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Paying for College

The State Board for Community and Technical Colleges sets tuition rates for Washington state community colleges. For current information regarding tuition, fees, and waivers, go to ccs.spokane.edu/TuitionFees, or contact the District Business Office at 509-434-5275 if you need a printed copy.

Residency Classifications

Resident Student

To be classified as a resident for tuition and fee purposes, a student must be either:

  1. financially independent and have established a bona fide domicile in the state of Washington for other than primarily educational purposes for one year immediately prior to the first day of the academic quarter, or
  2. financially dependent and have one or both parents domiciled in the State of Washington for a period of one year immediately prior to the first day of the academic quarter.

Nonresident Student

All other students are classified as nonresidents and will qualify for the nonresident with waiver tuition if a US citizen or permanent resident alien.

Establishing Residency Status

Students are solely responsible for requesting information about documentation required to establish residency status. To obtain information or to submit an application for a change of residency, contact the Admissions Office at Spokane Community College (SCC) or Spokane Falls Community College (SFCC). It is the student's responsibility to initiate the paperwork for change of residency request.

A student's domicile is the true, fixed and permanent home and place of habitation where they expect to remain, and to which they expect to return when leaving without intending to establish a new domicile elsewhere. A student claiming to be domiciled in the state of Washington must prove that fact to the satisfaction of the college. Examples of evidence that may be used to demonstrate a domicile in this state are:

  • Registration and payment of taxes and fees on a motor vehicle or other property where registration is required
  • A valid Washington driver's license
  • W2 or paystubs from a Washington employer
  • Evidence of physical residence in the state
  • Voter registration in Washington
  • Evidence of banking in this state

No one piece of evidence is specifically required or conclusive and other evidence may be considered.

Students may apply for a change in classification up to the 30th calendar day of the quarter in which the change is sought. Applications should be made at the Admissions Office at SCC or SFCC.

This is not an exhaustive discussion of residency; it is provided to inform students of the basic rules. Staff are available to answer questions in the SCC or SFCC Admissions Office.

Eligible Undocumented - Second Substitute Senate Bill 5194

In 2021, a new residency law made it easier for all Washingtonians, including undocumented people, to get resident tuition and state financial aid. To qualify, students must complete an affidavit declaring they have:

  • Earned a high school diploma, GED, or diploma equivalent before their first term at the college determining residency.
  • Maintained a primary residence in Washington for at least 12 consecutive months immediately before the first term.
  • Sign an affidavit saying they meet the above requirements and that one of the following is true:
    • They will file an application to become a permanent resident of the United States (green card) as soon as they are eligible to apply. And that they are willing to engage in activities designed to prepare them for citizenship, including citizenship or civics review courses, or
    • They are a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or U.S. permanent resident.

There are two ways to submit the affidavit. Students should only file one based on the financial aid application they use:

  • Option 1: Individuals who applied/will apply for state financial aid using the Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WASFA). WASFA-filers submitted/will submit the affidavit as part of the WASFA. The WASFA is for undocumented students, students who are not eligible for federal aid, and students who do not want to apply for federal aid and can be found at https://wsac.wa.gov.wasfa.
  • Option 2: Individuals who applied/will apply for federal and state financial aid using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or who are not applying for aid. FAFSA-filers or people not applying for aid will submit a Residency Affidavit located at https://wsac.wa.gov/sites/default/files/Residency.Affidavit.pdf to:

For more information, visit our website at:

Financial Obligation

Community Colleges of Spokane is authorized to place an "administrative hold" on the records of any student who fails to return property or promptly pay any financial obligation due the college.

Until a hold is officially cleared, SCC, SFCC or the off-campus centers will deny registration for subsequent quarters.

Failure to make payment for class-related tuition or fee charges may result in disenrollment from classes.

Insurance

Registered CCS students qualify for a low-cost Injury Only plan through Washington State Community Colleges school insurance. To sign up online, go to 4studenthealth.relationinsurance.com.

For more information regarding health insurance, visit:

Senior Citizen Waivers

Community Colleges of Spokane may grant tuition waivers for state-support college classes to resident senior citizens who are at least 60 years old. A minimal fee per course will be charged. Class fees and parking are additional. This waiver does not apply to noncredit classes. Registration will only be accepted beginning the third through the fifth day of the quarter and instructor permission is required. Course may be taken for AUDIT ONLY, not college credit. Senior citizens interested in this waiver are limited to two classes and will not be allowed to create a space by initially enrolling and paying regular tuition and course fees and then withdrawing in order to participate in the waiver program.

For information regarding tuition and fees, go to ccs.spokane.edu/TuitionFees or call:

State-support Credit and Noncredit Courses Refund Policy

Students who withdraw in accordance with regulations may apply for refunds according to the following schedule:

  • 100 percent refund for classes/programs canceled by the college.
  • No refund after the 20th calendar day of the quarter.

Refer to the Important Dates calendar for current refund information. The posted dates prevail whether the student attends class or not.

Refunds for classes that do not follow the regular academic calendar are applied on a timetable (as established above) in a proportionate relationship to the standard length of a quarter. Refunds for lab and course fees will be in proportion to the regular tuition refund schedule.

Reduction in Credit Hours

A refund of tuition and fees may be made if a student's credit hour load is reduced.

Lab and course fees will be refunded at either 100 percent or 50 percent if the class is dropped during one of those designated refund periods; otherwise, no refund will be processed.

Process for Obtaining A Refund

  1. To obtain a refund, the student must drop classes by the refund dates for that quarter as published on the Important Dates calendar on the college website.
  2. The refund will be generated to the original form of payment typically within two weeks from the date the class was dropped. A processing fee will be deducted from the refund amount.
  3. Debts owed to the college must be paid in full before a refund is issued.
  4. Tuition and fees paid by an agency, such as scholarship, financial aid or private grant, are refunded to the appropriate account.
  5. Students dismissed for disciplinary reasons are not eligible for a refund.

Exceptions to the refund policy

Exceptions to the refund policy will be considered only if, in the judgment of the institution, an extreme hardship exists, such as by illness, hospitalization or military transfer. A student must submit an appeal for an exception to the refund policy using the Withdrawal Exception Request form to the registrar at SCC or SFCC before a refund may be considered. Appeals must be received by the last day of the quarter immediately following the quarter for which you are submitting the exception request.

All course offerings are subject to change. The college cannot guarantee class offerings, designated times or specific instructors, because funding levels and student interest may affect whether or not an offering is available.