How to Apply | Cascadia College

How to Apply

We know the rules and the paperwork are intimidating. Cascadia's Financial Aid officers can counsel and help guide you and your family through the process.

Cascadia School Code: 034835

address

Kodiak Corner - First Floor CC1

mailfinaid@cascadia.edu
phone425.352.8860
How to Apply

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.

Types of Financial Aid

Who Should Apply Which Application
US citizen or eligible noncitizen Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
Washington state resident, and applicants ineligible for federal aid because of immigration status Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WASFA)
Unsure Complete this questionnaire and you will be directed to the appropriate application

Application Processes

  1. Fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by the financial aid priority deadline (see the Enrollment Calendar)
    1. Use the Cascadia school code: 034835
    2. If you miss the annual priority deadline, you can still apply, but see Eligibility and Conditions.
  2. Check your ctcLink account for additional documents to submit
    1. 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.
  3. Recieve an Email
    1. If you are awarded a grant or other type of financial aid, Cascadia will Email you an award notification. You can then check the status of your award at your ctcLink account.
See more information at Washington Student Achievement Council
  1. Fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
  2. See Federal Student Aid Grants for individaul grant information
  • Apply for Federal Student Aid and indicate on the FAFSA that you want work study
    • Your award letter will include your work study eligibility and dollar amount, but it is up to you to find a work study job.
    • To view the most up-to-date work study job listings, login to HandShake.
  1. Fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
  2. Complete Loan Entrance Counseling.
    1. This will review your rights and responsibilities of being a student loan borrower.
    2. This step is required before we process your loan request.
  3. Complete and Sign your Master Promissory Note (MPN).
    1. This is your agreement with the Department of Education to repay your loan according to the terms and conditions of your loan.
    2. This step is also required before we process your loan request.
  4. Complete and Submit a Student Loan Worksheet Request
    1. Return this form to the Financial Aid office.
    2. Keep the instruction/information sheet for later reference; do not turn it in with the worksheet form.
    3. This step is also required before we process your loan request.
  5. Wait for Cascadia to process your loan and notify you of the amount of your loan.
    1. If you are awarded a loan, you will receive an award letter notification from Cascadia with the amount of your loan for the quarter(s) selected.
    2. Please allow 4-6 weeks for review and processing of your loan request.
  6. Wait for Cascadia to notify you that your loan funds have been received.
    1. See Financial Aid Management for the process of receiving your aid.

A Direct PLUS Loan is commonly referred to as a parent PLUS loan when made to a parent borrower. Direct Loans (Stafford Loans) offer better terms than Direct PLUS loans.

  1. Complete the Direct PLUS Loan application
  2. Complete and submit the Parent Loan Worksheet.
    1. Return this form to the Financial Aid office.
    2. Keep the instruction/information sheet for later reference; do not turn it in with the worksheet form.

Continue Receiving Aid

Action Frequency
Meet the academic standards required for financial aid. Quarterly
If you're enrolled less than full time submit an enrollment change form. Quarterly
Complete a (FAFSA) by the financial aid priority deadline Yearly
Repeat Complete Loan Entrance Counseling and complete the loan confirmation form Yearly

Eligibility

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 degree, professional 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 show satisfactory academic progress as specified in the Academic Standards for Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy. 
  8. 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 Types of Funding.

Conditions

The priority financial aid deadline 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.

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.

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.

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

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.
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)].
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.

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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