Workforce Development Academic Policy

Last updated: October 2026

Workforce Development (WFD) Eligibility office will follow Clover Park Technical College (CPTC) Academic Standards for each funding source as well as additional federal, state, and local guidelines listed in this policy.

Academic Standard

• CPTC Attendance Policy: Students are expected to attend all classes they are registered in to gain the maximum benefits. The instructor may establish an attendance policy for their programs. It is the responsibility of the student to know and comply with these policies. A student who does not attend the first two class sessions and/or comply with the established attendance policy for the class or program may forfeit the right to continue and may be subject to administrative withdrawal. At any time throughout the quarter, students may receive Vanish grades if they fail to attend their classes. Any student who receives Vanish grades, withdraws from classes, and/or fails their courses will need to follow up with the Student Aid & Scholarship (SAS) office to verify that they are still in good standing with the college’s Satisfactorily Academic Progress (SAP) policies. (CPTC Student Handbook)
• All students are required to attend and participate in all actual seat-hour classes, online classes, hybrid class hours, and registered off-campus activities, and must be making progress toward program completion.
• WFD students are required to inform the WFD staff when they change their quarterly registration schedules and/or programs, so funding requests and shared information can be updated, and changes can be documented appropriately.
• All students are required to inform Student Aid & Scholarship and Workforce Development of any added or dropped classes, as well as any academic program changes.
• WFD students must meet financial aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policies: must not be on financial aid suspension or in student load default. Students with a ctcLink status of “Not Meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress” are ineligible for WFD funding.
• WFD will not provide funding for classes that are not listed on the student’s Program Map.
• Students are expected to regularly check their ctcLink accounts for To Do List, award status, SAP status, outstanding balance, and other important updates.
• WFD staff reserves the right to request case staffing with students who are not in compliance with the WFD and college academic and funding policies and guidelines; which may result in a Student Contract.

Student Contract:

• Students who are placed on academic suspension or who are experiencing academic performance concerns may be required to participate in case staffing. The purpose of case staffing is to develop a corrective action plan that supports the student in addressing identified issues and returning to satisfactory academic progress. Continued eligibility for program services is dependent on active participation in and completion of the agreed-upon plan.
• WFD creates a student contract each quarter to outline the terms and conditions of a student’s participation. WFD funding is never guaranteed and is available only for the current quarter in which the contract is signed and approved. Students must complete a student contract every quarter to be considered for continued funding.
• Terms of the contract to include, but not limited to…
• Students must complete a Financial Aid Suspension Appeal form at the end of the quarter in which they are on suspension. WFD staff will determine funding options if the student is still on suspension after submitting an appeal – dependent on the reason for denial.
• SAP appeals must be submitted to Student Aid & Scholarship by the 5^th day of the next quarter.
• WFD funding is limited to courses required for the student’s current, approved program only.
• Students must earn a minimum of 2.0 GPA in all program-related classes.
• Students must check in with the WFD Counselor at least twice per quarter.
• Students must complete all required progress forms and documentation by stated deadlines.
• Failure to meet any of the above requirements will result in the student being ineligible for WFD funding in future quarters.
• WorkFirst (WF) students must submit weekly progress forms to verify weekly participation hours for DSHS. Failure to submit forms or excessive absences may be referred back to their DSHS caseworker for non-compliance. Students who are referred back will be removed from the WorkFirst caseload for the remainder of the quarter, will have their educational hours monitored by DSHS, and will not receive funding assistance through the end of the quarter. WorkFirst students must complete quarterly intakes to be included on the WorkFirst caseload each quarter.
• Basic Food Employment and Training (BFET) students are required to submit monthly progress forms. Students who do not submit these forms within 2-months (60-days) will be removed from the WFD caseload for non-compliance and will remain closed for the remainder of the quarter. To be eligible for reinstatement to the WFD caseload, BFET students must meet with the WFD staff to review their participation activity and confirm their compliance moving forward. No BFET funding will be available for students who are not currently on the BFET EJAS caseload.

WorkFirst and BFET Students:

• Students requesting funding assistance through WorkFirst and BFET must follow funding source requirements to continue receiving funding assistance.
• Students cannot participate in both WorkFirst and BFET at the same time. Students who are active in the WorkFirst program are considered WorkFirst participants and are not eligible for BFET services.
• WFD students may be added to the WFD caseload without receiving funding.
• BFET students must be approved by DSHS for educational services and active on the WFD BFET EJAS caseload.
• WorkFirst students must have an open TANF status, be a required participant for DSHS, and active on the WorkFirst EJAS caseload.
• First quarter: Any WorkFirst or BFET student who completes a quarterly intake and receives any type of WFD funding assistance but then is closed out or referred back due to loss of contact or failure to submit progress forms during this quarter, will be removed from the caseload for the remainder of the quarter.
• Second (next) quarter: If the same WorkFirst or BFET student completes a quarterly intake, they may be eligible to receive WFD funding assistance. However, if they are closed out or referred back due to loss of contact or failure to submit progress forms during the quarter, they will be removed from the caseload for the remainder of the quarter.
• Third (next) quarter: If the same WorkFirst or BFET student completes a quarterly intake, they will need to complete a case staffing with a Student Contract. This student will need to show that they are submitting progress forms throughout this quarter to remain in compliance with the WorkFirst or BFET program.
• Fourth (next) quarter: If the same WorkFirst or BFET student completes a quarterly intake and has successfully submitted required progress forms during the third quarter, then they may be eligible for WFD funding assistance for the fourth quarter. If they do not submit their required progress forms during the third quarter, then they will not receive WFD funding assistance during the fourth quarter.
• Processes for the third and fourth quarters will continue depending on whether the student submits their progress forms.
• Students can meet with the Associate Director of WFD Eligibility or Director of Workforce Development to submit an appeal for future WFD Funding. However, students must clearly outline the reasons for any non-compliance with BFET or WorkFirst progression reporting requirements.

Appeal Process:

WFD students may request an appeal of academic policy decisions by submitting supporting documentation for review by the Associate Director of WFD Eligibility or Director of Workforce Development, who will issue the final decision.

Workforce Development reserves the right to make exceptions to the policies listed above. Exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis and will be made in writing via email from the Associate Director of WFD Eligibility or the Director of Workforce Development.