Financial aid is money to help you pay your education expenses at a college, career school, or university. Funding can be through federal, state and school resources. There are three categories of financial aid:

Grants – are awarded to students that have a demonstrated financial need as determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Sometimes referred to as “gift” aid as you are not required to pay back funds you receive.

Work-study – money earned through a job on campus while attending school

Loans – Borrowed money that must be repaid with interest.

The general eligibility requirements for financial aid:

• Be a US citizen or eligible non-citizen
• Be registered with the Selective Service (if required)
• Be enrolled in an eligible program of study and are enrolled in eligible classes that lead to a degree or certificate offered by SVC that is at least one year in length.
• Have a high school diploma, GED certificate.
• Demonstrate financial need
• Maintain satisfactory academic progress
• Not be in default on any student loan or owe a repayment on any grant received at any institute of higher education.

You can’t get financial aid if you don’t apply.  Applying for financial aid is a multi-step process, but it all begins with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WASFA) for Dreamers and DACA students.  Jump on over to our Apply for Financial Aid site and start with the 1^st Step – Complete Your Application.

You will also want to be sure that you have applied for admission to Skagit Valley College at this time.  If you are a new student to Skagit Valley College and have not applied for admission, please note that your financial aid file will not be reviewed or processed until you have received confirmation of admission.  To apply to SVC, please visit Getting Started and you are on your way.  If you were enrolled previously at SVC, but have been away from the college for more than two years, you will also need to re-apply to SVC at Getting Started.

The Federal School Code for Skagit Valley College is 003792.  It will show the address for the Mount Vernon campus but applies to all campuses.

YES! You must reapply for financial aid each year by completing the renewal FAFSA or WASFA online.  Applications are available on October 1^st each year.

During remote operations, Financial Aid Staff are available by phone appointment to assist with your application. Please call 360.416.7666 or find us on uChat to request assistance.  We hope to continue on-campus assistance workshops once the college resumes on-ground operations.

We encourage you to not procrastinate when applying for financial aid.  Awards are made on a first come, first served basis.  Apply early to be considered for maximum aid funding.  Missed the deadline?  Don’t worry you can still submit your FAFSA or WASFA and be considered for financial aid.  Apply today!

 Priority Deadlines for application completion:

If you missed a quarterly deadline, we will still process your late application, but it may not be reviewed until after the quarter begins. You may still receive financial aid if you qualify, but it may not be processed until after the quarter begins.  You will need to plan ahead accordingly, to cover your initial educational expenses (such as tuition, fees, books, transportation), while you are waiting for your eligibility to be determined.  If you are later awarded grant aid, it will be retroactive for the quarter(s) that you qualified. If you are pursuing Federal Direct Loans, you must be enrolled in a minimum of 6 credits required for your program, and you must have submitted your SVC Loan Application.

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.

Being considered an independent student is not merely a matter of being responsible for your own educational expenses. You must be able to answer YES to at least one of the following questions to be declared an independent student for the purposes of the FAFSA:

• Will you be 24 years of age or older by December 31 of the award year?
• Are you married as of the date you fill out the FAFSA?
• Will you be working on a master’s or doctorate program (MA, MBA, DVM, PhD, EdD, etc) during the award year?
• Are you currently serving on active duty in the US Armed Forces for purposes other than training?
• Are you a veteran of the US Armed Forces?
• Do you have children who will receive more than half of their support from you during the award year?
• Do you have dependents (other than your children or spouse) who live with you and who receive more than half of their support from you, now and through the award year?
• At any time since you turned age 13, were both your parents deceased, were you in foster care, or were you a dependent or ward of the court?
• Are you or were you an emancipated minor as determined by a court in your state of legal residence?
• Are you or were you in legal guardianship as determined by a court in your state of legal residence?
• At any time on or after July 1, 2020, did your high school or school district homeless liaison determine that you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless?
• At any time on or after July 1, 2020, did the director of an emergency shelter or transitional housing program funded by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development determine that you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless?
• At any time on or after July 1, 2020, did the director of a runaway or homeless youth basic center or transitional living program determine that you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless or were self-supporting and at risk of being homeless.

If you are new to Skagit Valley College, you must be formally admitted to SVC before you can be awarded.

You will also want to be sure that you have applied for admission to Skagit Valley College at this time.  If you are a new student to Skagit Valley College and have not applied for admission, please note that your financial aid file will not be reviewed or processed until you have received confirmation of admission.  To apply to SVC, please visit Getting Started and you are on your way.  If you were enrolled previously at SVC, but have been away from the college for more than two years, you will also need to re-apply to SVC at Getting Started.

You should receive an email from the FAFSA or WASFA in 2-3 business days after completing your application advising you it has been successfully processed.

After receiving this email, it will be 4-6 business days for Skagit Valley College to upload your application into our database.

You will receive a welcome letter from Skagit after we receive your FAFSA or WASFA.  It will be sent to the email address you submitted with your FAFSA.  Please be sure to read it carefully.

If additional information is needed in order to process your financial aid application, you will receive a follow up email shortly after your welcome letter.

• Via email to [email protected] through your MYSVC email.  For directions on how to submit please visit our Forms & Resources help page.
• Fax to 360.416.7888
• by mail:
  Financial Aid Office
  Skagit Valley College
  2405 East College Way
  Mount Vernon, WA  98273-5899

Due to our limited access to fax and mail because of closure, please note that faxing or mailing in your forms can delay processing 1-2 weeks.  We recommend that you submit via email.

The Financial Aid Portal allows you to check your financial aid status and awards online any time.  Once your FAFSA or WASFA to Skagit Valley College has been received you will have access to the Portal.  The Portal will show you any requests for additional documents required in order to complete your financial aid file.  You can see if our office has received documents you submitted.  Also, keep track of your financial aid, including your award, at any point through the year.

When accessing the Portal:

FAFSA Applicants: 
Your Username is your full 9-digit Social Security Number.
Your Password is your 6-digit Date of Birth (MMDDYY)

WASFA Applicants:
Your Username is your 9-digit WASFA User ID.
Your Password is your 6-digit Date of Birth (MMDDYY)

You have two options:

Sign into the Financial Aid Portal and scroll down to the “Information We Need from You” section.  You can download the required e-Forms by clicking on the arrow by the form.

Go to Forms & Resources on the Financial Aid website.  Scroll down and open up the 2020-2021 or 2021-2022 financial aid forms menu.  All financial forms are listed there alphabetically and available for download.

Your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is generated using a formula mandated by the Department of Education, known as federal methodology. The formula uses the information you and your parent(s) provide on your financial aid application. The EFC is a measure of your/your family’s financial strength. Your EFC is not the amount of money you/your family will have to pay for college, nor is it the amount of money you will receive. The EFC is used to determine your demonstrated financial need.

Learn more regarding Financial Aid Consumer Information.

Financial Aid applications are processed on a first come, first served basis.  Fall quarter is our peak processing time.  If no additional information is needed in order to process your financial aid application just sit tight!  We will review and award your financial aid as soon as possible.  Notification will be sent via email, once the review is complete.

Please keep in mind that only fully completed financial aid files will be process for awarding.  Be sure you respond promptly to any requests for additional information.

Remember you can also track the status of your financial aid through accessing the Financial Aid Portal.

We don’t know your potential financial aid eligibility level until we have received and processed your FAFSA or WASFA.  Your FAFSA or WASFA provides us with your EFC (Expected Family Contribution) and is a key factor in determining your financial need.  Financial aid applications are evaluated and reviewed according to Expected Family Contribution, availability of funds, and the date your file is completed within the award cycles.

If you met the quarterly deadline and other financial aid requirements based on your FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) or WASFA (Washington Application for State Financial Aid), and show satisfactory academic history, you may receive a Financial Aid hold. This will allow you to stay enrolled in your classes without payment as we process your financial aid.

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 www.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 answers to questions 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.

Yes, limited types of financial aid are available during the summer quarter.  All students who are enrolled for Summer Quarter must complete the 2021-2022 Summer Enrollment Form, even those who are enrolled full-time (12+ credits).  Without this form, the Financial Aid Office will not award you aid for Summer Quarter.  Please submit your completed Summer Enrollment Form through your MySVC email to the Financial Aid Office: [email protected].  If funds remain after financial aid funds are applied to your tuition and fees, the earliest you can expect to receive your financial aid refund for Summer Quarter 2021 is the afternoon of Tuesday, July  6.  Student Federal Direct Loan funds will likely come later.

Go to your Financial Aid Portal and sign in.  Scroll down to “MY AWARDS”. There you will be able to see a detailed listing of the aid and amounts you have been awarded for each quarter of the academic year.

If you have signed up for direct deposit, and all of the criteria have been met, funds will be disbursed through BankMobile the afternoon of the first day of the quarter. Please bear in mind that it takes approximately 2-3 business days for the direct deposit to arrive in your personal bank account after aid has disbursed to your student account to pay tuition and fees.

Your financial aid is split between quarters. If you are registered for the right amount of credits and all other eligibility requirements have been met, your financial aid will automatically pay into your student account and pay tuition before classes start.

No, you must wait until the first day of the quarter when classes begin.

No, by federal regulation, your financial aid can only pay for the classes you need to complete your program, or for prerequisites you must take before for required classes.  You must choose a Program of Study to receive financial aid.  Your program of study is the degree or certificate program you plan to work on while attending Skagit Valley College.

If during your time at SVC you change your Program of Study you will want to work with your advisor and be sure to notify the Financial Aid Office.  Instructions for Requesting A Change of Program.

If you will not be attending full-time (12+ credits) in any given quarter while at Skagit Valley College, you will need to complete and submit a 20-21 Enrollment Revision form or 21-22 Enrollment Revision, depending upon the quarter, to the Financial Aid Office so that we can adjust your cost of attendance and award accordingly.

Also, be aware that CCB course credits are not financial aid eligible and should not be included when determining how many credits you are enrolled in for financial aid.  Example: You are registered for 12 credits total.  2 of the credits are for a CCB course.  This means you are enrolled in 10 credits (3/4 time) only for financial aid and you would need to submit an Enrollment Revision form.

Once your financial aid award has been made, we will first pay any balance due on your quarter registration if there is one.  Then any remaining funds in your financial aid account for the quarter will be refunded to you directly through BankMobile.  Be sure your account with BankMobile is set up to prevent delays in receiving the funds.

You may be eligible to complete a Change of Circumstance petition  if you have experienced a significant change in income relative to the information provided on your financial aid application. Please note that in most cases, your circumstance must be a situation beyond your control. Electively quitting employment is generally not an allowable circumstance. If, after reviewing the petition form, you feel that your circumstance may qualify, please complete and submit your form and all required documentation to [email protected].

Financial aid funds only the courses that are required for completion of the degree or certificate program you are pursuing at Skagit Valley College.  In addition to using financial aid to pay for the usual expenses such as tuition, fees and books, you can use it to help pay for housing, transportation, childcare, the purchase of a personal computer, educational supplies and more.

Skagit Valley College partners with BankMobile, a third-party servicer, to disburse financial aid funds. Please note that BankMobile refers to financial aid disbursements as “refunds”.

You will receive both email and postal mail correspondence from BankMobile. This will be mailed to the address you have on record with the SVC Enrollment Services Office. Please make sure that your mailing address is correct with Enrollment Services and notify the Financial Aid Office if it is currently incorrect.

Postal mail from BankMobile Disbursements will include Refund Selection options in a green envelope. However, if you wish to expedite your refund selection, we are pleased to inform you that can now do so via the mySVC toolbox:

1. Go to http://www.mysvc.skagit.edu/
2. From the Student Toolbox, select Payments & Earnings
3. Click on Financial Aid Refund
4. Enter your Student ID (SID) number and PIN*
5. Follow the prompts to select your refund preference

*Note: Your SID and PIN are the same as what you use to log in to register, pay tuition, etc.

Your options will include: deposit to another existing bank account (recommended), a paper check, or electronic deposit to BankMobile Vibe, an optional account. If you wish to select the optional BankMobile Vibe account, you should only do so if you are currently enrolled in classes in order to avoid fees and potential account cancellation. If you have a temporary social security number, such as those granted by DACA, you must select either the option of having your funds deposited to another existing bank account or a paper check.

If you have excess funds, after tuition and fees are paid, those funds will be disbursed via the refund selection option you choose, assuming that you have taken care of all items required by the Financial Aid Office and have no disbursement holds on your academic record. Your quarterly disbursements released to BankMobile should be available no sooner than the first day of each quarter. Funds awarded after a quarter has begun are usually available 3 – 4 business days after you receive your award notification.

Yes, you can! Moving forward after you receive your award notification, your cost of attendance and financial aid award are based on your actual enrollment level. If you will not be attending full-time in any given quarter while at Skagit Valley College, you will need to complete and submit a 20-21 Enrollment Revision or 21-22 Enrollment Revision form (depending upon the quarter) to the Financial Aid Office so that we can adjust your cost of attendance and award accordingly.

You will receive an Award Letter via email to the email address you used in completing your FAFSA and WASFA.  Also, you will be able to view your awards through the Financial Aid Portal.

Financial aid programs are designed to help students successfully complete their degree or certificate programs in a timely manner. Federal and state financial aid regulations require schools to set minimum standards for satisfactory academic progress (SAP) and to hold students accountable for meeting the standards.

This document outlines the requirements for financial aid satisfactory academic progress at Skagit Valley College and is subject to change. It is the student’s responsibility to read and understand the standards for satisfactory academic progress.

As a recipient of financial aid you have certain rights and responsibilities.  It is important that you read and understand the information, guidelines and policies of Financial Aid.

We also encourage you to read these documents.

2020 – 2021 Conditions of Award

2020-2021 Financial Aid Consumer Information

Don’t hesitate to contact the Financial Aid Office with any questions or concerns you may have.

First, don’t panic.  We want to help you be successful at Skagit Valley College.  We know that there are times when you may experience an unusual or extenuating circumstance that impacts your results in a quarter. 

We encourage you to read the SAP (Satisfactory Academic Progress) requirements for the guidelines as to when a student will be placed on financial aid “warning” or “suspension”.  Students who are placed on suspension have their future financial aid awards suspended.  You can be considered for reinstatement to financial aid by working with your advisor and submitting a completed Petition for Financial Aid Reinstatement.

If you withdraw during the quarter, three things may occur:

• Your eligibility for further aid may be canceled;
• You may have to repay aid you received for the quarter, depending on when you withdraw;
• You will be suspended from financial aid and need to submit a Petition for Reinstatement.

We strongly encourage you to call the Financial Aid Office at 360.416.7666 before you withdraw to assure you are fully aware of the impact on your financial aid.

Overall Attempts
Students are allowed up to three total attempts to successfully complete a course required for their program of study. Students who need to repeat a course after three unsuccessful attempts (unsuccessful is defined as E, F, V, W, or Z) must submit the Petition for Reinstatement and explain what the unusual or extenuating circumstances has been for failing to pass the course, as well as a substantial, detailed plan for how they will ensure success in their next attempt. Funding for coursework beyond three unsuccessful attempts is not guaranteed.

Previously Passed Courses
Students are allowed to receive financial aid to repeat a previously passed course (previously passed is defined as D- or higher), only once, regardless of your program’s GPA/grade requirement. Students may only receive funding for repeat courses that are required for their program of study. Repeating elective or gray area courses will not be allowed, unless Skagit Valley College requires a better grade in order to complete your program. In these cases, only one attempt is eligible for financial aid.

If you wish to retake a previously passed course, you will need to submit a Repeat Coursework form by the census date (3rd day of the quarter). Forms are available online.

A reduction or elimination of financial aid eligibility may be required if it is determined that a student is repeating a previously passed course beyond the one allowable re-take and students may be billed if aid has already disbursed for ineligible repeated courses.

This information is also available at the Satisfactory Academic Policy (SAP) guide.

No, if you wish to borrow Federal Direct loans while at Skagit Valley College, additional action is required.

A separate online application for Federal Direct Loan funding is required.  Applications for the 2021-2022 academic year will be available to students at the Financial Aid website beginning the first week of June, 2021.  Please note that loan processing during peak periods can take 6-8 weeks, so you are encouraged to apply as soon as the application becomes available.

With a Subsidized loan the federal government pays the interest for the loan while you are in school.  With the Unsubsidized loan, the interest accrues while you are in school; you are responsible for paying the amount that accrues wither while you are in school or when you enter repayment.

For more information regarding Federal Direct Loans.

You are responsible for repaying the principal balance of your student loans after you have completed your degree or cease to be enrolled on at least a half-time basis (half-time enrollment for most undergraduates is defined as 6 credit hours per semester). Most federal loans allow you a six-month grace period after you cease enrollment on at least a half-time basis before you have to begin repayment. Your lender will notify you when repayment is scheduled to begin. Be sure to keep your lender informed of any change in your permanent address so you will not miss this important communication.

Yes, financial aid is money to help you pay your education expenses at a college, career school, or university and that includes student loans.  Loans are borrowed money that must be repaid with interest.

Once you have fully submitted your Direct Loan application, processing times can take 4-8 weeks depending on the time of year you are applying. For example, if you will be starting Fall quarter, and submit your application the beginning of July, you can expect to get your Direct Loan Award Notification sent to your SVC email by late August. Please keep in mind that only completed and fully processed Financial Aid files can have loan applications certified.

Important: Subsidized and Unsubsidized Direct Loans both require the student:

• Be enrolled in (and attending) at least six degree-required credits per quarter
• Submit a FAFSA and fully complete a financial aid file with the college
• Adhere to the SVC Satisfactory Progress Policy
• Understand that first-time borrowers who are first-time students at SVC cannot have loans disbursed until 30 days into their first quarter. If all file/loan documents are complete, we can hold your tuition. You must be able to purchase your own books to start classes. Contact Financial Aid if you need tuition held.

The cost of attendance (COA) is an estimate of the cost of attending SVC for the standard academic year (Fall, Winter and Spring quarters). This amount is based on several factors including enrollment status and living arrangements.

2020 – 2021 Cost of Attendance Budget Estimate
2021 – 2022 Cost Of Attendance Budget Estimate

REMOTE OPERATIONS UPDATE: Please note that while the college is in remote operations, our physical campuses remain closed. Staff are not working from the Financial Aid Office and are only available to assist by phone or via UChat, our instant chat platform. Thank you for your patience!

Our current service hours are as follows:

Chat with us from 9am – 12pm Monday – Friday on Uchat: www.skagit.edu/uchat

Call us from 10:30am – 4:30pm Monday – Thursday:
Mount Vernon Office: 360.416.7666
Whidbey Island Office: 360.679.5320

No.  Please note that while the college is in remote operations, our physical campuses and offices remain closed.  Staff are not working from the Financial Aid Office and are only available to assist by phone or via UChat: www.skagit.edu/uchat

Yes, you can!  A student can receive both while pursuing an education at Skagit Valley College.  You would follow the regular process for applying as any other student beginning with submitting your FAFSA.

Whether you are on active duty, in the reserves, a veteran, or a dependent of someone in the military, the Veterans Education Office can assist you with applying for and utilizing your VA education benefits.

Learn more about funding for veterans and military service members.

We encourage you to visit the Funding Your Education page on the Financial Aid website.  It is a guide to resources and opportunities available to assist you in funding your goals for college.

The Tuition Payment Plan allows students to make payments on their tuition over the course of a quarter. Students must make a down payment of 40% of their tuition and there is a non-refundable $30.00 processing fee.

The Skagit Valley College Mount Vernon Cashier is facilitating Tuition Payment Plans for all campuses during our period of remote operations. Contact the SVC cashier at 360.416.7805 to apply for the payment plan and make your initial payment. Otherwise, you may email your completed & signed form to [email protected].   A cashier will get back to you as soon as possible to get your debit or credit card information to process your payment, so please be sure there is a contact phone number. The Tuition Payment Plan Application is available to you online.

FERPA privacy laws prevent us from sharing your financial aid information.  Unless you have given us permission to speak to or correspond with anyone other than you regarding your financial aid, we can only speak directly to you.  If you do want someone else to have access to your information, you will need to provide your permission by submitting an Information Release Form.

Your financial aid cannot be transferred directly between schools.  You must add the school code to your FAFSA for the school you wish to attend.  You will need to complete the financial aid process at that school.

You will need to contact the Financial Aid office to let us know when you will be gone and when you think you might return.  We will cancel your financial aid at that time.  It will be reactivated upon your return.  Keep in mind however, if you do withdraw in the middle of a quarter you may owe unearned financial aid back for that quarter and will be suspended from financial aid.