How to Apply for Aid

The U.S. Department of Education governs eligibility, conditions, and terms for federal grants, student loans, and federal work study. The State of Washington governs eligibility, conditions, and terms for state grants and state work study.

To get started in the application process for grants, student loans or work study, you must fill out a financial aid application (FAFSA or WASFA). The application is the first step in determining your aid eligibility. 

If you are a US Citizen or eligible non-citizen, complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).  If you are a WA state resident, and ineligible for federal aid because of immigration status, complete the (free) Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WASFA). If you are unsure about which application to complete, view this questionnaire and you will be directed to the appropriate application for you.

Once you have completed and the school receives your FAFSA/WASFA record and you have applied for and been admitted to the college, additional documents and information may be requested before the financial aid office will determine your eligibility for aid.  If it is determined that you are not eligible for grants, or if you receive a grant but it does not cover your estimated college costs, you can then apply for a student loan. The loan amount that you are eligible for may be reduced by the amount of any additional funds you receive.

 


What to Do

How to Do It

1. Fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by the financial aid priority deadline (see the Academic Calendar).

If you miss the annual priority deadline, you can still apply, but see Eligibility and Conditions.

Grants (except Pell Grants), are awarded only as long as funds are available each year. See Grants.

Go to the FAFSA website  and follow the instructions. Use the Cascadia school code: 034835.

To apply for an Opportunity Grant, see Grants.

If you know that you will not qualify for a grant, go on to step 5, below, as soon as you fill out the FAFSA.

2. Once you have completed and the school receives your FAFSA/WAFSA record and you have applied for and been admitted to the college, additional documents and information may be requested before the financial aid office determines your eligibility for aid.

Check your ctcLink account for additional documents to submit.

  • Launch ctcLink in the Firefox browser or on your mobile device.

If you are awarded a grant or other type of financial aid, Cascadia will:

E-mail you an award notification. You can then check the status of your award at your ctcLink account.

  • Launch ctcLink in the Firefox browser or on your mobile device.

 

If You Request Work Study

What to Do

How to Do It

Complete steps 1 and 2 listed above.

If you are awarded a grant AND you indicated on the FAFSA that you want work study  to supplement the grant money, your award letter will reflect work study eligibility.

Your award letter will include a dollar amount for work study, but it is up to you to find a work study job. To view the most up-to-date work study job listings, come to the financial aid office.

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If You Request a Loan

What to Do

How to Do It

Complete steps 1 and 2 listed above.

3.  Complete Loan Entrance Counseling

This will review your rights and responsibilities of being a student loan borrower.  This step is required BEFORE we process your loan request

Go to Direct Loan Servicing Online  and select 'log in' at the top of the page.  Sign in using your Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID and password.  If you do not remember your FSA ID, go to the FSA ID website to update your ID.  Once logged in, select the 'Complete Entrance Counseling' link.  When you finish the session, print out or save the .pdf file of the Rights & Responsibilities for your records.

4.  Complete and Sign your Master Promissory Note (MPN).

This is your agreement with the Department of Education to repay your loan according to the terms and conditions of your loan.  This step is also required BEFORE we process your loan request.

Go to Direct Loan Servicing Online and select 'log in' at the top of the page.  Sign in using your Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID and password.  If you do not remember your FSA ID, go to the FSA ID website to update your ID.  Once logged in, select the 'Complete Master Promissory Note' link. 

5. Complete and Submit a Student Loan Worksheet Request 

Return this form to the Financial Aid office.  This step is required BEFORE we process your loan request.

Keep the instruction/information sheet for later reference; do not turn it in with the worksheet form.

6. Wait for Cascadia to process your loan and notify you of the amount of your loan.

Please allow 4-6 weeks for review and processing of your loan request.  If your file has not yet been awarded, regular and peak time processing timelines apply.

If you are awarded a loan, you will receive the following: An award letter notification from Cascadia with the amount of your loan for the quarter(s) selected.

7. Wait for Cascadia to notify you that your loan funds have been received.

When Cascadia notifies you that your loan has arrived, see Receiving Your Aid.

8. (optional, for parents or guardians).

a.  Complete and sign your Direct Loan Master Promissory Note (MPN). Students will also need a FAFSA BEFORE we process your PLUS loan request

b.  Complete and submit the parent loan worksheet to the Cascadia Financial Aid Office.

If the loan you receive is not enough to cover your costs, and you are a dependent student based on the FAFSA, your parent or guardian can apply for a Parent PLUS Loan.  Stafford Loans offer better terms than Parent PLUS loans.

Go to Direct Loan Servicing Online and select 'log in' at the top of the page.  Sign in using your Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID.  If you do not remember your FSA ID, go to the FSA ID website to update your ID.  Once logged in, select the 'Request PLUS loan' link to begin the credit check.  Once approved, select "Endorse PLUS Loan" link to complete the promissory note. Keep the instruction/information sheet for later reference; do not turn it in with the worksheet form.

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Steps to Continue Receiving Aid

What to Do 

How to Do It

Per Quarter

 Per Year

 

EACH QUARTER, meet the academic standards required for financial aid.

 

See the Academic Standards for Financial Aid (Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy).

If you're enrolled less than full time:

EACH QUARTER, submit an enrollment change form.

 

Submit the Enrollment Status Change Form to the Kodiak Corner/Student Services Center.

 

If you have a grant, work study, or a loan:

EACH YEAR, complete the FAFSA by the financial aid priority deadline (see the Academic Calendar).

Go to the FAFSA website  and follow the instructions. Use the Cascadia school code: 034835.

 

If you have a grant, work study, or a loan:

EACH YEAR, repeat loan entrance counseling and complete the loan confirmation form.

Complete steps 4 and 5 above.

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Eligibility

Student Grants, Work Study, and Loans

You must apply for grants to be eligible for a long-term student loan or work study.

 

All recipients of student loans, grants (except Opportunity Grants and Worker Retraining grants), and work study must meet the following federal requirements:

 

  1. You must be a U.S. citizen or a permanent U.S. resident.
  2. You must have a high school diploma or GED.
  3. You must have a valid Social Security number.
  4. You must be enrolled in an eligible academic degreeprofessional technical degree, or certificate program at Cascadia College.
  5. You must not owe a repayment of a grant or be in default on a student loan.
  6. You must demonstrate financial need as determined by the financial aid office.
  7. You must be registered with the Selective Service System, if applicable.
  8. You must show satisfactory academic progress as specified in the Academic Standards for Financial Aid (Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy.
  9. And for student loans only: you must complete loan entrance counseling (prior to loan disbursement and each year you request loan funds), and exit counseling (once you graduate or stop attending) (you can do this online).

 

For eligibility requirements for specific types of loans and grants, see Student Loans and Grants.

Special Circumstances

If you or your family have special circumstances that should be taken into account in determining your eligibility for aid, contact the financial aid office. Examples of special circumstances include unusual medical or dental expenses, or a significant reduction of income since last year.

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Conditions

Priority Financial Aid Deadline

The priority financial aid deadline (see the Enrollment Calendar) to apply for financial aid is April 15 each year.

 

Each year, if you apply for aid by the priority deadline, we will consider you for all funding sources and types of aid for which you are eligible, starting in summer or fall quarter. You can still apply for aid after the priority deadline, but funding may be limited.

Quarterly Financial Aid Deadline

The quarterly financial aid deadline (see the Enrollment Calendar) is the same as the quarterly tuition deadline.

 

The quarterly deadline to receive a tuition hold is the College's published tuition deadline. To receive a tuition hold, a student must submit all necessary documents required by the College or Department of Education by the quarterly tuition deadline.  In order to allow enough time to be notified of the documents that are needed to complete your file, you should complete the steps below at least a week before the tuition deadline for the quarter(s) in which you want to attend.

 

You can still apply for aid after the quarterly deadline, but you must pay tuition up front. We will reimburse you if you are determined to be eligible for aid and if there is funding. Please apply as soon as possible.

Program of Study and Enrollment Level

The classes you take must be required for your approved program. If you intend to transfer to another college, we recommend that you take any courses that are prerequisites for transfer as electives in your first year at Cascadia.

 

Always contact the financial aid office before dropping a class. Dropping a class may reduce or eliminate your eligibility for aid.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

As a financial aid recipient, you are responsible for meeting the requirements in Academic Standards for Financial Aid (Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy.

Submitting Documents and Information

As a financial aid recipient, you are responsible for the following:

 

  1. You must read the Conditions of Award each year.
  2. You must notify the financial aid office immediately if you receive additional outside income, scholarships, or private loans.
  3. You must notify the financial aid office immediately of changes such as marital status, address, or state residency.

Fraud

There are situations where students and/or parents willfully falsify or misrepresent information for the purpose of obtaining financial aid that a student is not eligible for. As administrators of Title IV programs and funds, Cascadia College is obligated to ensure processes are in place to protect against fraud by applicants or staff.  The Financial Aid Services Office is required to have a policy of referral when confronted with actual or suspected cases of fraud and abuse [34 CFR 668.53(a)(5), 668.14(g)].

Rights

Students have the right to inspect their financial aid files for the accuracy of information contained therein, and to submit corrections, if allowed by federal and state rules and regulations. Confidential information covered under the Federal Educational Rights Privacy Act may not be reviewed by anyone else without prior written approval of the individual concerned. Requests for file inspection must be done in wiring and submitted to the financial aid office. Students should generally allow between 1 and 3 weeks for the request to be processed and an inspection time scheduled.

Repaying Aid If You Withdraw from College; Tuition Refunds

Cascadia follows state and federal regulations surrounding the repayment of financial aid in the event a student becomes ineligible for funding. View the full repayment policy online.

 

Also see Refund of Tuition and Fees.

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