Financial Aid FAQ

This FAQ is intended to inform Seattle Central's new and returning students about the financial aid application process.

What is Seattle Central's Title IV School Code?

003787

When should I apply for financial aid?

To qualify for the most financial aid programs available to you, you should apply by the mid–March Priority Deadline. You should not wait to be admitted—meet the priority deadline even if you don't plan to attend until Winter or Spring because our priority deadline applies for the whole year, not just Fall.

If you do not make the Priority Deadline, please provide all information and forms by the quarterly deadline.

If your application is late or incomplete, you may still apply for financial aid and enroll in the upcoming quarter. However, you may not be considered for all the aid programs available.

Check out our Dates and Deadlines.

Do income tax returns need to be completed before filling out the FAFSA?

We recommend that you complete your federal tax return before filling out the FAFSA, since exact tax information can make processing faster and simpler. You may also use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool in the FAFSA, which allows applicants who have already filed their tax returns to save time and prefill answers to some questions in the FAFSA with a quick transfer of data.

If you cannot do your taxes in time to meet the priority deadline, use estimated figures when you complete your FAFSA. If the estimated figures differ from the actual figures, send or bring your completed tax return to the Financial Aid Office.

Am I going to be eligible for financial aid?

The Financial Aid Office is unable to answer this question until the 3–step Financial Aid Application Process has been completed and your individual file is reviewed. The Financial Aid Office reviews files in the order that they are completed and awards financial aid based both on your eligibility for aid and funds available at the time that you apply.

Do I have to be enrolled full–time to receive financial aid?

No, you do not need to be a full–time student to receive financial aid funds. All initial financial aid awards are based on full–time enrollment of 12 or more credits. If you do not plan to take 12 or more credits, you must notify the Financial Aid Office in writing of the number of credits you will be taking immediately after you have finished your registration. We will then review your aid award to determine if we are required by federal and/or state regulations to reduce your aid to reflect your reduced credit level.

I support myself—do my parents still have to fill out the FAFSA?

Yes, if when you are filling out the FAFSA application you have answered "no" to all dependency status questions in step 3, by federal law you are required to include your parent information. If your parents do not provide their information on your application, you cannot be considered for aid.

If you have special circumstances and can provide documentation of what 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.

What if my family situation or income changes?

Contact the Financial Aid Office with any new information including an explanation of your change in circumstances. The Financial Aid Office will provide you with the information needed to document your change and will make an appointment for you to meet with a financial aid advisor who will determine if the change affects your eligibility.

Do not send correspondence with your FAFSA application, as it will delay processing and will be destroyed. Information explaining your change in income or situation should be sent directly to the Financial Aid Office at Seattle Central.

How will I be notified if I am eligible for financial aid?

Once you complete Seattle Central's financial aid application process, you will be notified by email regarding your eligibility. If you complete your application by the priority deadline, you will be notified first along with the other students that met the deadline.

Additional information will be available in the Financial Aid Portal. Please check it often to view your current status and award information.

I have been awarded financial aid from Seattle Central, how do I know if my refund is ready?

You will receive your refund on or after the first day of each quarter provided that you:

  • Registered for a full–time credit load at least 1 week prior to the first class day
    or
  • Registered for less than a full–time credit load and notified the Financial Aid Office at least 1 week prior to the first day of classes
    and
  • Were awarded financial aid at least 1 week prior to the first class day
  • Met all satisfactory academic progress requirements during your last quarter of attendance
  • Have selected a refund preference with BankMobile Disbursements, a technology solution, powered by BMTX, Inc.

If the total of your grants is greater than your tuition and fees charged, you will receive a financial aid refund for the funds remaining, after your tuition and fees are paid. Refunds are available beginning the first class day of each quarter. Make sure to select a refund preference with BankMobile Disbursements a technology solution, powered by BMTX, Inc. For more information about BankMobile Disbursements, visit this link: https://bankmobiledisbursements.com/how-it-works/.

I have been awarded financial aid from Seattle Central, and had an emergency that prevents me from completing one or more of my classes. Will that affect my eligibility for future financial aid?

Contact the Financial Aid Office before you withdraw from courses and with any questions about how changes in your enrollment will affect your current financial aid status and continued eligibility.

You are required to maintain satisfactory academic progress to continue to remain eligible for funds. Also, please note that if you complete zero credits for a quarter in which you were receiving financial aid, you may owe a repayment of financial aid funds, regardless of circumstances.

How can I resolve Selective Service issues if I am a male older than 26 or a transgender male?

Males born before 1960 are not required to register with Selective Service and can submit documents to verify their birthdate. If you are male, and did not register with Selective Service, you will need to go online at sss.gov and submit documents to Selective Service to receive a Status Information Letter. If the letter states you were not required to register, you will need to bring this letter to the Financial Aid Office. If the letter states that you were required to register, you will need to submit the letter to the Financial Aid Office along with a petition stating the reason that you were unable to register. If you are a male that entered the USA after turning 26, you will need to bring documents to the Financial Aid Office verifying the date you entered the USA and your date of birth. If you are a transgender male, you will need to bring documentation that you were assigned the female sex at birth and not required to register with Selective Service.

Financial Aid Checklist

Use this checklist to track your financial aid process.