Academic Standards of Financial Aid
(Satisfactory Academic Progress)
Federal and state financial aid regulations require colleges to set minimum standards for satisfactory academic progress and to hold students accountable for meeting those standards.
Cascadia checks your academic progress before awarding aid, even if you did not receive financial aid in past quarters. We also check your progress at the end of every quarter that you receive aid.
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:
- You must be a U.S. citizen or a permanent U.S. resident.
- You must have a high school diploma or GED.
- You must have a valid Social Security number.
- You must be enrolled in an eligible academic degree, professional technical degree, or certificate program at Cascadia College.
- You must not owe a repayment of a grant or be in default on a student loan.
- You must demonstrate financial need as determined by the financial aid office.
- You must be registered with the Selective Service System, if applicable.
- You must show satisfactory academic progress as specified in the Academic Standards for Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy.
- 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.
Priority Financial Aid Deadline
The priority financial aid deadline to apply for financial aid each year is April
15.
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 is the same as the quarterly tuition deadline. See the Enrollment Calendar.
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:
- You must read and sign the conditions of award on the financial aid data sheet that you submit each year.
- You must notify the financial aid office immediately if you receive additional outside income, scholarships, or private loans.
- You must notify the financial aid office immediately of changes such as marital status, address, or state residency.
- You must submit additional documents as required during the year to the financial aid office.
- You must give true and complete information when submitting forms or responding to
inquiries.
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.