Veterans Benefits

Cascadia Tuition Waiver for Veterans

Veterans that are Washington State residents, with proof of honorable discharge, can receive a waiver of 25% of tuition at Cascadia. Veterans, meeting the waiver criteria, in college programs (academic degree, professional technical degree, and certificate programs) are eligible for this waiver.

Once you apply for and are granted the waiver, you will automatically receive the 25% discount each quarter.

Click here for waiver form.

 
Cascadia Non-Resident Exception for Veterans

Veterans that are not yet Washington State residents may qualify for an exception that would allow them to pay resident tuition rates. This is helpful because VA will only pay tuition at the resident tuition rate, if receiving VA Educational Benefits, leaving some veterans with an out of pocket amount to cover the tuition difference. To qualify, a veteran needs to meet the following criteria:

1) has been separated from the military under honorable conditions; and

2) has served a minimum of 2 years; and

3) has entered an institution of higher education in Washington within one year of the date of separation; and

4) has declared Washington as an intended domicile, official home of record or has already established a domicile in Washington in accordance with RCW 28B.15.013

If you believe you are eligible for this exception, please contact the VA Certifying Official on campus to discuss your next steps.

Veterans Educational Benefits

Some veterans are eligible for various educational benefits through Montgomery GI Bill®, Post 9/11, and/or other Veteran Affairs benefits depending on status. If you have benefits that you would like to utilize while attending school at Cascadia, please attend the Veterans Orientation and Information Session to get information on how to set your benefits up at this school.

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.

 
Worker Retraining Program

You can receive limited financial assistance and other support to upgrade your skills through the Worker Retraining program if:

• You plan to enroll in professional technical training (academic programs do not qualify; see Eligible Programs)
• You have received an honorable discharge in the last 24 months
  
  

 
Financial Aid Programs

Some veterans are able to receive their VA benefits and financial aid concurrently. We can also help you apply for other financial aid (grants, work-study, and /or loans) to fund your living expenses and remaining credits. Students, whether receiving VA benefits or not, are eligible to apply for financial aid.

Cascadia Tuition Waiver for Children or Spouses of Veterans

If you are the dependent child or spouse of a veteran, you may be eligible for a waiver of 100% of tuition at Cascadia. Students and/or spouses, meeting the waiver criteria, in college programs (academic degree, professional technical degree, and certificate programs) are eligible for this waiver. Once you apply for and are granted the waiver, you will automatically receive the 100% discount each quarter. This waiver does not cover fees each quarter and fees will be the responsibility of the student and/or spouse to pay.  

Click here for waiver form.

 
Cascadia Non-Resident Exception for Children or Spouses of Veterans

If you are the dependent child or spouse of a veteran and are not yet a Washington State resident, you may qualify for an exception that would allow you to pay resident tuition rates. This is helpful because VA will only pay tuition at the resident tuition rate, if receiving VA Educational Benefits leaving some dependents/spouses with an out of pocket amount to cover the tuition difference.

To qualify, a dependent child or spouse must be connected to a veteran that meets the following criteria: 

1) has been separated from the military under honorable conditions; and

2) has served a minimum of 2 years; and

The dependent child or spouse must meet the following criteria:

1) has entered an institution of higher education in Washington within one year of the date of separation; and

2) has declared Washington as his/her primary domicile, in accordance with RCW 28B.15.013; and

3) at time of discharge designates Washington as his/her intended domicile

If you believe you are eligible to be granted this exception, please contact the VA Certifying Official on campus to discuss your next steps.

 
Financial Aid Programs

We can also help you apply for other financial aid (grants, work-study, and /or loans) to fund your living expenses and remaining credits. Students, whether receiving VA benefits or not, are eligible to apply for financial aid.

1. Apply for Admissions

Apply for admissions online to Cascadia College. 

 
2. Attend Veteran Orientation & Information Session

Attend a Veteran's Orientation and Information Session. Email veterans@cascadia.edu to schedule for a VA orientation session.

• The Veteran Education Benefits Checklist listed below in the forms section will provide you a step-by-step guide outlining all the necessary steps and items required to set up your VA Educational benefits at Cascadia. This checklist is reviewed in detail at the Veterans Orientation and Information Session.
    

3.Submit Official & Unofficial Transcripts from Prior Education

Submit official and unofficial transcripts for all prior education (this includes transcripts from prior schools attended, and military training, including those schools before, during and after active duty). Cascadia will award academic and vocational credit for transcripted military training. Credit will be awarded from a student's Joint Services Transcript (JST) based on recommendations from the American Council on Education. As a regionally accredited college, courses from the Community College of the Air Force will be accepted in transfer with the same consideration as courses from any other regionally accredited institution of higher education. Other training or experiences for which a student would like to receive credit for will be assessed through the college's Prior Learning Assessment process.

All official transcripts must be submitted by the end of your first quarter of enrollment at Cascadia. Cascadia reserves the right to request official transcripts prior to a veteran beginning classes, if deemed necessary to assess academic standing. Official transcripts can be sent to: Cascadia College, Attn: Credentials Evaluator, 18345 Campus Way NE, Bothell, WA 98011.  

Complete the Transcript Evaluation Request Form. This form should be completed, listing all applicable sources of prior credit. The Transcript Evaluation Request Form can be submitted without your official transcripts being received and will be held until the official transcripts are received. 

Other Benefit Requirements:

Audit, Withdrawal, Non-required and Repeat Courses:

• The law prohibits payment for auditing a course or payment for any course for which a grade assigned is not used in computing requirements for graduation. This includes repeats of grade of “D” or better (unless a higher grade is required); withdrawals; and courses which are not applicable for your declared degree objective. This does not apply to repeats of required courses which you have failed. If you are not sure, please contact the VA Certifying Official before repeating a course.

Remedial and Deficiency Courses:

• Remedial and deficiency courses are typically intended to assist individuals in overcoming weaknesses in particular areas of study at the secondary school level. Often, institutions will require the completion of certain deficiency courses without granting credit toward graduation. Remedial and deficiency courses usually refer to courses with course numbers below 100 level. Basic English language or mathematics courses are authorized only when the need for training has been established by accepted testing methods (compass or asset test scores). Remedial and deficiency courses may not be taken in an online or hybrid format.  PLEASE NOTE: CHAPTER 30, 32, AND 33 PARTICIPANTS: the student’s entitlement will be charged for pursuit of these types of training.

Attendance and progress:

• You must meet attendance and academic progress standards to remain eligible for benefits. All students receiving DVA Educational Benefits are required to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) according to published standards established and enforced by the College. Title 38, United States code, Sections 1674 and 1724 requires that education assistance benefits to veterans and other eligible persons be discontinued when a student ceases to make satisfactory progress towards completion of his or her training objective. Therefore, Cascadia’s Certifying Official will discontinue certification and will inform the DVA of this action. The full Veterans Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy is listed below in the Veterans Form section.

Veteran Education Benefits Checklist

The Veteran Educational Benefits Checklist is given out during the VA Orientation and gives you a step-by-step guide about all the necessary steps required to set up your VA Educational benefits at Cascadia. 

Eligible Veteran or National Guard Member Tuition Waiver

Cascadia College and the State of Washington honor our Washington resident veterans by offering a 25% tuition waiver. For veterans planning to use their VA Educational benefits, this form is completed at the VA Orientation. If you are planning to use your benefits, or do not have benefits to use, and think you are eligible for this waiver, please complete the Eligible Veteran or National Guard Member Tuition Waiver form and submit it to the front counter at the Kodiak Corner front counter. 

Veteran Quarterly Information Form

The Veteran Quarterly Information Form must be completed each quarter after a veteran utilizing educational benefits registers for classes and finalizes his/her schedule. The form signifies that no further changes to the schedule are anticipated and VA can be notified. NOTE: This form should not be submitted until a student is registered for all classes for the quarter. Classes in waitlist status will not be certified. 

 
Transcript Evaluation Request Form

All students receiving educational benefits from the Department of Veteran Affairs are required to submit official transcripts. This includes transcripts from prior colleges and training including those before, during and after active duty. Transcripts should be submitted prior to the veteran's 1st quarter to continue to remain eligible to use VA benefits at Cascadia. Cascadia reserves the right to request official transcripts be submitted sooner, if deemed necessary, based on the veteran's educational history. This form should be completed, listing all applicable sources of prior credit. The Transcript Evaluation Request Form can be submitted without your official transcripts being received and will be held until the official transcripts are received. 

 
Veteran Education Benefits Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

All veterans wishing to use, or using VA Educational benefits, must comply with the school's Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy for VA Educational benefits in order to continue to use his/her benefits at Cascadia. Academic progress will be reviewed at the end of each quarter in accordance with SAP standards. 

Veteran Education Benefits Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
Appeal Form

All veterans wishing to use, or using VA Educational benefits, must comply with the school's Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy (see above). A veterans academic progress will be checked prior to beginning to use benefits at Cascadia, and at the end of each quarter that benefits are being use. If a veteran is terminated from using benefits at Cascadia because SAP requirements have not been met but mitigating circumstances exist, a veteran can complete a Veteran Educational Benefits Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Appeal Form and submit it to the VA Certifying Official, with appropriate documentation, to have the circumstances reviewed for possible reinstatement. 

The Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students (HEROES) Act of 2003 (Public Law 108-76 section: 5) is intended to ensure that service members who are receiving Federal student aid are not adversely affected because of their military status and to minimize the administrative burden placed on individuals.

And according to a 2004 Washington State law, a member of the Washington National Guard or any other military reserve component who is ordered to active federal service for a period exceeding 30 days, has the right to:

Withdraw from one or more courses and receive a refund of tuition

• What to do → Submit Call to Service documentation from military to the Kodiak Corner to withdraw and receive refund.

Be given an incomplete and allowed to complete the course upon release from duty

• What to do → Submit Call to Service documentation from military to the Kodiak Corner. Then contact the instructor to do an Incomplete Contract with the instructor. The instructor gets the form from Student Learning.
  

Continue the course and be given full credit. Any missed class sessions will be excused absences. Upon return to campus, students will be allowed a reasonable period of time to submit missed work. At the discretion of the instructor, there may be cases in which the student has already completed sufficient class work to justify an earned grade. The student called to duty is required to submit written notice of call to service. 

• What to do → Submit Call to Service documentation from military to the Kodiak Corner. Then contact the instructor to make arrangements for course work plan and timeline.

If any questions or concerns arise, the student and/or the instructor will contact Veterans Academic Advising at veterans@cascadia.edu. We will gladly assist the student and/or the instructor in resolving any issues to deployment.

For more information, please refer to RCW 28B.10.270 and Senate Bill 5343.

Spring 2021 Veterans Services Newsletter

Winter 2021 Veteran Services Newsletter

Fall 2020 Veteran Services Newsletter