Financial Aid FAQ

It is a good idea to have completed your federal tax return before filling out the FAFSA/WASFA, since exact tax information can make processing faster and simpler. If this cannot be done in time for you to meet the priority deadline, use estimated figures when completing the application. After you file taxes, if the estimated figures differ from the actual figures, submit a signed copy completed tax return to the Financial Aid Office.

Yes, if you answer no to all of the dependency questions on the application, you are required to include your parent information. If you have special circumstances and can provide documentation that something occurred that severed the relationship with your parent(s), and you can provide documentation that you have no contact with your parent(s), contact the Financial Aid Office to complete the Dependency Override Request process.

If your income and/or your parent’s income (for dependent students) changes for the current school year complete the Special Conditions/Appeal for Income Adjustment form. You can also use this process if your change in income is due to divorce, separation, or death of a spouse or parent. You will need to provide current year-to-date income information and other documents to support the changes. Contact the Financial Aid Office to determine if your adjusted income will likely change your eligibility for aid.

If you complete 0 credits for the quarter, you may owe a repayment of financial aid funds, regardless of circumstances (see Financial Aid Repayment Policy).

Students are required to maintain satisfactory academic progress to remain eligible for funds (see Satisfactory Academic Progress). Contact the Financial Aid Office before you withdraw from courses. If you have any questions about how it may affect your continued eligibility, please call (206) 934-3688 or email us at NSCCFinancialAid@SeattleColleges.edu.

All financial aid funds, including grants, loans, scholarships, and emergency aid, are refunded via BankMobile Disbursements, a technology solution, powered by BMTX, Inc. We want to get your money to you as fast as possible. When you apply for financial aid, you will receive instructions from BMTX, Inc. to set up your refund preferences in advance, should you later receive a refund.

To view our third-party servicer contract for refund management, click here.

It takes up to two weeks for our office to receive your application after the FAFSA/WASFA you receive confirmation of your submitted application. Once we receive your application and you have applied for admissions with the college, you’ll have access to your ctc Link portal. The portal allows you to view your application status, any information we need from you, and your financial aid awards (if eligible).

 The first step is to check for any outstanding documents in your CTCLink Task List and submit them to our office.   When your application is complete and reviewed in the order it was received, you will find any eligible financial aid awards in your CTCLink Financial Aid Tile. You can also use the message center to view communications sent via the ctcLink portal.

You can find more information on your ctc Link portal here.

Your application is reviewed in the order it was received, and there may be additional information required before your application is complete. It can take several weeks to fully process your application. To ensure your application will be reviewed before the start of the quarter, please meet the Quarterly Financial Aid Priority Deadlines.

If you do not meet the quarterly priority deadline, please still apply for aid! We will process your application, but it may not occur before the quarter begins. In this event, please consider enrolling in a Deferred Payment Plan to avoid being dropped from your classes. You are also encouraged to contact WorkForce Education to see if you are eligible for other sources of funds while your financial aid application is processed.

Financial Aid is generally disbursed at the start of each quarter and it will be applied toward your tuition balance. When you’re awarded aid, we place a hold on your registration so you will not be dropped from your courses for non-payment before your aid can be disbursed. Please keep an eye on your account! If you find that your tuition still remains unpaid as of the second day of the quarter, please contact us.

After your tuition is paid, any remaining financial aid funds will be disbursed to you (if eligible) later that week through a service called BankMobile Disbursements, a technology solution, powered by BMTX, Inc.

If your financial aid funds are not enough to cover the cost of tuition and fees, you should consider signing up for the Deferred Payment Plan or applying for WorkForce Education Tuition Assistance Support.

You may also consider applying for emergency assistance to help supplement the funding you received. Application process and eligibility requirements are available here.

Depending on how and when you paid tuition, you may receive a Tax Form 1098-T. This form is mailed by the District Accounting Office no later than January 31st. It will be mailed to your address on file with Seattle Colleges. For more information, please visit: Seattle Colleges Education Tax Credit page or call 206-934-6300.