Tuition Information

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Tuition Rates

Residency

A Washington State resident must have lived continuously in Washington State for the last 12 months. A student cannot qualify as a legal resident of Washington for tuition calculation 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 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 quarter and was financially independent from parents or legally appointed guardians for the calendar year during which college enrollment begins
    OR
  • Is a financially dependent student, one or both of whose parents or legal guardians have maintained a domicile in Washington State for at least one year immediately prior to the last day of the quarter

Typically, state residents document their legal residence in Washington State by showing that for the entire 12 months immediately preceding the beginning of the quarter, they have done all of the following:

  1. Held a Washington driver’s license or identification card.
  2. Had their vehicle registered in Washington State
  3. Have been registered to vote in Washington State.

There are some exceptions to these general rules (e.g. for active military personnel, for some employees of public institutions of higher education, etc.).

A Washington State law determines whether students can be considered residents of Washington State eligible to pay in-state resident tuition 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 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 affidavit/ declaration/ certification 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 meet the above criteria and have filed an application for admission must submit a signed affidavit to the Kodiak Corner or to Enrollment Services at enrollment@cascadia.edu. The affidavit is available online.

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

Paying for Tuition

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

If registering for classes BEFORE the tuition deadline, tuition and fees must be paid by the quarterly tuition deadline. If tuition and fees are not paid by the quarterly tuition deadline, the student may be dropped from all classes.

If registering for classes AFTER the tuition deadline, tuition and fees must be paid within one business day of registration. If tuition and fees are not paid within one business day, the student may be dropped from all 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 quarter
  • 2nd installment 1/3 of total tuition and fees is due one month after the quarter begins
  • 3rd installment (all remaining tuition and fees) is due two months after the quarter begins

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

The $10 Enrollment Fee applies to each quarter 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 this quarterly payment plan 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 through the state.

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.

When a student drops or withdraws from credit class(es), Cascadia College will refund tuition according to the following schedule:

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

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.