and discuss your goals for counseling. If you have questions about your counselors training and experience, about the counseling process, or about the intake form, please do not hesitate to ask.

HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT & COUNSELOR RESOURCES

INTERCULTURAL CENTER

POD LEADERS | CURRENT WCC STUDENT COACH/MENTORS

RESIDENCE LIFE & HOUSING

RUNNING START

STUDENT LIFE & DEVELOPMENT

TRIO STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES

Whatcom Community College TRIO Support Services (SSS) program is committed to increasing the retention and graduation rates among first-generation students and students with disabilities by providing holistic and individualized support services to ensure student reach their full personal, academic, and career potential. Explore your eligibility and apply to the program!

p 360.383.3144 | e abeals@whatcom.edu | TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) webpage

UNDOCUMENTED & DACA STUDENT RESOURCES

UNEMPLOYMENT/WORKER RETRAINING

VETERANS SERVICES

WCC STUDENT ATHLETES

New Student FAQs

FAQs

I am transferring to WCC and have prior college credit.

If you plan to earn a degree or certificate from Whatcom and have credits from another institution that may apply to it, follow the steps on how to transfer credits. Please note: your transfer credit evaluation will not be completed before you enroll for your first quarter. While that process is taking place, or if you do not plan to earn a degree or certificate from Whatcom, you can use an unofficial copy of your transcript to work with your advisor on placement and enrolling in classes with prerequisites you took at another college.

Visit Entry & Enrollment Services for more information about transferring credit, transcript requests, enrolling in classes, and international transcript evaluation.
How do I find my placement in English and math?

For English, we will base your placement either on college-level English composition courses you have already taken, or on your own informed self-placement.

For math, we can use several different methods. Visit the math placement webpage for details. You will need to make an appointment with your advisor to discuss and confirm your placement into your first math course.

There are different placement methods for international students and students enrolling in pre-college adult education and adult high school completion. Please visit their webpages for details.
What do online courses at WCC look like?
WCC online courses are taught by WCC instructors using Canvas and, for math courses, WAMAP. They are usually structured with a week-by-week format including assignments, tasks and quizzes/exams. Online lab courses may require you to get a lab kit to use at home. Most of the courses do NOT require you to be logged in at a particular time but there are some exceptions.

When you are looking at the class search, note the “section”:
- OL# or O# = Online, means the class is completely online, and no specific meeting times are required. Instructors may offer optional meetings.
- WM# = Web Meet, means the class is completely online, but requires virtual classroom video meetings at scheduled times. In the class search, only the scheduled virtual meeting times are listed, but you will spend additional time working independently online.
- HY# or H#= Hybrid, means the class has online instruction and assignments, but also requires you to come to campus periodically at scheduled times. In the class search, only the on-campus meeting times are listed, but you will spend additional time working independently online.
Where can I explore my funding options to pay for college?

There are many holistic funding options, including financial aid, which can make your college education more affordable. Students can apply for several options, and pull together multiple sources to create their funding plan. Visit Tuition & Fees for more detail on the cost of attending WCC.

More FAQ's »

CONTACT US

Orca Central
Located in Heiner Center

Summer Hours
Mon-Thurs 8a.m.-5p.m.
Friday 8a.m.-12p.m.

Drop-in Campus Tours
Wednesdays 1p.m.-3p.m.

orcacentral@whatcom.edu
Phone: 360.383.3080

Don’t speak English? Translators are available to help!

¿No habla inglés? Tenemos traductores a su disposición.

Не говорите по-английски? Переводчики всегда готовы помочь!

Не розмовляєте англійською? Перекладачі завжди готові допомогти!

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Events

Drop-in Placement Support
07/03/2024 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Drop-in Placement Support
07/10/2024 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Express Enrollment
07/16/2024 11:00 am - 4:00 pm

More Events >