Tuition and Financial Aid

Tuition

LWTech.edu/tuition

Tuition and Fees

When you register for courses at LWTech, you are obligated to pay the associated tuition and related fees for those classes by the first day of the quarter. Students are encouraged to pay at the time of registration or to enroll in the Student Payment Plan.

All tuition and fees are due by the first day of the quarter unless previously arranged by an LWTech office, such as Financial Aid, Worker Retraining, or Student Accounts (includes Student Payment Plan).

• Students with tuition and fees that have not been received by the end of the first day of the quarter may be dropped from classes.
• For students enrolling after the first day of the quarter, tuition and fees are due at the time of registration. Students may be dropped for non-payment.
• A late registration fee of $50 is assessed for students who register after the 10th day of the quarter.
• Students who have paid or who are enrolled in the Student Payment Plan will need to withdraw by the scheduled refund dates to receive the level of reimbursements outlined in the college’s refund policy.
• Unpaid balances are subject to collections including additional collection costs and legal fees.

Student Payment Plan

Nelnet is the only established payment plan. This plan allows students to pay tuition and fees on an installment basis. The Student Payment Plan covers your tuition and course fees for every quarter you enroll in the program. Payments are made in monthly installments each academic quarter.

For more information, see LWTech.edu/pplan.

Agency or Employer Payments

Students whose tuition and/or books will be paid by a third party, such as Labor & Industries, Department of Vocational Rehabilitation, WIA, or the student’s employer, need to contact the Student Accounts Office in W201E by phone at (425) 739-8184, fax at (425) 739-8250, or email at studentaccounts@lwtech.edu.

Guaranteed Education Tuition (GET) Program Payments

Contact the Student Accounts Office, West Building W201E, at (425) 739-8184 or studentaccounts@lwtech.edu if your GET payments may arrive after the start of the quarter or for questions regarding coordination of Guaranteed Education Tuition (GET) payments.

Payment Options

Please use your student ID number for all payments so that we can apply your payment to the correct account. Payments may be made:

1. Students can make payments online with Visa, MasterCard, or American Express via LionsLink Powered by ctcLink. (How to Make Payments Online)
2. At the Cashier’s Office, West Building W201F. Pay by cash, check, debit, Visa, MasterCard or American Express credit cards.
3. Call the Cashier’s Office at (425) 739-8403 to pay by Visa, MasterCard or American Express credit cards.
4. Mail a check to: LWTech, 11605 132nd AVE NE, Kirkland, WA 98034
5. Cashier’s drop box outside Cashier’s Office after hours. Envelopes are available.

NOTE: Partial payments are not accepted without an established payment plan.

Refund Policy

If you withdraw early in the quarter, you might receive a full or partial refund. Not attending a class does not make you eligible for a refund. A refund will occur only when you officially drop within the refund period by completing an Add/Drop form. Refunds cannot normally be arranged by telephone. Students forfeit all claims to refund of tuition and fees if they fail to withdraw from a course, or are suspended or terminated for misconduct.

Refunds are distributed depending on how you pay. Payments made at the cashier office will be refunded by check and mailed to the address on the student account. Online bankcard payments will be refunded to the bankcard used for the original payment. Refunds of online Student Payment Plan payments will be made by check from the college. Refunds of less than $5 will not be mailed. Allow up to six weeks for processing. For federal or state-funded students, financial aid will be returned to aid programs on a pro-rata basis consistent with applicable federal and state rules. Students who receive financial aid and withdraw or cease attending classes before 60% of the quarter is completed may owe a repayment of financial aid.

NOTE: Refund percentages are based on prior full payment of tuition and fees. If you have not paid in full, you may still owe a balance if you withdraw from a class during a partial or non-refund period.

Refund Schedule

State-Supported Credit Courses

Exceptions

• Refunds for state-supported classes that start after the first week of the quarter or short courses that end early will be made using the same refund percentages as above. The refund schedule will be adjusted based on a ratio of the number of classes that have occurred at the time of withdrawal to the total number of class sessions.
• Washington Online (WAOL) courses use WAOL quarter dates for refund percentages.

Official Withdrawal Definition

Official withdrawal occurs when a student drops all classes. Refund requests must be made in person, in writing, or via the Web.

Pass-Through Fees Refund

Fees such as insurance that are passed through to another agency may be refunded at 100 percent through the first week of the quarter only. No refund will be made if any insurance claim has been filed.

Estimated 2024-2025 Degree and Certificate Program Costs

Please visit LWTech.edu/programcost for estimated 2023-2024 degree and certificate program costs. Projected estimated costs are subject to change.

Estimated program costs do not apply to international students. For International Student estimated costs, see LWTech.edu/tuition.

1098-T Tuition Statements

Tax form 1098-T Tuition Statements can be accessed in your LionsLink account at the end of January to students who have paid qualified tuition and related expenses.

Tuition Rates

LWTech.edu/tuition

Tuition rates are set by the Washington State Legislature and the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC). Tuition rates are published on the website at LWTech.edu/tuition. Tuition and fees are subject to change without prior notice.

The college may charge other fees to cover costs such as registration, late fees, insurance, supply, lab fees, and parking fees.

For the most current tuition and fee information please visit the website at LWTech.edu/tuition.

A list of estimated degree and certificate costs by program can be found at LWTech.edu/programcost.

Tuition Waivers

Lake Washington Institute of Technology offers tuition waivers in accordance with State of Washington law and policies authorized by the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges for several categories of students including but not limited to the following:

• Non-resident students who are U.S. citizens will receive a waiver resulting in resident tuition rates plus required non-resident building fees.
• Children and Spouses of Totally Disabled or POW/ MIA or deceased eligible veterans or national guard members.
• Children of Deceased or disabled law enforcement officers or firefighters.
• Adult Basic Education, English as a second language, and GED preparation.
• Eligible veterans or national guard members.
• High School Completion.
• Senior Citizens.
• State Employees.
• Apprentice students.
• Running Start students.
• Some students with program requirements exceeding 18 quarterly credits.

Please check with Enrollment Services to determine eligibility and current waiver policy.

Financial Aid

LWTech.edu/financialaid

Financial Aid

West Building, W209 | financialaid@lwtech.edu

Students are encouraged to review financial aid requirements and priority deadline dates through our website, by reading the available literature, or by contacting the Financial Aid Office. LWTech believes students should have the opportunity to achieve their educational goals and the Financial Aid Office is here to help support you in your educational efforts.

Financial aid is available for eligible students who enroll either to earn an eligible certificate or a degree. Students and their families need not be low-income to qualify for some kinds of financial aid. By applying for financial aid as early as possible and meeting the institutional priority date, students have the best chance of being reviewed before the beginning of each quarter, and the best chance of maximum funds eligibility each financial aid year.

Financial aid is intended to add to but not replace a person’s financial resources. If combined resources are not sufficient to cover expenses, you may be eligible for financial aid in the form of grants, scholarships, low-interest student loans and student employment. You must demonstrate a financial need to be eligible for most types of assistance. Financial need is calculated as the difference between the cost of attending school and what you and your family can afford to pay.

Financial Aid Application Procedure

• Complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online at www.fafsa.gov. This application collects financial data and other information used to calculate the Student Aid Index (SAI) that determines a student’s eligibility for aid. Most of the forms needed can be completed online at the Financial Aid website at lwtech.edu/financialaid.
• Non-citizen students unable to file a FAFSA due to immigration status may be eligible to complete a Washington Application for State Aid (WASFA) if they meet one of the two criteria listed below:
  • Completion of a high school diploma or GED or equivalent, and have lived in Washington State for one year, and signed a residency affidavit in the WASFA application or Enrollment Services office, or
  • DACA status (whether status is current or expired) and meeting Washington State residency requirements
• Please check your financial aid status online on the LionsLink Student View Login. If you have further questions, you may contact us. Please see our webpage for current office hours and options.
• Students must reapply for financial aid each year after October 1 for the new award year beginning with summer quarter. The financial aid year begins with summer quarter and ends with spring quarter.
• For priority processing and quarterly application deadlines visit the financial aid webpage at lwtech.edu/financialaid.

Eligibility Requirements

Students are eligible for financial aid if they are:

• Enrolled in an eligible program at Lake Washington Institute of Technology (LWTech) for the purpose of obtaining a degree or certificate.
  • Note: students who must complete prerequisites or are conditionally accepted into a program are not eligible for federal grants; these students should check with the Financial Aid office to see what other types of aid for which they may be eligible.
• Citizens of the United States or an eligible non-citizen.
  • Non-citizens may apply for State Aid using the Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WASFA) if they meet certain conditions. See the Types of Aid page for more information
• Making satisfactory academic progress as defined by LWTech’s Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy (see below).
• Not be in default (in order to be eligible for federal aid) on any student loans, or owing a refund on any grants.
• A high school diploma or equivalent (such as a GED diploma or certificate) is generally required to receive aid; however, students without a high school diploma or equivalent may receive aid under certain conditions if they are otherwise eligible and meet “Ability to Benefit” requirements (successful completion of at least six regular program credits).
• ABED and ELL (formerly ESL) classes are not eligible for most federal and state financial aid at LWTech. Some lab classes are also not eligible; see the Financial Aid office for details.
• Students with a bachelor’s degree are not eligible for state or federal grants. (This includes a bachelor’s degree or the equivalent earned in a country other than the U.S.) Students with a bachelor’s degree may still receive federal Direct Student Loans, Work-Study, scholarships, and institutional aid if otherwise eligible.
• Students may receive aid only for course work that is part of their program. 
• Ethical Requirements: Students receiving financial aid must comply with all applicable federal and state financial aid regulations. Information supplied on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and to the Financial Aid office must be truthful and accurate to the best of the student’s knowledge at the time the information is provided. Students purposely giving false or misleading information may be subject to institutional penalties as well as federal and/or state penalties, including fines of up to $20,000, sent to prison, or both. Financial aid must be used for direct or indirect educational purposes only, and may not be used for non-educational expenses such as purchase of a car or other vehicle, vacations, or recreational purposes, etc.

Notification of Award

When eligibility and need are determined, the Financial Aid office will attempt to meet the student’s need based on the student’s enrollment level and available funding. When awarded, students are emailed a financial aid offer to their LionsLink preferred email address which indicates the financial aid program and the amount awarded quarter by quarter. It is important that students read all of the information on the award offer notification. Students ineligible to receive grant aid will be notified by email. 

A student has the right to accept or decline any portion of an offered financial aid award. If a student wishes to decline or cancel an offered award, they may submit a written statement to the Financial Aid office indicating the award(s) they wish to decline.

Federal Financial Aid Refund Policy

Students who do not complete all classes funded by aid in a quarter are subject to satisfactory academic progress requirements and federal and state refund and repayment regulations for financial aid, as well as the college’s own refund policy. Students must attend classes funded by financial aid. If attendance cannot be documented for the minimum enrollment level funded, aid may need to be recalculated and the student may owe a repayment to an aid program.

*For students who have received federal or state aid and have stopped attending and/or participating before 60% of the quarter has been completed, aid eligibility must be reviewed and re-calculated on a pro-rated basis as appropriate.

DUE TO THIS REQUIREMENT, STUDENTS WHO WITHDRAW EARLY MAY OWE A REFUND OR REPAYMENT OF AID. 

Refunds for dropping individual classes funded by aid are determined by the college’s tuition refund policy and regulatory requirements.

Types of Aid

More detailed information can be found at LWTech.edu/financialaid

Federal Pell Grant

The federal Pell Grant is aid that is free monetary assistance for educational expenses. Students who have earned a baccalaureate degree are no longer eligible. Like other grants, the Pell Grant is adjusted for less than full-time enrollment. Effective July 1, 2012, per federal regulations, the Federal Pell Grant may not be received for more than the equivalent of six years of full-time awards (determined retroactively; all previous quarters and awards must be considered). 

Federal SEOG Grant

The federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG) is awarded to high need students who apply early in the year (funds are limited). Students must be eligible for the Pell Grant to receive this assistance.

Washington College Grant

This grant is available for Washington residents only. The Washington College Grant is adjusted for less than full time enrollment and may not exceed the amount of allowable tuition and fees each quarter.

Students apply by filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WASFA) if unable to complete the FAFSA due to immigration status and meet one of the criteria below: 

• Completion of a high school diploma or GED or equivalent, and have lived in Washington State for one year, and signed a residency affidavit in the WASFA application or Enrollment Services office, or
• DACA status (whether status is current or expired) and meeting Washington State residency requirements

Student Work Study

Work-Study is a form of financial aid that enables you to earn income to help meet your educational costs. Unlike other forms of financial aid, Work-Study must be earned through working a job. Work-Study positions should relate to the student’s program of study. Participants have the opportunity to gain work experience and marketable skills, explore possible career opportunities, make new contacts that may later become valuable references for future employment, and reduce loan indebtedness for college expenses.

Work-Study is part-time employment either on or off campus. There are State and Federal Work-Study funds available each year. Priority is given to students meeting the financial aid funds priority date.

Direct and Plus Student Loans

The Federal Direct Loan is a student loan guaranteed by the federal government; students do not need to have established credit to qualify. Student repayment begins up to 6 months after you leave school or drop below half-time. The Parent PLUS Loan is available for dependent students, and parents may borrow up to the cost of the student’s budget, minus any other aid, with this loan if approved.

Other Funding Programs

Worker Retraining, WorkFirst, Opportunity Grant, and Basic Food, Employment & Training (BFET) Programs

See the Support Services  for students section of this catalog. To determine your eligibility, check with the Worker Retraining, WorkFirst, Opportunity Grant, or Basic Food, Employment & Training programs in room W207.

Other forms of financial aid are available through non-profit agencies and community-based organizations.

Scholarships

Scholarships, like grants, offer free monetary assistance for educational needs. Scholarships are offered by organizations associated with the college and by outside agencies. For a current list of resources, please visit our webpage at LWTech.edu/scholarships.

LWTech Foundation

The Foundation offers scholarships and also provides emergency financial assistance to students with pressing needs through the Student Emergency Fund. The LWTech Foundation currently manages a variety of accounts and endowments on behalf of generous donors and the college departments for the benefit of students and programs.

For more information on Foundation scholarships, please see their webpage. You may apply for the Student Emergency Fund by completing the online application. The application is located in the Financial Aid forms page.

Veteran’s Benefits

Lake Washington Institute of Technology has been authorized by the Department of Veterans Affairs to certify veterans for educational benefits. In order to be eligible for educational benefits, you must be enrolled in a certificate- or degree-granting program that has been pre-approved by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Most programs at Lake Washington Institute of Technology are approved.

For more information and steps to getting your VA Education Benefits started, please go to LWTech.edu/veterans. You may contact the Veterans Certifying Official at veterans@LWTech.edu for additional information. The Veterans Certifying Official is located in the Financial Aid office in the West Building, W209.

In accordance with Title 38 US Code 3679 subsection (e), this school adopts the following additional provisions for any students using U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Post 9/11 G.I. Bill® (Ch. 33) or Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (Ch. 31) benefits, while payment to the institution is pending from the VA. This school will not:

• Prevent the student’s enrollment;
• Assess a late penalty fee to;
• Require student secure alternative or additional funding;
• Deny their access to any resources (access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities) available to other students who have satisfied their tuition and fee bills to the institution.

However, to qualify for this provision, such students may be required to:

• Produce the Certificate of Eligibility by the first day of class;
• Provide written request to be certified each quarter;
• Provide additional information needed to properly certify the enrollment as described in other institutional policies 

Veterans who have received an honorable discharge or are members of the National Guard or Reservists called to active duty may also be eligible for a 25% waiver of tuition costs. Veterans may apply for this waiver at the Enrollment Services office. For more information regarding the Veterans Waivers, please contact Enrollment Services.

Children or spouse of a Disabled/Deceased/MIA/POW veteran may be eligible to receive a waiver of all tuition and fees. Contact Enrollment Services for more information.

Maintaining Eligibility for Financial Aid

LWTech.edu/financialaid

Satisfactory Academic Progress Requirements for Financial Aid Recipients

Students receiving financial aid are required to make satisfactory academic progress to continue receiving financial aid each quarter. Satisfactory Academic Progress includes qualitative and quantitative measures, as well as maximum time frame requirements. The information below is a summary of key requirements.

What is the minimum grade point average I must receive quarterly? (Qualitative Measure)

All students must maintain a minimum quarterly and cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.0. Students who do not earn a 2.0 GPA (both quarterly and cumulatively) will be placed on a financial aid warning status for one quarter.

What is the minimum number of credits I must complete quarterly? (Quantitative Measure)

Students must complete the minimum number of credits required for the enrollment level they attempt each quarter.

What is the percentage of credits I must complete while enrolled? (Pace of Progression Measure)

Students must complete at least 67% of credits attempted, measured cumulatively, to meet the pace of progression requirements.

Pace of progression is evaluated at the end of each quarter and is based on the cumulative credits completed divided into the cumulative number credits attempted. Students who do not meet the pace of progression standard will be placed on warning status for one quarter.

What is the maximum time frame I can receive financial aid? (Maximum Time Frame Measure)

Students have a maximum time frame for completing a program of study:

• For both degree and certificate programs, the student must complete their program in no more than 150% of their program credits for federal aid, or 18 quarters for state aid.
• Students who mathematically cannot complete their program in at least 150% of the federal maximum time frame allowed for their program are no longer eligible for aid. Students who have received 18 quarters of state aid (at any institution in any number of programs) are no longer eligible.

Satisfactory Progress Measurement Requirements

• Grades of .7 to 4.0, “S”, “P”, are counted as passed or completed credits for Department of Education standards.
• Grades of less than .7 and letter grades of “I”, “IP”, “Y”,”N”, “V”, “U”, “W” and “Z” do not count as completed credits. Students may receive federal or state financial aid for a previously passed course (0.7-3.9) one additional time, if it was funded by federal or state aid. Students may continuously receive aid for a previously failed course that is repeated (0.0-0.6, or letter grades of “I”, “IP”, “Y”, “V”, “U”, “W” and “Z”); however, students must still meet the maximum time frame measure as reference above.
  • Veteran benefits cannot be certified for repeated classes that already meet graduation requirements.
• English and Math classes, even below level 100, are included in GPA, qualitative, pace of progression, and maximum time frame requirements.
• Transfer credits are not included in GPA, qualitative requirements, or pace of progression requirements, but are included in maximum time frame requirements if applicable to the student’s program.
• Repeated classes, incompletes, and withdrawals/dropped classes are included in all measurements.
• ABED and ELL (formerly ESL) classes are excluded from all measurements and are not eligible for financial aid.

Satisfactory Progress Limitations

Students who do not meet satisfactory progress requirements, as noted above, will be placed on warning, or have their aid suspended. Students on warning or probation must meet all applicable satisfactory progress requirements in the next quarter to keep their aid. Unless there are unusual circumstances, students are not eligible for continued aid at LWTech when one of the following occurs (please see a financial aid staff member to find out if an exception can be made based on your situation).

Students are no longer eligible for aid at LWTech when one of the following occurs:

• Two consecutive quarters of unsatisfactory progress (warning status) have occurred.
• Less than 50% of credits for the minimum enrollment level attempted (or all credits for less than half time) in a quarter are completed.
• The maximum amount of eligibility is attempted (150% of credits for federal aid, 18 quarters for state aid) towards their degree or certificate has been used.
• A student cannot complete their program in the 150% maximum time frame (for federal aid) allowed due to pace of progression requirements.
• A student placed on probation after an appeal is approved does not meet satisfactory academic progress, or a student placed on an academic plan does not meet the requirements of the plan.

When do I have to repay my financial aid? (Financial Aid Repayments)

Caution! If you take any of the following actions, you may owe a repayment of your financial aid to the college, the VA, the state, or the federal government:

• Not attending some or all your classes
• Withdrawing from some or all your classes (please see an advisor before you make this choice)

How do I get my aid back after being suspended if I DO NOT have unusual circumstances?

For students whose aid has been suspended, financial aid eligibility may be reinstated after the student has completed a minimum of 5 credits in one quarter at LWTech, at their own expense, and must meet all applicable satisfactory academic progress requirements at the end of the reinstatement quarter that was paid out of pocket (including qualitative, quantitative, pace of progression, and maximum time frame). A written petition must be submitted to the Financial Aid office to request reinstatement of aid. In some cases, supporting documentation may be requested. For some programs, awarding of reinstated financial aid is on a funds-available basis only. 

How do I get my aid back after being suspended if I DO have unusual circumstances? (Petitions)

In some cases, there may be extraordinary circumstances (beyond the student’s control) that may be considered. A written petition must be submitted to the Financial Aid office to appeal a satisfactory academic progress suspension. In some cases, supporting documentation may be requested. Students must identify:

1. The unusual circumstances beyond their control that prevented you from making satisfactory academic progress, and
2. How the situation has been resolved so that you may be successful academically  

Ideally, SAP petitions should be submitted for a future quarter of enrollment. If your petition is submitted after first day of the quarter in which you are enrolled, the latest requests can be considered is two weeks before that quarter ends.

Students with approved petitions will be placed either on probation or an academic plan. Students on probation who do not meet satisfactory academic progress, or a student on an academic plan who do not meet the conditions of the plan, will be placed on suspended status and are no longer eligible for aid. The Financial Aid office reserves the right to determine continued eligibility. Petition decisions are final. For some programs, awarding of reinstated financial aid is on a funds-available basis only. 

Will I owe money back if I stop attending classes? (Refund and Repayment)

Students who do not complete all classes funded by aid in a quarter are subject to satisfactory academic progress requirements and federal and state refund and repayment regulations for financial aid, as well as the college’s own refund policy. Students must attend classes funded by financial aid. If attendance cannot be documented for the minimum enrollment level funded, aid may need to be recalculated and the student may owe a repayment to an aid program.

*For students who have received federal or state aid and have stopped attending and/or participating before 60% of the quarter has been completed, aid eligibility must be reviewed and re-calculated on a pro-rated basis as appropriate.

DUE TO THIS REQUIREMENT, STUDENTS WHO WITHDRAW EARLY MAY OWE A REFUND OR REPAYMENT OF AID. 

Refunds for dropping individual classes funded by aid are determined by the college’s tuition refund policy and regulatory requirements.

Other conditions to maintain satisfactory academic progress for financial aid may apply. To view eligibility requirements, please see our policies webpage.