FAQs
- What method of payment can I use to pay my student account?
- As a parent how do I get access to my student's account?
- What do I need to know about meal plans?
- What if I have a credit balance on my student account?
- Do I need to reapply for financial aid every year?
- How do I submit corrected FAFSA information?
- If I receive a scholarship should I report it to the financial aid office?
- How do I notify the university if my family has special circumstances?
- Is it worth applying for financial aid given my income?
- If my parents are separated or divorced, whose information should be used on the FAFSA?
- If my parents do not support me do they still have to complete the parent section of the FAFSA?
1. What method of payment can I use to pay my student account?
We accept cash, check, e-check, and wire transfer.
- Please make checks payable to Puget Sound and mail to Student Financial Services, 1500 N Warner #1039, Tacoma, WA 98416-1039. Include student's name and/or Puget Sound ID. Do not include copies of the statement.
- You may pay by electronic check through the Cascade account.
- Call us for specific wire transfer instructions.
2. As a parent how do I get access to my student's account?
Your student must add you as a bill payer through their Cascade account. You will then receive a login and password giving you access to your student's financial information. You will receive e-mail notification each time there is a new statement or invoice ready for viewing on Cascade.
3. What do I need to know about meal plans?
Meal plans may be upgraded or downgraded until midterm. After midterm meal plans cannot be adjusted, but students can purchase additional Dining Dollars on their Cascade account until the end of the term.
4. What if I have a credit balance on my student account?
If your financial aid is more than the amount needed to cover the charges on your student account, you may request a refund check for the difference between the amount you owe and the amount of financial aid disbursed to your account. Refund checks can be requested as soon as a credit balance appears on your account. Refund checks cannot, however, be released until the first day of the semester.
5. Do I need to reapply for financial aid every year?
Yes, you must apply for financial aid every year. The FAFSA is available in January. More Information
6. How do I submit corrected FAFSA information?
You can submit FAFSA corrections on part 2 of your Student Aid Report (SAR). We will receive the corrected information electronically and notify you if the information changes your financial aid award.
7. If I receive a scholarship should I report it to the financial aid office?
Yes, if you receive a scholarship from your high school or local community you must report the award information to our office. Changes to a financial aid award may be necessary. If your financial aid award must be revised, the reductions occur in the following order: need-based loan assistance, work-study employment, and finally grant assistance. If your award is revised, you will receive an updated award notice. More Information
8. How do I notify the university if my family has special circumstances?
Should you or your family's circumstances change from the information submitted on the FAFSA or there are extraordinary circumstances that impact your ability to contribute to your or to your dependent student's educational expenses, you may request a review of your financial aid award. More Information
9. Is it worth applying for financial aid given my income?
We encourage all families (students) to apply for financial aid by completing the FAFSA. The method of awarding financial aid is complex and is determined by many factors (such as income, household size, number of family members in college, age of parents, and special circumstances). In addition, there are sources of aid such as Unsubsidized Stafford and PLUS loans that are available regardless of need. More Information
10. If my parents are separated or divorced, whose information should be used on the FAFSA?
Information should be given for the parent you lived with the most in the last 12 months. If you do not live with either parent or lived with both parents for an equal number of days, give answers about the parent who provided more financial support during the last 12 months, or during the most recent year that you actually were supported by a parent. If this parent has remarried as of the date you complete the FAFSA, answer the questions on the form about the parent and the person whom your parent married.
11. If my parents do not support me do they still have to complete the parent section of the FAFSA?
Yes. You must include parent information on the FAFSA unless you are 24 years old, married, a graduate student, orphan or ward of the court, veteran, active duty military for purposes other than training, or have dependents. If you have special circumstances which make it impossible for your parents to complete the FAFSA, please contact our office.
