How to Apply for Financial Aid

Washington students can choose between two different financial aid application forms. Learn more about the FAFSA and WASFA and decide which option suits you best. Do not submit both applications. Doing so can complicate and delay your financial aid process.

Note: If you have submitted both applications, contact your college’s Financial Aid office as soon as possible.

Both the FAFSA and WASFA require you to create login credentials (a username and password) for their online portal. Your account credentials will serve as your legal signature when completing electronic documents.

Some students may be required to include information from family members (parents, spouses, etc). If you have contributors (spouse, parents, etc.), they will also need to create an account to provide their information. Read our FAQs page to learn if you will need to another person to contribute information to your financial aid application.

Important: After creating your login credentials, you must wait 24 hours before starting to fill out the application. Be sure to give yourself enough time.

Create a:

• FSA ID for FAFSA
• WASFA account

Most students are able to complete their application in 30 to 45 minutes. There are some very important pieces of information you’ll need:

• Social security number or ITIN, legal name, and birthdate must be correct. Errors will cause delays in processing your financial aid, so double-check these details.
• Usually, income information can be imported directly from the IRS database. In some cases, you might need to reference tax returns from two years ago.
• Some students may need to provide additional information. Reference our FAQs page for details and contact us if you need help.

Be sure to choose the correct school code for the college you plan to attend. Choosing the right school code ensures that your application will be sent to our Financial Aid office.

If you have additional contributors, your application won’t be considered complete until they have logged in, provided their information, and electronically signed the application.

You'll know your financial aid application was submitted successfully when you receive an email from Federal Student Aid or from (WASFA). You can also log into your FAFSA or WASFA portal to confirm submission.

View a guide to submit the:

• FAFSA
• WASFA (PDF)

Not sure which application to submit? Unsure about how to answer a question? We’re here to help. You can attend our weekly virtual FAFSA/WASFA drop-in sessions, or make an appointment with a Funding Navigator for assistance.

The Financial Aid office begins reviewing applications for the upcoming year in the Spring term. This means that if you apply earlier, it may be a while before you hear from us. Check your ctcLink portal at least weekly starting three months prior to your start date.

You can find your financial aid application status, including any required next steps, in your ctcLink student account.

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• Log into ctcLink and navigate to your Student Homepage.
• Click on the Tasks Tile and find the To-Do List.
• Click on the Tasks and To-Do section to find a list of items you need to complete so that the Financial Aid office can determine your eligibility.
• Check out ctcLink Resources for Students, more information and step-by-step instructions.

[Slide deck: how to check your financial aid award status]

Financial Aid Awards are available under “View Financial Aid” status link.

It’s not unusual for the Department of Education to require additional documents to help determine your aid eligibility or verify your identity. In these cases, the Financial Aid office is here to help and will contact you via email and by posting To-Do items in your ctcLink student portal. You may be required to provide:

• Tax return or W2 statements Proof of high school completion
• Citizenship/immigration documents
• Name change documents/government ID
• Household size clarification

You can upload documents to the Financial Aid Office from your ctcLink student portal, or bring them in person to the Financial Aid office. Do not send documents via email, as email is unencrypted and not a secure way to send sensitive information.

[Slide deck: how to upload required documents]

The Financial Aid office begins awarding for the upcoming year in the Spring term. You can expect to hear from us about your eligibility after February and throughout the Summer. If you are eligible for aid, you’ll receive an offer letter in your ctcLink student portal. The offer letter will explain the different amounts and types of aid you can receive.

To accept an award:

1. Accept or decline each award listed on your ctcLink Student portal page.
2. Select “YES” on the verification screen to confirm your acceptance of your financial aid.

Your offer letter may include work study, which is a program that allows you to earn money at a part-time job on campus. If you want to use your work study award, there are additional steps which will be listed in your ctcLink student portal. Learn more about work study.

Your offer letter may include federal student loans, which is money you borrow from the US government and must pay back with interest. To receive student loans, you must complete these requirements:

• Accept your loans in ctcLink
• Complete these two items on the Federal Student Aid site:
  • Master Promissory Note
  • Entrance Counseling

You can learn more about student loans on our Loans page. Additional information is available on the Direct Loan Application webpage.

[Step-by-step tutorial: Accepting your loans in ctclink]

Not every student qualifies for financial aid. If you don’t qualify, we’ll send you a Determination Letter that explains why you were not eligible. Your college funding journey doesn’t have to end here. To get help finding other ways to pay for college, connect with a Funding Navigator.

Note: The FAFSA and WASFA are based on your income data from two years ago. If your income has significantly decreased in the past two years, you can submit an appeal form to request a review using current income information. See the Manage Your Aid section for more information.

[Slide deck: How to accept your financial aid award in ctcLink]

If your financial aid exceeds your tuition balance, you may be eligible for a refund. Seattle Colleges delivers refunds through BankMobile Disbursements, a third-party disbursement company. 

• You need to set up a BankMobile account and select a refund preference before you can receive financial aid funds.
• You cannot set up your BankMobile account until you receive an offer letter from the Financial Aid office. 

You can contact the Financial Aid office with any questions about refunds.