Tuition Information

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Tuition Rates

Washington State Residency for Tuition and Fee Purposes

A Washington State resident must have lived continuously in Washington State for the last 12 months and established domicile. A student cannot qualify as a legal resident of Washington for tuition and fee purposes if they possess a valid out-of-state driver’s license, vehicle registration, or other documents that give evidence of being a legal resident of another state. For state-supported class tuition and fee purposes, a Washington State resident is:

  • One who is a U.S. citizen or one who has permanent resident immigration status, or conditional entrant status
    AND
  • Has established a domicile (residence) in Washington State primarily for purposes other than educational for the period of one year immediately prior to the first day of the term and was financially independent from parent(s) or legally appointed guardian(s) for the calendar year during which college enrollment begins
    OR
  • Is a financially dependent student, one or both of whose parent(s) or legal guardian(s) have maintained physical residence and domicile in Washington State for at least one year immediately prior to the first day of the term

Typically, Washington State residents document their physical residence in Washington State by showing they have done all of the following at least 12 months before the start of the term an in-state residency status is being requested for tuition and fee purposes:

  1. Maintained a physical residence in Washington State
  2. Established domicile in Washington State such as holding a;
    • Washington State driver’s license or identification card.
    • Washington State vehicle registration
    • Washington State voter’s registration

There are some exceptions to these general rules such as; military connected students etc.

A Washington State law determines whether students can be considered residents of Washington State eligible to pay in-state resident tuition and fee rates at public institutions (RCW 28B.15.012). This law was revised in 2003 to allow certain students attending public colleges and universities to be eligible for resident student tuition and fee rates. In 2014, the state’s financial aid law was amended so these students are eligible to be considered for need-based state aid (State Need Grant) if they are attending either public or participating private colleges in Washington (RCW 28B.92.101).

For information on eligibility and the application process for State Need Grant, please visit Washington Student Achievement Council.

As of 2022, to qualify for resident tuition status and/or State Need Grant eligibility, students must complete this Washington State Higher Education Residency Affidavit if they have met the following conditions:

  1. Earn a high school diploma, GED, or diploma equivalent before the student’s first term at the college determining residency
    AND
  2. Maintain a primary residence in Washington for at least 12 consecutive months immediately before the student’s first term at the college determining the student’s residency. The Washington residence must be for purposes other than college. If the student takes any courses at another Washington college during the prior 12 months, the student cannot have taken more than 6 credits in any given term. If that limit is exceeded, the student must prove having a Washington residence for non-college reasons.

Students who are requesting a residency status change and meet the above criteria must submit a signed affidavit to Enrollment Services at the Kodiak Corner or at enrollment@cascadia.edu.

For more information, definitions, and requirements, please visit the Residency and Citizenship webpage. To determine eligibility, complete the confidential WASFA Questionnaire.

Student Financial Responsibility Agreement (SFRA)

Before you can enroll for classes each year, you’ll need to review and accept the Student Financial Responsibility Agreement (SFRA) in ctcLink. This agreement helps you understand what you're financially responsible for when you enroll—such as tuition, fees, or charges from late returns or funding changes.

By completing the SFRA, you're confirming that you understand these responsibilities and what to expect if you don’t pay your balance on time. If you don’t complete the SFRA, a hold will be placed on your account and you won’t be able to enroll for classes. Once it’s completed, the hold is removed right away, and you can enroll for the current or future quarters within the year.

You can always review your completed SFRA anytime in your ctcLink Self-Service “Tasks” menu.

Paying for Tuition

Tuition and fees are due on the term tuition deadline listed on the Enrollment Calendar webpage.

If enrolling for classes BEFORE the tuition deadline, tuition and fees must be paid by the term’s tuition deadline. If tuition and fees are not paid by the tuition deadline, the student may be dropped from all classes.

If enrolling for classes AFTER the tuition deadline, tuition and fees must be paid within one business day of enrollment. If tuition and fees are not paid within one business day, the student may be dropped from all unpaid classes.

There are a few ways to pay tuition and fees.

Pay Online at the student ctcLink account with a VISA, MasterCard or American Express.

Pay by Mail. The mailed payments must be received by the tuition deadline date, not postmarked.  Please make checks and money orders payable to "Cascadia College" and include the student's ctcLink ID number, first name, and last name in the memo line. Cash payments are not accepted. Tuition payments via check or money order may be mailed to:

Cascadia College, Finance Office
18345 Campus Way NE
Bothell, WA 98011

Pay via Payment Plan - Student Tuition Payment Plan (STPP)
Available for tuition balances over $1,000. Here are the plan details:

  • 1st installment 1/3 of total tuition and fees and $10 Enrollment fee are due on the first day of the term
  • 2nd installment 1/3 of total tuition and fees is due one month after the term begins
  • 3rd installment (all remaining tuition and fees) is due two months after the term begins

Summer term follows a different timeline, please see payment plan confirmation email for details.

The $10 Enrollment Fee applies to each term signed up for the Student Tuition Payment Plan. This fee is non-refundable and cannot be waived.

Non-payment of installments by the established deadline in full may result in being dropped from all courses.

Students holding F1 visas need to get approval from the International Programs Office prior to enrolling in the payment plan.

Students may sign up for the payment plan each term by completing the Student Tuition Payment Plan form. Please do not try to apply for the Payment Plan through ctcLink, as that function is currently unavailable.

Pay by Payment Drop Box
Located outside the Kodiak Corner in the CC1 building. Payments received by the times below will be reflected in your account after one business day. For scholarship/loan payments dropped in the Payment Drop Box, please see Financial Aid to discuss payment.

  • Monday through Friday at 8:00 AM (Fall, Winter, Spring)
  • Monday through Thursday at 8:00 AM (Summer)

Additional Pickup on Tuition Deadline Day at 4:00 PM

Accepted form of payment for the Payment Drop Box:

  • Check or money order, made payable to “Cascadia College” and include the student's ctcLink ID number, first name, and last name in the memo line

Refunds

The following refund policies pertain to state-funded credit courses.

Cascadia College will refund tuition according to the following:

  • 100% refund: Class cancellation or administrative withdrawal by the college
  • 100% refund: Drop from credit class(es) by the 100% refund deadline (on or before the 5th business day of the term, excluding weekends and holidays)
  • 50% refund: Withdraw from credit class(es) by the 50% refund deadline (beginning with the sixth business day of the term through the 20th calendar day of the term)

PLEASE NOTE: Summer and Pre-Fall 100% and 50% refund deadlines are adjusted for the shorter instructional period.

Refunds are processed automatically when students drop or withdraw from classes after the 100% and 50% refund deadlines.

Refunds are not given to students:

  • Dismissed for disciplinary reasons.
  • Do not follow official drop or withdraw procedures .
  • Do not drop or withdraw by the refund deadline.

See the Enrollment Calendar for refund deadlines.

The amount of the refund will be reduced by the amount of open balances on the student’s account. Refunds are processed as follows:

  • Credit or Debit Card refunds will be posted to the same card used to pay within 10 business days after the refund deadline. If a card refund is not possible due to an expired card or closed credit/debit card account, a refund will be sent by mail as a check.
  • Checks will be refunded as a check and mailed 4-6 weeks after the refund deadline.
  • Financial Aid refunds will be processed once the student’s account is reviewed for eligibility of the refund. Financial Aid refund information can be found on the Policies webpage in the Financial Aid section.

If expecting a refund, please ensure the correct address is listed on the student ctcLink account. To update a mailing address online, log into the student ctcLink account and update the mailing address in the Profile tile.

For questions regarding a refund, please contact the Finance Office at 425.352.8151 or email arfinance@cascadia.edu.

Tax Credit Information

PLEASE NOTE: The following is general information and individuals will be affected differently based on their circumstances. Individuals should contact their tax advisor or IRS for assistance in claiming the tax credit. Students must provide their social security number on the admissions application for Cascadia or to Enrollment Services in order to receive a 1098T form.

The American Opportunity Tax Credit (previously the HOPE tax credit) provides up to $2,500 per student on qualified tuition and related expenses for the first four years of post-secondary education. The Lifetime Learning Credit applies to all courses taken to acquire or improve job skills, whether as part-time, full-time, undergraduate, graduate, or continuing education student. There is no limit on the number of years that the credit is available to a student. This credit lets taxpayers claim a maximum credit of $2,000 per taxpayer (20 percent of up to $10,000 paid in higher education expenses). It is available to parents of dependent students or to students who are not claimed as dependents on their parents’ federal tax return. Taxpayers cannot take both the American Opportunity Credit and the Lifetime Learning Credit in the same year for the same student.

At the end of the tax year students will receive a 1098T form from the college that will list out-of-pocket expenses for tuition. The 1098T is for notification only; it cannot be sent in with taxes. To claim the tax credit, students must complete IRS form 8863. To qualify for the American Opportunity Credit Tax Credit, students must be enrolled at least half-time in a degree or certificate program, has not completed the first four years of post-secondary education as of the beginning of the taxable year, and has not been convicted of a felony drug offense. The Lifetime Learning tax credit does not require half-time enrollment. Visit the IRS for more information.

Qualified Tuition and Related Expenses

In general, qualified expenses for the education tax credits include tuition and required fees for the enrollment or attendance at eligible post-secondary educational institutions. The expenses paid during the tax year must be for: an academic period that begins in the same tax year or an academic period that begins in the first three months of the following tax year.

The following expenses do not qualify:

  • Room and board
  • Transportation
  • Insurance
  • Medical expenses
  • Student fees unless required as a condition of enrollment or attendance
  • Education expenses paid with tax-free educational assistance
  • Education expenses used for any other tax deduction, credit or educational benefit

Four Things to Remember

  1. Students must provide their Taxpayer Identification Number when applying in order to have a 1098T form generated.
  2. Obtain a copy of the IRS Education Credits Tax Form 8863.
  3. Recalculate the qualified out-of-pocket tuition expenses.
  4. Consult a tax advisor as to whether or not the credit may be claimed.