ctcLink Learning Opportunities & Support Roundup: Oct. 15, 2025

To plan further ahead or find the latest learning opportunities, as well as notices of cancellation or schedule changes:

• See the complete calendar at the ctcLink Training & Learning Opportunities Registration page or
• The SBCTC meetings and events calendar (apply ctcLink Learning Opportunities filters).  

Learn about how to register, badging opportunities, and more at the Professional & Personal Development Workshops page.

Registering for the workshops is easy!

1. Visit the SBCTC meetings and events calendar
2. Filter by "CTC Professional Development » Personal & Professional Development Suite"
3. Click "Sign up" button to enroll

Travel & Expense Process Alignment Update

Process Alignment: College-Driven | Agency-Supported | Leadership-Endorsed

During the WACTC Technology Committee meeting on Oct. 2, Jason Hetterle led a discussion on process alignment, focusing on travel and expense alignment and the upcoming employee onboarding/offboarding initiative.

Travel & Expense Task Force Summary

The travel and expense project has seen significant progress, with 24 of 31 potential votes (30 districts and SBCTC agency) committing to alignment.

Next task force: Employee Onboarding & Offboarding

The onboarding/offboarding task force, led by Sindie Howland, will address process consistency and productivity, aiming for an 8-to-12-week timeline. Representation from various college types and roles is prioritized.

Activities Underway

• Track and support alignment on travel and expense processes (Phase 6 ongoing; follow-up with colleges that voted “no”).
• Develop a tracker to monitor adoption of recommendations by colleges.
• Refine and improve the testing and feedback process for system tools.
• Launch a new task force on employee onboarding and offboarding (scope to be defined)
• Select 12-15 members for the onboarding/offboarding task force with representation from various college types and roles.

Contact

Please reach out to Jason Hetterle, PAW Team Lead, Director of Technology & Enterprise Solutions, Wenatchee Valley College, if you have any questions or concerns about the Process Alignment Workgroup activities.

ConexED Student Success Software Contract Now Available

An agreement signed with ConexED was announced on Oct. 3, 2025, making the platform available for adoption by colleges. In the announcement, colleges were asked to indicate their interest in being part of the first cohort.

Through this agreement, colleges can implement ConexED’s cloud-based student success suite at a negotiated, preferred price. The tools are designed to enhance the student experience from enrollment through graduation, increase retention, and strengthen data analytics to support student success.

Background

This agreement is a result of the active engagement of the SBCTC Education Division with the EmpowerED/JFF Early Adopters group to identify an SBCTC-supported solution that could address the needs of the college system. This approach, informed by studying the student journey as it relates to advising, allows us to prioritize functional requirements to enhance the advising experience for both students and advisors.

The contract is available at the Washington Institutions of Public Higher Education (WIPHE) Contract Clearinghouse (WIPHE) Contract Clearinghouse: 

• Student Success Software ConexED
  • ConexED contract
  • ConexED Price List
• Statement of Work Template (available at the Software and Hardware Contracts page)

What’s next for ConexED-to-ctcLink integration?

This agreement enables SBCTC and colleges to proceed implementing and developing the ctcLink integrations needed to maximize the benefits of this tool. The agreement also empowers SBCTC and colleges to prioritize accessibility in continued partnership with Deque, ensuring ongoing improvements and alignment with our commitment to equitable access.

Colleges have already begun exploring ConexED features such as CRM, scheduling, case management, and communication tools. We encourage all colleges to request a demo to better understand the available capabilities. 

Interested in joining the ConexED cohort?

Each college interested in being part of the initial cohort of colleges to adopt ConexED, is asked to complete the ConexED Implementation Interest form. A survey link was sent to the WACTC presidents’ closed list on Oct. 3, with a reminder sent to the open presidents’ list on Oct. 14.

The college president or chancellor should complete this form in collaboration with any staff involved in the student lifecycle, from admissions to completion. (e.g., enrollment services, admissions, advising, IT lead and/or data lead). 

Survey Deadline

Friday, Oct. 24, 2025, 5 p.m.

Questions?

For questions regarding this contract, please contact Grant Rodeheaver, SBCTC Deputy Executive Director/CIO, IT Division, 360-704-3939, or Abraham Rocha, SBCTC Contracts Officer, 509-842-4341.

Gear Up for Fall: Replenish Your Resiliency Toolkit

Take a moment to take care of yourself! Professional and Personal Development Suite workshops are open to all Washington state community and technical college employees, whether faculty, staff, or exempt.

This series of soft-skill workshops was initially developed to support SBCTC IT staff. Once the workshops were discovered on the agency calendar by other SBCTC and college employees, they asked if they, too, might participate on a case-by-case basis.

Learn more about how to register, badging opportunities, college requests for group training, and more at the Professional & Personal Development Workshops page.

The workshops are cross-linked from the SBCTC Professional Development page and the ctcLink Training & Learning Opportunities page.

Questions? Reach out to Corinne Taylor, Professional/Personal Development Trainer.

Upcoming offerings

Are You Receiving ctcLinkAlerts?

SBCTC uses the ctcLinkAlerts eList to send notices about planned downtime for system updates, production alerts, urgent issues, and any unplanned downtime.

Each college maintains a local ctcLinkAlerts email distribution list (e.g., ctclinkalerts@columbiabasin.edu, ctcLinkAlerts@spscc.edu) which your ctcLink College Leader maintains as needed.

These college lists, not individuals, are subscribed to ctcLinkAlerts@lists.ctc.edu.

Each college chooses who to include, but typically colleges include their local ctcLink leadership, local ctcLink committee or task force members, key subject matter experts, IT, Help Desk, and PIO.

How to Check the Status of an Enhancement Request

The ctcLink Customer Services Teams have documented all Enhancement Request (ER) forms submitted.

The ctcLink Enhancement Request Status lists are updated the first and third Wednesday of each month to align with the ctcLink Working Group calendar.

You can see where each Enhancement Request is in the governance review process, approval status, and/or any other actions taken in a couple of different views.

High-Level Summary At-a-Glance

The Full Enhancement Request List is sorted by status.

ctcLink Enhancement Request Update

Dani Rider, SBCTC Assistant CIO for ctcLink, gave the following ER update during the Oct. 2, 2025 WACTC Technology committee meeting.

Updates as of Sept. 23, 2025

• 323 Enhancement Requests Submitted 
  • 270 Enhancements (84%) - 235 Deployed, 35 Canceled
  • Enhancement Requests (ERs) are canceled if they are no longer needed or if they pertain to local configuration rather than system-wide implementation.
• In-Flight – 22; Next Up – 11; Future Work – 20

ER Progress History

Dani gave a fall-to-fall comparison showing healthy progress in ER completion rate, from 63% to 84% over two years.

CS Core Updates

ctcLink Downtime Notice – CS, OAAP, HCX, CampusCE

Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, 6 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The implementation of the upcoming CS Image 35 and HCX 25.2 upgrades has been rescheduled to Nov. 1 from Oct. 11.

During testing, SBCTC ctcLink Support teams identified several issues within HCX that require additional time to resolve, including system synchronization errors, class search functionality challenges, and login disruptions.

Given the potential impact on student and college operations, ctcLink Support decided to postpone the upgrade to ensure the highest level of system stability and integrity. Our priority is to avoid any negative effects on the college and student experience.

We are actively working with our vendor to develop and implement patches, and comprehensive testing will continue over the coming weeks. This approach allows us to address these issues and reduce the risk of future disruptions.

Impacts during implementation

• The Campus Solutions (CS) pillar will be unavailable during the maintenance period.
• Admissions (OAAP), HighPoint HCX mobile pages, and Campus CE integration will be unavailable during the maintenance period.
• The Portal, Finance (FSCM), and Human Capital Management (HCM) pillars will remain online during the maintenance period.
• Canvas will not be impacted.

College in the High School (CiHS) Guidance Document Q&A Webinar

Monday, Oct. 20, 2025, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m., Join the Zoom session

To support legislative mandates, as well as streamline and standardize college business processes across the system related to CiHS, SBCTC and a college workgroup of systemwide experts created the Business Practice Guidance Document for College in the High School.

We recognize changes may need to be made and all are encouraged to attend this webinar to share feedback and ask questions about the entire document. The team especially seeks input on the section concerning students enrolled in full-year courses, as this portion is still under development.

The Business Practice Guidance Document for College in the High School is live on the SBCTC CiHS Webpage under “Resources” and will be updated periodically.

In addition to the Business Practice Guidance Document for College in the High School, the following resources launched last week for colleges offering CiHS programs:

• Online Admission Application Portal (OAAP) Admit Type for CiHS
• New CiHS Plan Code

Reminder: The SBCTC ctcLink Support CS Core team has configured the OAAP Terms to Display for those colleges that responded to their request. Colleges offering a CiHS program should have an OAAP Admin log in to OAAP to verify the terms are accurate. If any terms are missing, please update them as needed. Note that the new CiHS academic plan is set up under Non-Award Seeking.

Questions?

Please reach out to Stephanie Rock, SBCTC Policy Associate, Student Services & K12 Alignment.

Campus Solutions (CS) Core Pillar Support Web Page

Visit the Campus Solutions (CS) Core pillar support web page at ctcLink Support for all things CS Core-related:

• ctcLink Reference Center Quick Links
• ctcLink Onboarding Training Manual
• Learning Opportunities & Training
• Lists and groups
• Pillar newsletter
• Oracle and PeopleSoft resources

Running Start Series

SBCTC Dual Credit presents monthly virtual sessions for college Running Start staff. Each session includes SBCTC/OSPI updates and time for Running Start college staff to come together and connect. Participants cover a wide range of topics, including Campus Solutions - Student Financials.

The presentation portion is recorded and posted to the SBCTC Dual Credit YouTube playlist.

Feel free to contact Stephanie Rock, SBCTC Student Services & K12 Alignment Policy Associate, with any questions.

CS Core Learning Opportunities

CS Core Training

CS Core Trainings, a valuable learning opportunity, are held on the third Wednesday of every month from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. The dates may change, and notifications will be sent in advance. The CS Core training alternates between refreshers and different process approaches. We highly value your participation and welcome all end-users to attend these training courses. You can find details about upcoming meetings on the SBCTC Calendar, CS Core Weeklyish COREspondence, and CS Core listserv. Please visit the QRG Campus Solutions Learning Opportunities Recordings for a list of previous recordings.

NEW! Academic Advisement Report (AAR) "Ask and Build" Workshop

Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., Learn more and join the session

This collaborative session will be driven entirely by your questions and issues, big or small!

To help us prepare, we encourage you to submit your questions in advance by Thursday, Nov. 7, to CS Support. You're also welcome to bring questions on the day of the session; however, please note we'll address them in the order received and will prioritize those submitted ahead of time.

Workshop schedule

• 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.: Q&A Support
• 12 to 1 p.m.: Break
• 1 to 4 p.m.: Q&A Support Continued

This is a working session, so come ready to participate! If everyone attends just to observe, the session may be very short and quiet. There will be no formal presentation, but Karen Erickson, Senior Functional Analyst - Campus Solutions, will be available to assist with your questions in real time.

Contact CS Support.

CS Core Training: Preventing NSC Errors: Using Queries to Validate Student Data

Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025, 8:30 – 10 a.m., Learn more and join the session

Avoid mistakes before they occur! Join us for a targeted training session on how to use critical PeopleSoft queries to identify and fix data issues that can affect National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) reporting. These proactive measures are vital to ensure accurate and timely reporting.

In this session, we'll review the following topics:

• Run and interpret NSC error-prevention queries
• Fix student record errors that could cause reporting issues
• Incorporate query checks into your standard NSC reporting process

Module(s): Student Records

Primary Audience: Staff responsible for Student Records and NSC Reporting

Related QRGs: Reducing Errors Before Generating the NSC Report

CS Core Training: Understanding Post Enrollment Requirement Checking (PERC) in PeopleSoft

Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025, 8:30 – 10 a.m., Learn more and join the session

PERC determines whether students have completed the enrollment requirements for a class. The process generates the Enrollment Requirement Roster page in PeopleSoft, providing the Post-Enrollment Requirement Status for each enrolled student. Staff can use this status field to guide decision-making about next steps.

We’ll also review how to handle situations where students must be dropped—whether individually through the Enrollment Requirement Roster or in batch processing.

Primary Audience: Student Records

Related QRGs: PERC: Running the Post Enrollment Requirement (PERC) Process, PERC: Enrollment Requirement Rosters, PERC: Dropping Students Who Do Not Meet Enrollment Requirements

Questions? Contact facilitator/trainer, Tanjagay Martin.

CS Core Work Sessions

Campus Solutions (CS) Core Work Sessions, open to ALL end users, are generally held the first Thursday of each month, from 1 to 3 p.m., but may be offered on an alternative schedule (e.g., to accommodate holidays).

The CS Functional Support team facilitates, alternating between functional team delivered content and college user delivered content with functional team support. Each meeting includes time for colleges to ask questions about other topics or service tickets.

CS Core Work Sessions features

• Include community engagement within each session (rather than having a formal, predetermined college panel). When possible, we will post the anticipated questions ahead of time so that you can be prepared.
• Dedicate at least the last half hour (2:30 to p.m.) to Open Q&A.
• If the scheduled session ends early and all related questions have been answered, Open Q&A will begin (i.e., it may begin earlier than 2:30 but will begin no later than 2:30 p.m.)

Find details on the SBCTC Calendar and in the CS Core Weeklyish COREspondence (sent on Fridays to the CSSupport listserv).

Core Sessions: College System & SBCTC Calendar

Coming up next!

Join us for CS Core Work Session: Drop it like it’s Hot: Drop Action Reasons, Term Withdrawal and the Adjustment Calendar on Thursday, Nov. 6.

It’s critical that Enrollment Services and Student Financials staff work together, know how they impact each other and can speak a bit of each other’s language.

Enrollment records contain the enrollment (add and drop) information, but that is not what controls how much, or if, a student is refunded. The enrollment action reason simply communicates which refund schedule should be applied.

Refund schedules are defined in the Adjustment Calendar, which is in the Student Financials module. In other words, whether the student really gets the 40%, 60% or 100% refund or a goose egg is dependent upon your setup in your Adjustment Calendar.

We’ll demonstrate how this is true not only for individual drops but also Term Withdrawals (drops for non-payment). This session does not address Student Financials Adjustment Calendars or refund configuration.

Presenter/Facilitator: Maria Sultan, SBCTC

Questions? Contact CS Core Support.

 

Finance Pillar Support Web Page

Visit the Finance (FIN) pillar support web page at ctcLink Support for all things FIN-related:

• ctcLink Reference Center Quick Links
• ctcLink Onboarding Training Manual
• Learning Opportunities & Training
• Lists and groups
• Oracle and PeopleSoft resources

FIN Learning Opportunities

FIN Image 53 Q&A Sessions

The Financials Image 53 upgrade will be implemented in production on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025.

Attend one of two sessions to get answers to any questions you might have. The Q&A sessions are optional; however, users affected by these changes are encouraged to attend.

• FIN Image 53 Q&A Session One: Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025, 2 – 3:30 p.m., Join session
• FIN Image 53 Q&A Session Two: Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025, 9 – 10:30 a.m., Join session

Overview documents outlining changes users will experience after the upgrade are now available:

• Financials Image 53 Overview - October 2025
• Financials Image 53 Accessibility Supplemental – October 2025

Please feel free to reach out to Amy MacNeill, ctcLink QA/Test Coordinator, if you have any questions.

Travel and Expenses Q&A & Mini Training

Recurring every last Monday of the month, 11 a.m. to noon, join us for a collaborative, interactive and troubleshooting drop-in support session on everything Travel and Expenses. This session may be partially recorded.

• 11 – 11:30 a.m. Training: The first half of the meeting is typically a short training focused on a particular topic/process in Travel and Expenses. This portion of the meeting is usually recorded. The recording and associated QRGs are posted to the ctcLink Pillar Work Session Information Canvas Course. End-users are welcome to listen in and learn something new.
• 11:30 a.m. - 12 p.m., Q&A: Second half of the meeting will not be recorded. Please come with your questions or issues and be ready to share your screen.

This open time is for college end users to collaborate with functional support and other Travel and Expense staff/supervisors to troubleshoot issues, discuss workflow or process questions, and/or even share your screen. Some examples of topics:

• Canceling EX Payments
• Initial Setup and the Importance of updating Expenses Profiles
• Applying Cash Advances to an Expense Report
• Cash Advance Reconciliation
• On & Off-boarding Employees for Expenses
• Why your Approved Expense Report Won't Stage for Payment

Module: Expenses / Travel & Expense

Primary Audience: Staff, Travelers, Travel Admins/Staff

Related QRGs: FIN - Expenses section of the ctcLink Reference Center

Prerequisite Courses: EX100, EX101 and/or EX102

Contact Alec Risk, ctcLink Functional Trainer.

FIN Work Session: Grants/Projects Mini Training and Open Q&A

Recurring every second Monday of the month at 11 a.m. join the ctcLink Finance Customer Support team for a collaborative, interactive, training and troubleshooting drop-in session on everything Grants/Projects.

• 11 – 11:15 a.m., Training: First part of the meeting will be a Mini Training and will be recorded. End users are welcome to listen in and learn something new.
• 11:15 a.m. – 12 p.m., Q&A- Second half of the meeting will not be recorded. This open time is for college end users to collaborate with Functional Support and other Grant/Project Staff to troubleshoot issues, discuss workflow or process questions, and/or ready to share your screen. Some examples of topics:
  • Grant Billing
  • Modify Grant Award or Capital Project Budgets
  • Amending Awards
  • Project-related Budget/Commitment Control Errors
  • Grant-related Combo Codes
  • Grant-related Item Types

You are invited to drop in with any questions related to grants and projects at the open Q&A sessions.

Need help with setting up FY25 grants? Feel free to reach out to Michele Rockwell, MSML, ctcLink Finance Functional Analyst.

Questions? See the contact information listed in the event calendar listings below.

Finance College Users Production Support Meetings

Meetings are held every Tuesday, from 2 to 3 p.m.

These sessions are open to ALL Finance (FIN) end users. The ctcLink Finance Customer Support team provides updates on Service Tickets, PeopleSoft enhancements, and open forum time to ask questions or request future topics.

The ctcLink Finance Subject Matter Experts list received a calendar invitation to Upcoming Finance Users Production Support meetings.

Didn’t get the invitation? Reach out to Shon Dicks-Schlesinger, Associate Director of Finance Functional Support.

Monthly Student Finance/General Ledger SF/GL Open Forum

Every second Wednesday, 2 to 3 p.m., the SBCTC Business Operations Accounting team invites you to bring your questions (and solutions) to share during this open forum meeting space for all things Student Financials/General Ledger (SF/GL) related.

There is no formal agenda as we welcome all questions about everything from item types and second journal sets to waivers, queries, or internal cash reconciliation.

See the SBCTC meetings and events calendar and look for ctcLink Accounting Team: SF/GL Open Forum Meeting.

Accounts Receivable (AR) and Billing (BI) Open Q&A

Every other Thursday, these recurring Accounts Receivable and Billing work sessions aim to provide accounting support and guidance regarding, but not limited to, the various reconciliation topics and processes.

Bring your AR and BI questions and get functional support or listen-in and collaborate with your community college peers.

The recorded sessions will be posted to the ctcLink Learning Opportunities Information Canvas Course located under Modules > Finance Learning Opportunities > Accounts Receivable and Billing Work Sessions.

Module(s): FIN [AR and BI]

Primary Audience: Accounts Receivable and Billing Staff

Related QRG: FIN - Accounts Receivable, FIN - Billing

ctcLink Accounting Team Presents

Every first and third Thursday, these recurring work sessions aim to provide accounting support and guidance regarding, but not limited to, the various reconciliation topics and processes. Each session covers a specific topic(s) and then moves to open Q&A.

FIN Work Session: Asset Management Q&A

Every second Thursday from 11 a.m. to noon (except where noted) join the ctcLink Finance Customer Support team for a collaborative, interactive and troubleshooting drop-in session on all things Asset Management.

• 11 – 11:30 a.m., Training: Come learn or share something new.
• 11:30 a.m. - 12 p.m., Q&A: Please come with your questions or issues and be ready to share your screen.

Some examples of topics:

• Tagging Active Assets
• Excel to CI Asset Upload
• Processing issues
• General questions

FA Support Updates

R2T4 Resource: Award Adjustments that Include Cents

The Award Adjustments that Include Cents QRG at the ctcLink Reference Center covers how to make adjustments to awards primarily when performing R2T4 of Pell or awarding Pell with cents and whole dollars where the system discards the cents with error message “9405 PELL award reduced by Aggregate limits” when aggregates are not truly met.

Other possible uses could be making adjustments to Federal Work-study awards that include cents.

When adjusting for awards that include cents this process should be used in place of the practice of validating, adjusting awards then posting without re-validating. Awards should always be validated prior to posting. This practice can result in batch disbursement failing or could possibly result in the “no buffer” error which locks up the award screen and shows the “deceased” service indicator.

Please review this QRG in full when making award adjustments that include cents.

NEW! Pell Troubleshooting Guide

The new Pell Troubleshooting Guide at the ctcLink Reference Center is a first steps guide to the most common troubleshooting Pell Validation Errors as they display in the Message Text when you run PELLOUT.

From the basic FA pages, to configuration, this guide shows you where to look when you are hunting for reasons why your Pell record failed Validation. This guide will be helpful to newer and advanced ctcLink users alike, users who are responsible for managing the Federal Pell Grant program.

FA Weeklyish Bulletin

Trying to recall that important thing you read in the ctcLink Financial Aid listserv FA Weeklyish Bulletin? Don’t miss a thing! Revisit past editions in the FA Weeklyish Bulletin Archive at the ctcLink Reference Center.

Financial Aid (FA) Pillar Support Web Page

Visit the Financial Aid (FA) pillar support web page at ctcLink Support for all things FA-related:

• ctcLink Reference Center Quick Links
• ctcLink Onboarding Training Manual
• Learning Opportunities & Training
• Lists and groups
• Pillar newsletter
• Oracle and PeopleSoft resources

FA Learning Opportunities

Gear up for a fresh batch of financial aiding training and work sessions this fall. Contact Kelly Forsberg, ctcLink Functional Trainer (Financial Aid), if you have any questions.

Cross-Pillar FA-SF Training: Customer Account Review Basics

Monday, Oct. 20, 2025, 1-2 p.m., Learn more and join the session

This Cross-Pillar Training Session is a back-to-basics review on the Customer Accounts page and its features in ctcLink for newer FA Staff and SF Staff responsible for reviewing and adjusting Customer Accounts

Understand how to

• Review the Account Summary in Student Center
• Review the View Customer Accounts page
• Define Debits and Credits in View Customer Accounts
• Define Charges and Payments in View Customer Accounts
• Review Account Details in the View Customer Accounts page
• View FA Refund Adjustments in View Customer Accounts
• View Payment Line Details in the View Customer Accounts page
• Review Additional Details in the View Customer Accounts page
• Extrapolate charge details in Item Summaries from the View Customer Accounts page
• View Anticipated Aid in the View Customer Accounts page

Related QRG: View Customer Accounts

Prerequisite Course(s): FA103 Authorizing and Disbursing Financial Aid, SF100 Tuition Calculation, SF101 Cashiering

Fin Aid Training: Pell Reconciliation Refresher

Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025, 9-10:30 a.m., Learn more and join the session

Audience: New FA staff and staff needing a refresher on reconciling Pell in ctcLink

This session will cover the steps to:

• Run the Pell Reconciliation report
• Process the Pell Statement of Accounts File (PGAS)
• Process the Pell School Account Statement (SAS) Files (PGSM)

Prerequisite Canvas Course: FA104 Processing Pell Payments and Direct Loans

Fin Aid Training: Loan Reconciliation Refresher

Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025 , 9-10:30 a.m., Learn more and join the session

Primary Audience: New FA Staff and staff needing a refresher on reconciling loans in ctcLink

This session will cover:

• Understand the steps to produce the Direct Loan Reconciliation report in ctcLink
• Upload/Download File Process
• Import Federal Data Files
• Running SBCTC DL Recon Reports
• Understand how to view and work the DL Recon reports

Prerequisite Canvas Course: FA104 Processing Pell Payments and Direct Loans

2026/2027 Aid Year Rollover(AYRO) Prep

Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025, 1- 2 p.m., Learn more and join the session

Primary Audience:  Staff responsible for preparing for 2025/2026 Aid Year Rollover

Join us in a FA Work Session on how to prepare for AYRO. Each college’s attendance is important as potential decisions or later needed decisions may be required. This work session will include the review docs and checklist processes.

This session will be recorded.  The presentation slide deck and other relevant materials will be attached to this invite prior to the session delivery. 

Presenter: Jed Lara, Functional Analyst - Financial Aid

HCM Support Updates

ESD Employer Newsletter

If you haven’t already done so, your friends at SBCTC Central Payroll recommend you subscribe to the Employer Newsletter from the Employment Security Department (ESD). The October 2025, Issue 67 includes changes coming in 2026, including:

• Quarterly reports due
• Paid Leave job protection expands in 2026
• WA Cares: automatic exemptions for non-immigrant work visa holders
• Help your business and employees during a layoff
• Build internships that strengthen your workforce

How these updates affect ctcLink will be determined and communicated later.

Share and Subscribe

The monthly “Employer Newsletter” contains information important to Washington employers.

• Subscribe to the ESD Employer Newsletter to receive the newsletters as soon as they are available
• Find past issues in the archive on the Employment Security website

HCM Monthly Newsletter

Subscribe to the ctcLinkSME-HCM list to receive the latest edition of the HCM Monthly Roundup, featuring HCM hot topics, training, and how-to tips.

To subscribe

• Visit ctcLinkSME-HCM – Human Capital Management (HCM) and follow the screen prompts.
• Contact: HCM Customer Support

Human Capital Management (HCM) Pillar Support Web Page

Visit the Human Capital Management (HCM) pillar support web page at ctcLink Support for all things HCM-related:

• ctcLink Reference Center Quick Links
• ctcLink Onboarding Training Manual
• Learning Opportunities & Training
• Lists and groups
• Pillar newsletter
• Oracle and PeopleSoft resources

HCM Learning Opportunities

HCM Work Session: Save the date (Topic TBD)

Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025, 1 – 3 p.m., Learn more and join the session

Stay tuned for topic to be announced.

Contact: HCM Customer Support

SF Updates

SF Training & Work Sessions Survey

All Student Financials end-users and BAR members are encouraged to share their experiences and suggestions regarding current SF training resources and learning opportunities.

Complete the SF Training & Learning Opportunities Survey 2025 today!

This survey is designed to gather valuable feedback on the use and effectiveness of the Student Financials Reference Center (QRGs), Canvas training courses, and Training and Work Sessions.

Your voice matters! Your input is essential to ensure that SF training tools are relevant, accessible, and impactful.

SF Work Session Volunteers Wanted!

Do you have a Student Finance topic you're passionate about? We'd love for you to share your insights with your peers.  Partner with the SF team (don’t worry—you won’t be presenting alone!) to lead a work session and share your favorite tips and tricks with fellow SF users.

Interested? Please reach out to Pauline Smith, SBCTC Student Financials Functional Trainer, or Brandon Reed, Associate Director of Student Financials, with your topic ideas.

Student Financials Enhancement Requests

ER266 – Student Financial Responsibility Agreement (SFRA)

• Find updated resources at the Student Financial Responsibility Agreement (SFRA) QRG
• As of today, five of 19 colleges in Cohort 2 have successfully gone live with the SFRA. To date, over 75,000 agreements have been signed.
• Please direct any questions, concerns, or updates to your go-live ticket. Once go-live support concludes and no further inquiries are pending, the ticket will be marked as resolved.
  • For any new SFRA-related requests moving forward, please use the request type “SF: Communications.”
• The SFRA has been translated into nine languages which are available in the Student Financial Responsibility Agreement QRG under Resources > Communication Templates & Agreement Verbiage.

ER274 – Cashier Receipts renovation work

• The student cashier receipt has been updated and is available for use in PRD.
• The corporate cashier receipt is being tested now, and we will notify you of its move to production.
• We are continuing to test the corporate receipt configuration and anticipate completion by the end of October. Please note that this update will also include the addition of “change due” on both corporate and student receipts.

ER323 – Running Start 9-10 Rule Recission

The Running Start 9-10 Waiver rule has been rescinded and is no longer active as of this current Fall Term in ctcLink Production/Test environments.

SF Resource Updates

Canvas

The Pillar Work Session info is now ctcLink Learning Opportunities Information. We have made some helpful updates and you will now find all training and work sessions listed in one area (they are also still listed in respective courses). If you do not have access to this useful resource you can register on the ctcLink Training & Learning Opportunities page.

QRG Updates

SF QRGs gather no moss! Check out the most recent updates and additions.

• Financial Aid Refund Adjustments - Updated file mapping information.
• Term Rollover Checklist - Added CPL info under term default.
• 1098-T Prior Year Processing - Updated SBCTC processing/College review and added a new College cleanup section.
• Post and Review a Student Payment - Added additional security roles needed
• SFRA Translated: now available on the Student Financial Responsibility Agreement QRG. Translated to Arabic, Dari, French, Korean, Russian, Spanish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese, and Chinese. Available under Resources > Communication Templates & Agreement Verbiage.
• Create or Copy Payment Plan: Information regarding setting up the SF Institution Set was updated; colleges will need to submit a ticket to SF support for any changes.
• Tuition Calculation After Enrollment Cancellation: Updated information regarding using the correct Run Control ID.
• Post and Review Student Payment: Updated images and video to reflect ER274 receipt updates.
• SFRA Updated 3C Engine steps to include information for both SFRA Letters, added "Signed SFRA Communication” example wording, added BEdA process example.

Student Financials (SF) Pillar Support Web Page

Visit the Student Financials (SF) pillar support web page at ctcLink Support for all things SF-related:

• ctcLink Reference Center Quick Links
• ctcLink Onboarding Training Manual
• Learning Opportunities & Training
• Lists and groups
• SF DL Blast Pillar newsletter
• Oracle and PeopleSoft resources
• Student Financials (SF) Resources QRGincluding:
  • Resources that fall outside of other SF QRG main categories
  • ctcLink Training Recordings Archives

SF DL Blast Newsletter

See previous editions of the Student Financials Distribution List Blast: SF DL Blasts.

Subscribe to the ctcLinkSME_StuFin list to receive the latest editions of the SF DL (Student Financials Distribution List) Blast featuring SF hot topics, training tips, and tricks.

SF Learning Opportunities

Please feel free to reach out to SFSupport@sbctc.edu if you have any questions or need further clarification.

• The Student Financials Learning Opportunities Recordings QRG is a comprehensive list of all previous SF-related recordings.
• Previous SF DL Blasts can be found within Student Financials Resources.

CyberSource Security Update Session

Friday, Oct. 17, 8-10 a.m., Learn more and join the session

SBCTC has developed, implemented, and tested an appropriate and sustainable solution to address the upcoming CyberSource security protocol changes.

This new security protocol will go into effect Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025.

In addition to adopting the updated authentication method, this solution establishes a standardized systemwide schedule requiring all colleges to update their security keys on a regular basis, replacing the current ad hoc approach in which key updates occur at varying times throughout the year.

College Required Action

Each institution is required to meet with the SBCTC during one of the designated periods to understand the solution and generate new keys in alignment with the updated CyberSource security protocols.

SBCTC will enter the authentication keys into the new custom authentication page within ctcLink.

Module: Student Financials

Primary Audience: Student Financials

Contact Pauline Smith, SBCTC Student Financials Functional Trainer.

Cross-Pillar FA-SF Training: Customer Account Review Basics

Monday, Oct. 20, 2025, 1--2 p.m., Learn more and join the session

This Cross-Pillar Training Session is a back-to-basics review on the Customer Accounts page and its features in ctcLink for newer FA Staff and SF Staff responsible for reviewing and adjusting Customer Accounts

Understand how to

• Review the Account Summary in Student Center
• Review the View Customer Accounts page
• Define Debits and Credits in View Customer Accounts
• Define Charges and Payments in View Customer Accounts
• Review Account Details in the View Customer Accounts page
• View FA Refund Adjustments in View Customer Accounts
• View Payment Line Details in the View Customer Accounts page
• Review Additional Details in the View Customer Accounts page
• Extrapolate charge details in Item Summaries from the View Customer Accounts page
• View Anticipated Aid in the View Customer Accounts page

Related QRG: View Customer Accounts

Prerequisite Course(s): FA103 Authorizing and Disbursing Financial Aid, SF100 Tuition Calculation, SF101 Cashiering

NEW! 2025 1098-T Processing Update

Below is a list of training, resource links, and special considerations for this year's 1098-T processing. As in previous years, SBCTC will offer both in-depth training and drop-in sessions, and will continue to update and use the Business Processing Guide.

You can also find the below sessions and links in the 2025 1098-T Business Processing Guide QRG.

2025 1098-T Business Processing Guide

The guide has been updated since last year to include special considerations for this year and edits to help process through this difficult task

2025 Special Considerations

Please see Appendix 1 in the guide for additional detail.

Issue - ER999 and Citizenship Status

• Beginning with calendar year 2025, SBCTC recommends selecting the Override Citizenship validation within college batch processing. See the Generate 1098-T QRG for details and options for processing.

Issue- Prior Year 1098-Ts

When activity to a prior calendar year takes place, and a prior year 1098-T has not already been generated, it causes an inaccurate current year 1098-T.

Monthly Student Finance/General Ledger SF/GL Open Forum

Every second Wednesday, 2 to 3 p.m., the SBCTC Business Operations Accounting team invites you to bring your questions (and solutions) to share during this open forum meeting space for all things Student Financials/General Ledger (SF/GL) related.

There is no formal agenda as we welcome all questions about everything from item types and second journal sets to waivers, queries, or internal cash reconciliation.

See the SBCTC meetings and events calendar and look for ctcLink Accounting Team: SF/GL Open Forum Meeting.

Query Developer Learning Opportunities

ctcLink PeopleSoft Query 302 Migrations Course

The PeopleSoft Query 302 Migrations course is now available for on-demand training through Canvas.

This course provides query developers with the comprehensive knowledge and practical skills needed to successfully migrate queries in the ctcLink PeopleSoft environment. Participants will learn the standards, conventions, and best practices required for query development and migration from Production College Development (PCD) to Production (PRD).

How to register

• Visit the ctcLink Training Registration Pageand click on the hyperlink for the ctcLink Training Registration Form.
• Enter your college and email address and click “Verify My Account”
• Scroll to the section “Designated Query Developer Training” and select the box(es) next to the class(es) for which you would like to register.
• Scroll to the bottom of the page and click the “Sign me up” button.

If you have any questions, reach out to Paula McDaniel, SBCTC Data Analytics Learning and Education Instructor.

How to Enroll in Self-Paced Query Developer Courses

It’s easy to enroll in Query Developer Courses.

• Visit the ctcLink Training Registrationpage,
• Select the class(es) from the Designated Query Developer Training section,
• Follow the sign-up process.

More for PeopleSoft Query Developers

Find more ctcLink PeopleSoft Query Development resources including forms, documentation, and tools at the ctcLink PeopleSoft Reporting web page.

ctcLink Accessibility Improvement Highlights

Each monthly ctcLink Accessibility Open Forum focuses on accessibility enhancements and collaborative efforts to improve user experience in ctcLink.

In case you missed a meeting, please see Materials and recordings from past ctcLink Accessibility Forums.

Below is a summary of highlights from the Accessibility & ctcLink Forum Presentation, Oct. 14, 2025 session.

Accessibility Issues and Service Requests in ctcLink

Oracle acknowledges some bugs and is working on fixes, with some updates scheduled for mid-2025. Finance module issues include inaccessible checkboxes and screen reading order problems, with fixes planned. Combo box dropdown display issues remain under Oracle review with no ETA.

Accessibility Testing and Documentation

Testing plans include Campus Solutions accessibility image overview and Okta dashboard widget verification. The ctcLink Accessibility web page provides reviews, image overview documents, Oracle and third-party VPATs, and a glossary.

Testing involves system integration testing (SIT) by SBCTC staff and user acceptance testing (UAT) by college users, coordinated by testing and functional teams.

Service Desk Tickets/Oracle Service Requests (SRs)

Campus Solutions

The presentation concludes with a status update on open accessibility issues being worked on with vendors, emphasizing ongoing collaboration to resolve these challenges.

• CS Academic Advisement Report – incorrect PDF tags: Fix was supposed to be delivered in CS Image 26.  There was a duplicate CSS declaration on the HTML academic progress fluid page and that was corrected.  They did not make any updates to the PDF though, so we pushed back and asked that to be done. 
• Mark-up for 'Add' button incorrect creating WCAG violation Oracle has accepted this as a bug and development is working on it now.

Human Capital Management

In Firefox browser, the Calendar button is announced as "button." An SR is open for this issue.

Finance

• Express Bill Entry Template page - The screen reader user cannot access any of the checkboxes on the Charge Details tab of the Configure Bill Line Grid Area. On the other tabs in the Configure Bill Line Grid Area, the checkboxes are accessed by the screen reader but the labels are not read by the screen reader, so the user does not know what to check. Oracle is developing a fix that is planned to be delivered in Finance Image 48.
• Cash Advance Screen Reading Order is Incorrect - The reading order has been corrected, but User Default, Import ATM Advances, View Printable Version, Notes, and Attachment items are read twice by the screen reader. Service requested opened with Oracle. A defect has been submitted to the engineering team for review.

All Pillars

Combo Box dropdown displays one blank row and list items order is not top to bottom: The developers at Oracle are still reviewing. No ETA for this. SR 3-27290185731/Doc ID 2922397.

Third-Party Vendors

OAAP SSN entry requires clear format instructions for accessibility. Dashes in SSN format cause rejection, but numeric input without dashes is accepted.

For example, asking for date of birth is formatted as MM/DD/YYYY. In the case of SSN format, it should be “###-##-####” but if applicant includes the dashes, the SSN gets rejected. The OAAP only accepts SSN without dashes. This issue is being addressed with Kastech, the third-party provider of OAAP integrated with ctcLink.

ctcLink Accessibility Monthly Open Forum

The ctcLink Accessibility monthly forums engage Washington's community and technical college system in discussions around ctcLink accessibility and technology. We aim to improve communication and transparency while providing space for productive and solution-focused dialog. Our main objective is to deliver accessible technology for all our students, staff, and the larger community.

Join us! Meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month, 11 a.m. to noon.

The November meeting is cancelled due to the Veterans Day holiday.

Please join us for the next ctcLink Accessibility Open Forum on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025, at 11 a.m.  All are welcome to attend via Zoom.

• Participants are encouraged to submit ideas for future meetings via an online form.
• Zoom meeting link: ctcLink Accessibility Open Forum 2025 and beyond

In case you missed a meeting, please see materials from past Open Forums.

Keeping the Lights On

In a ctcLink world populated with acronyms and mysterious jargon, the Application Services teams are the “pillar behind the pillars” for Washington’s community and technical colleges 24/7 by supporting ctcLink pillars, systemwide IT applications, environments, accessibility improvements, testing, and managing the network data load behind-the-scenes.

While you may never meet them directly or understand what they do, they support you every single day.