Applying for Admission

How to Apply

Admission

Adult members of the community 18 years or older, or those with a high school diploma or GED, are eligible to enroll in courses at Cascadia College. Please refer to the special admissions section in this catalog for a description of the allowable exceptions.

Degree Seeking (Matriculated) Students

Students may begin their education at Cascadia College any term. Since enrollment dates are determined by the date of completion of the application process, students are encouraged to apply for admission as early as possible. All students seeking a degree or certificate must apply for admission.

Admissions process involves the following steps:

1. Complete an admissions application available online at Cascadia's Getting Started webpage.
2. Determine appropriate skill level in reading/writing and math. Students must demonstrate competency in English and Math before enrolling for classes. Students may show Smarter Balanced Assessment scores, High School transcripts, SAT scores, ACT scores, request Placement Reciprocity from another Washington community college, show completed college-level coursework via unofficial transcripts, credit-earning Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate scores, complete English Directed Self-Placement, or take Accuplacer for placement.
   • For first-time college students with no prior college experience, send unofficial placement documents to admissions@cascadia.edu.
   • For students with prior college experience, email unofficial transcripts from all colleges previously attended to advising@cascadia.edu and schedule an appointment to meet with an Academic Advisor.
   • For more information, please visit our placement website.
3. Enroll in classes either at CORE or with an Academic Advisor. New students, with no prior college credit must attend Cascadia Orientation and Registration Experience (CORE) in order to register/enroll for classes. Transfer students must meet with an Academic Advisor before their first term to enroll.
4. Pay tuition and fees by the term deadline.

Non-Degree Seeking (Non-Matriculated) Students

Students not seeking a degree or certificate from Cascadia are considered non-degree seeking students and may enroll for up to twenty-four credits per term. First time non-degree seeking students without prior college credit may enroll after attending a Cascadia Orientation and Registration Experience (CORE) session. Students must demonstrate that they have met course prerequisites for any given course in which they wish to enroll. Non-degree seeking students can demonstrate that they have met the course prerequisites by providing college transcripts, or by having taken the Mathematics and/or English placement either at Cascadia or at another Washington state community college within the last 24 months.

Non-degree seeking students who wish to seek an exception to a prerequisite requirement must meet with an Academic Advisor. The Academic Advisor reviews all relevant and supporting documents for the prerequisites and completes the advisor portion of the Prerequisite Petition Form. The Academic Advisor submits all relevant supporting documents to the Student Learning Office. The Dean for Student Learning will designate a faculty member to consider the appeal and render a decision. Non-degree seeking students have access to and are encouraged to seek the assistance of Cascadia’s Academic Advisors.

Placement Assessment

Most courses at Cascadia require an assessment of a student’s skill level in English and Math in order to determine whether or not a student is prepared to succeed in the courses. These assessments are not pass/fail in nature but are tools to assist advisors with appropriate class selection.

Students who have successfully completed college-level English composition are exempt from placement assessment in related areas, as are students who have successfully completed college-level Mathematics within the last 24 months. Transcripts with completion of college-level English and/or Mathematics will be needed to establish placement for enrollment.

Students who attended public high schools within Washington State may be eligible for English and Math placements. The Washington State high school transcript will be needed to determine eligibility.

Students who received placement from another Washington Community or Technical College can request equivalent placement with Enrollment Services. To request Placement Reciprocity, email placement documents to enrollment@cascadia.edu and in the subject line note Placement Reciprocity.

Students may be eligible for placement with SBA, SAT, ACT scores. Students will need to submit scores to determine placement eligibility. 

Visit our Placement webpage for more information on placement eligibility.

Photo identification may be required for placement and assessments.

Transcript Evaluation

Credits earned at colleges or universities that are recognized by a regional accreditation association or foreign transcripts that are recognized by the origin country’s Ministry of Education are accepted for evaluation to transfer towards your degree or certificate at Cascadia College.

Cascadia will accept no more than five (5.0) credits of “D” level work. All courses accepted in transfer from other colleges which are used to satisfy degree requirements must average at least a minimum of 2.0. See “Graduation Requirements”.

Credit for prior learning by transcript evaluation includes any transcripts from previous accredited colleges and military training as well as credit earned through National Standardized tests such as the Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) or Cambridge International Examination tests. A maximum of 30 credits are eligible for transfer. Transcript evaluation is coordinated through the Enrollment Services Credential Evaluation team.

A student who has earned a four-year degree is not required to submit official transcripts unless credits from previous colleges are to be used toward a degree at Cascadia. However, unofficial transcripts may be required to provide evidence of placement level before registration in certain courses.

High School Transcripts

Students who are currently in high school or have graduated high school within the last five years may be eligible to use their high school transcript to determine placement. Students who completed a high school math class from a Washington State public high school within the last five years and received a C or higher in their second semester may use their high school transcript for math placement. Students who completed at least 11th grade English and have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher may use their high school transcript to determine English placement. High school transcripts may also be used in determining chemistry, physics, and world language placement.

Transcripts for Veterans

All students receiving educational benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs are required to submit all official transcripts. This includes transcripts from prior colleges and military training including those before, during, and after active duty. Transcripts should be submitted prior to the end of the veteran’s first term of attendance to continue to remain eligible to use VA benefits at Cascadia. Cascadia reserves the right to request official transcripts be submitted sooner than the first term, if deemed necessary, based on the veteran’s educational history.

Cascadia will award academic and vocational credit for military transcript training. Credit will be awarded from a student’s Joint Services Transcript (JST) based on recommendations from the American Council on Education. As an 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 accredited institution of higher education.

Other training or experiences for which a student would like to receive credit will be assessed through the Credit for Prior Learning process.

Reciprocity Agreement

Washington community and technical colleges (CTCs) offer reciprocity to students transferring within the CTC system who are pursuing the Direct Transfer Agreement (DTA) degrees. Students who completed an individual course that met distribution degree requirements, diversity requirements, or fulfilled entire areas of their degree requirements at one college will be considered to have met those same requirements if they plan to complete the same degree when they transfer to another community or technical college in Washington. These degree requirements include communication skills, quantitative skills, diversity requirements, or one or more distribution areas (Humanities, Social Science, and Natural Science).

Students must initiate the review process and must be prepared to provide necessary documentation. For additional information, please visit our Placement webpage.

Running Start Program

The Running Start program provides the opportunity for eligible high school juniors and seniors to take college-level courses at Cascadia College tuition-free. Students may enroll part-time or full-time while earning both high school and college credits simultaneously.

To participate, students must:

• Be enrolled in a Washington State public high school or public school district-affiliated homeschool program.
• Be classified as a high school junior or senior. Current sophomores may begin in the summer before junior year.
• Place into English 95 or higher based on placement.

Running Start covers the tuition of college-level courses (numbered 100 and above), up to a maximum college credit limit determined by the high school counselor. Students are responsible for the following costs:

• Courses below college level (e.g., English 95)
• Mandatory college fees (e.g., technology fees, student activity fees, activities and recreation center fees)
• Textbooks, supplies, and transportation/parking costs

Students who are currently, or have previously been, enrolled in Free or Reduced-Price Lunch programs may be eligible for a waiver that covers the mandatory college fees. Additional financial support for textbooks, supplies, and other educational expenses may be available through Cascadia College or partner programs. 

New Running Start Students Admissions Process

To apply for the Running Start program, follow these steps:

1. Apply for General Admission - Complete and submit Cascadia College’s online admission application. Ensure you select “Running Start” and “Academic” as the application type.
2. Submit Required Running Start Application Materials - Upload all completed documents through the Running Start online upload portal by the published deadlines. Required materials include:
   • Running Start Contract
   • Enrollment Verification Form (EVF)
   • English Placement document
   • Math Placement document
   • Release of Information ROI - optional; complete online ROI form
3. Register for CORE (Cascadia Orientation and Registration Experience) - Once the placement documents and Running Start Contract have been processed, students will receive a welcome email from  runningstart@cascadia.edu. This email will include a link to register for CORE (Cascadia Orientation and Registration Experience). Students may not attend CORE until their documents are processed.
4. Meet with the High School Counselor - Schedule a meeting with your high school counselor to complete the Enrollment Verification Form (EVF). Upload the signed EVF through the online upload portal. Note: Some schools require students to complete the EVF after each Cascadia term class schedule is published, approximately two weeks before the first CORE session.
5. Pay Fees and Any Applicable Tuition - Student fees and any tuition owed must be paid by the term tuition deadline. Unpaid fees any any owed tuition may result in removal from registered classes. Refer to the Running Start website for important deadline information.

Cascadia College recommends that students discuss the Running Start program with their parents/guardians and high school counselors.

For more information, visit the Running Start page on Cascadia’s website or email runningstart@cascadia.edu.

Continuing Running Start Students

Students must submit a new Enrollment Verification Form (EVF) every term that students attend Running Start. On week 6 of every term, students should work with their high school counselor to complete the Enrollment Verification Form (EVF) for the next term. Submit the completed EVF with all required signatures through the online upload portal. Please allow 3 business days to process the EVF. Check Cascadia’s website to learn more about the upcoming term registration dates.

Underage Admissions

Cascadia College does not wish to duplicate or replace the functions of local high schools. However, eligible high school students may request special admission to take specific courses at the college on a term basis. Underage students (9th -12th grade level status) who are not Running Start students may enroll under exceptional circumstances. Eligible high school juniors and seniors seeking enrollment as an underage student on a long-term basis should explore admissions through our Running Start Program.

Students eligible to request the Underage Admissions program would be under the age of 18 years, in the 9th - 12th grade of high school, and have placement of English 95 or above are eligible to participate in the Underage Admissions Program.

To qualify for an exception to Cascadia’s general admission requirements as an underage student, complete the following steps.

1. Complete an admissions application available online at Cascadia's Getting Started webpage.
2. Demonstrate academic preparedness with placement into English 95 or above.
3. Download an Underage Admissions Packet available at the Enrollment webpage in the Forms section, under Admissions. Read through the packet and submit the following completed:
   • School District Enrollment Release Form
   • Parent/Student Release Form
   • Most recent Official High School Transcript
   • A written statement from the school principal or counselor from the school district documenting why enrollment in the specific college course is necessary
   • Copy of qualifying scores showing placement into English 95 or above
4. If approved for Underage Admissions, sign up and attend CORE Cascadia’s Orientation & Registration Experience. At a CORE session, students will:
   • Receive an introduction to Cascadia’s programs, services, and degree options
   • Learn about resources available for students’ academic and personal success
   • Get help from an academic advisor in interpreting placement test scores and choosing courses that promote academic success
   • Learn how to search for classes, enroll into classes, add or drop classes, and waitlist for the upcoming term
5. Pay tuition and fees by the term deadline. 

Students will be expected to adhere to Cascadia’s Academic Standards and Progress. Students who plan to apply credits earned at Cascadia towards completion of a high school diploma are responsible for consulting the high school counselor to ensure that the college classes meet high school graduation requirements. College officials are not responsible for advising students as to whether or not a college class will meet high school graduation requirements.

Adult High School Completion

Cascadia’s Adult High School Completion program enables adults 18 years and over to complete credit-bearing course work for a high school diploma. Reduced registration fees are available to Washington state residents who are 19 years of age or older. The reduced rate is available for all courses applicable to a high school diploma issued by Cascadia.

All prospective students must meet with the High School Completion academic advisor. These appointments are scheduled by completing the Appointment Request Form. Prior to the appointment, students must send official transcripts from all high schools attended to Cascadia College. Unofficial transcripts may be sent by email to advising@cascadia.edu.

College and Career Foundations

For general information about English language classes, adult basic education, and adult high school options, please visit the Getting Started webpage and in the College and Career Foundations section. College and Career Foundations (CCF) includes English Foundations, ESL, and Adult High School Options.

English Foundations and ESL

A language skills assessment is used to determine the placement level of English learners into English Foundations (EF) and ESL classes. Testing is offered at scheduled times throughout each term. Contact the College and Career Foundations office for orientation and testing information at eslabe@cascadia.edu or call 425.352.8158.

Adult High School Options

Cascadia’s High School+ program helps adults 18 years or older complete a high school diploma by applying prior high school credits and work/life experience to high school graduation requirements.

For more information, email eslabe@cascadia.edu or call 425.352.8158.

High school equivalency certificate (GED®) test preparation courses are available. High school equivalency courses are intended to prepare students without a high school diploma to pass the high school equivalency examination. Call College and Career Foundations at 425.352.8158 or email eslabe@cascadia.edu.