Paying for College
Wherever you go, college costs money! You know this! And when you attend CBC, we do everything possible to help you afford to reach for your dreams. In fact, we offer help with applying not only for financial aid, but also for a plethora of available scholarships.
However your financial plan comes together (don’t worry, we’ll be with you every step of the way), we do have to make sure students are holding up their fiscal responsibility while attending CBC. Debt repayment is part of the Student Responsibilities outlined in the Washington State Administrative Code, and we encourage you to learn more about it by reading WAC 132S-90-020(12).
The Debt Review Process: What CBC Has to Do
In order to uphold this law, CBC appoints a group of representatives called the Debt Review Committee to use their best judgement and common practices to bring matters of debt to a timely and, hopefully, mutually satisfactory conclusion. These common practices may include:
- Sending debt to a collections agency
- Applying payment of future services toward debt balances first
- Suspending the following student rights at the College until payment is made in full:
- Registration
- Admission
- Receiving degrees, certificates, academic transcripts or any other provisions or services, including refunds
- Referring the matter for discipline. (This is another Washington State Legislature thing. You can read WAC 132S-100 for more information.)
If you owe CBC money, we'll send you a debt notification letter. Don't panic--you've got some options that'll be referenced in that letter! Just in case you're curious now, see the next section.
What You Can Do
It is your right to request an informal appeal of any outstanding debt at CBC. You just have to submit a Debt Review Petition clearly stating your case, either an error on our part or extenuating circumstances in your life.
The Debt Review Petition and any documentation you can provide has to be given to CBC within 21 days from the date included on the letter we send notifying you of the amount you owe.
You have another choice too! If you feel better about presenting your case in person, the Debt Review Committee (that group of CBC representatives tasked with taking care of these matters) will convene to hear your petition in person. Send an email within those 21 days mentioned in the last paragraph, and we will schedule a time for you to bring your case forward. You’ll still need to include the Debt Review Petition and supporting documentation, but you’ll have the chance to add your side of the story in a conversation with the committee.
Is your debt from a campus parking ticket? That involves a different process through the Citation Review Committee. Learn how to appeal a parking citation by visiting Campus Security & Safety.
What the Debt Review Committee Does
The Debt Review Committee will provide a written decision within five business days of either meeting with you or reviewing your written appeal. If the committee decides to clear your debt (whoo hoo!), CBC will take all necessary steps to correct your account and reinstate all rights to services on campus. If you still owe the College money after the debt review process, the amount will need to be paid before services are reinstated.
If you do not agree with the Debt Review Committee’s decision, you always have the right to make a formal appeal to the President within 10 business days, described in WAC Chapter 132S-20.
The Bottom Line
We want you to pursue your educational goals here at CBC! And, while we know that college can be expensive, we want to provide every opportunity to help you hold up your end of the deal—including, if it comes to it, appealing debt that you may incur.
