New Student
Welcome! If you are here, this is either your first time in college, you plan to submit transcripts from a previous college experience, or you are re-applying to Seattle Central after three or more years. If it has been less than three years since you attended Seattle Central, use the "Returning Student" page to re-enroll.
We appreciate the opportunity to support you through your academic journey and have curated the below steps to guide you through applying to enrolling in classes. Remember, deadlines are important so use the Academic Calendar to stay on track. Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact the Accessibility Resource Center.
Apply & Enroll
Follow the 5 step enrollment process below. Note: You can complete steps 1, 2, and 3 at the same time. When you complete a step, click the next tab to see more instructions.
Apply
Hopefully by now you have reviewed the Admissions Information page. If not, we recommend you do so before moving on. Reading through the "Preparing to Apply" section will help you complete the application faster and more accurately.
If you identified as a First Year, Reapplying, or Transfer student based on the definitions in "Preparing to Apply", you will use the State-wide application system for Community and Technical Colleges to apply to Seattle Central College. The application is fast, free, and can be completed online.
Seattle Central College uses the Washington State Board of Community and Technical Colleges Online Admissions Application Portal.
Need help with the application? Get step-by-step application help.
After Applying
Once you submit your application, you will automatically receive an email from Seattle Central Admissions with an application number and next steps. You are admitted once you receive a "Welcome" email from Admissions with your ctcLink (student) ID. This welcome letter will be sent to the email address you used on the application within (5) business days from applying. Sometimes these emails end up in spam/junk folders, so be sure to check there. If you don't receive these emails, please contact the Admissions Team at admissions.central@seattlecolleges.edu.
What next? After you submit your application, click "Step 2" and "Step 3" above to continue getting enrolled. You do not need to wait for the "Welcome" email to complete these steps.
Application Support
Use the below drop-down options to guide you through the application process.
AA vs AAS: An Associate of Arts (AA) degree is designed to position you to transfer to a four-year institution. An Associate in Applied Sciences (AAS) degree is designed to prepare you for employment in a specific career immediately upon graduating. AAS degrees do not transfer to four-year universities.
C (Certificate): These short-term training programs help you build specialized skills and prepare for a job. You can also build on your certificate training by earning additional certificates, an associate degree and/or a bachelor's degree in related field.
DTA (Direct Transfer Agreement): These programs earn you an associate's degree and ease the transfer process to most public institutions in Washington State by satisfying most, or all, general education (gen ed) requirements and generally grant junior standing. This is Washington's most popular and most flexible transfer degree. This is a great option if you know you want an associate's degree, but are not sure what's next for you. You are not required to transfer once you graduate and will still have a degree.
MRP (Major-Related Program): Often paired with a DTA, MRP programs offer more specialized coursework to prepare you for transferring into specific majors. MRP programs are designed to ease transfer-readiness by satisfying general education requirements and granting junior standing at most public Washington State institutions.
T (Transfer): Often paired with an AAS, these programs offer a few general education requirements and are designed to assist you if you want to transfer into an approved bachelor's degree after beginning a Career Training (also known as Professional Technical) degree. AAS-T programs have specific requirements, so be sure to learn more about transfer articulation agreements to determine if this is the best choice for you.
Citizenship: If you are a United States citizen, even if you have citizenship elsewhere, you should select "United States" under the Citizenship question in the application. This includes choosing "Yes" in the Residency section of the application when asked "Are you a U.S. Citizen?".
Residency: Your residence status will determine how much tuition you will be charged each quarter. To learn more about your residency classification, click here.
#1: If you know you want a degree but aren't sure what you'd like your focus or program to be, select AA-DTA in the application. This option is eligible for Financial Aid and allows you to choose a specific program with your Academic Advisor once admitted. However, keep in mind you are encouraged to limit program changes as there can be Financial Aid implications.
#2: As you explore programs and classes, you may see the word "prerequisite". A prerequisite means that there are requirements that you must meet before applying to that program or enrolling in that class.
#3: "Non-Award Seeking" and "Undecided" programs are ineligible for Financial Aid. If you will be seeking Financial Aid, please review the "Preparing to Apply" section and contact Financial Aid to determine the Financial Aid eligibility of the program(s) you are interested in.
#4: Once you submit your application, you have applied. You are admitted once you receive a Welcome email from Admissions with your ctcLink (student) ID. At that point, you will be able to enroll. Enrolling is the process of registering for classes and paying tuition and fees.
Some programs have separate enrollment procedures, therefore, make sure to consult the individual Career Training program.
If you are under the age of 18 or who do not have a high school diploma, you will need to apply to one of our High School programs. Anyone interested in Running Start should review the important documents and next steps, which does include completing the online application form.
Plan Funding
Seattle Central offers an Automatic Payment Plan to spread out college costs.
Start Early
The key to successfully planning funding is to start early—at least three months!
Financial Aid Resources
There are several resources available including Financial Aid, Federal Direct Loans, Workforce Services, Veteran's Services, and various Grants. Detailed information about these and other options can be found in the comprehensive pay for college section of our website.
Tuition Deadline
Students are responsible for paying tuition by the tuition deadline.
Contact Financial Aid at 206.934.3844 or on the Broadway campus in room BE1104.
Placement for Classes
New Students
New students have several options to demonstrate their English and/or math proficiency level.
- Take the placement test for English and Math.
- Use qualifying ACT or SAT scores – testing FAQ.
- Seattle Public Schools Students: Use high school transcript for placement in intermediate algebra or college level math. Math placement request form (pdf) and chart (pdf).
- If you have already completed college-level coursework, you may provide unofficial transcripts showing successful completion of English and/or math. Learn more about incoming transcript evaluation.
Contact Placement Testing at 206.934.6344 or on the Broadway campus room BE1106.
Register
New Student Orientation
New students must complete the New Student orientation. The New Student Orientation will prepare you for the first quarter at Seattle Central College and introduces you to resources, support, and opportunities available on campus.
Running Start, international students, non–credit, ABE, ESL, and GED® students use a separate process and are not required to complete this New Student orientation. Please contact the program directly for details.
Advising
Advisors help guide students in choosing classes based on academic goals. Once you have completed placement for classes and orientation, you are encouraged to meet with an advisor to get help with educational planning.
College transfer students will need to work with an Academic Advisor (mandatory after 45 credits).
Register for Classes
After completing steps 1–4, you can begin registering for classes the online student services portal, ctcLink.
Note: Waitlisted students must attend first day of class with an Add/Drop form to obtain instructor permission to enroll.
Pay & Prepare
Pay Tuition
Pay tuition as early as possible to keep your classes and avoid being dropped for non-payment. Learn more about tuition payment deadlines.
Students who applied for Financial Aid can check their award status with the Financial Aid office or online.
Buy Books & Supplies
Rent or buy new and used paper and e–books from the campus bookstore. Bring your class item numbers and section numbers to the campus bookstore, and they can look up your required textbooks. Books and supplies can also be downloaded and purchased online.
Plan Parking & Transportation
For help with planning a commute to Seattle Central, learn about ORCA cards and student parking permits in the transportation section of our website.
Get a Seattle Central Photo I.D. Card
Photo identification (I.D.) cards are required for all students and can be obtained in the Enrollment Services lobby. We suggest that students obtain an I.D. card as soon as they have registered for their classes.
Congratulations! You are now enrolled at Seattle Central.