ctcLink Learning Opportunities & Support Roundup: Feb. 25, 2026

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

PAW Travel & Expense (T&E) Alignment Support Activities

The SBCTC Project Management Office (PMO) and PAW are working together in many ways to help colleges move toward alignment in T&E processes:

• Building and maintaining Change Assessment Worksheetsfor colleges to evaluate their progress toward alignment
• Offering individual work sessions for college Points of Contact and Travel & Expense administrators to "jump start" their change assessment analysis
• Partnering with SBCTC Training and Support teams to hold Mini-Training Workshopson Travel & Expense alignment topics every two weeks through May 2026
• Providing template slide decks for colleges to modify for their own local use 
• Compiling/updating Travel & Expense Training Resourcesand 
  T&E Organizational Change Management Resources 

Travel & Expense (T&E) Organizational Change Management (OCM) Tools Released

Now that the Travel & Expense (T&E) Process Alignment Task force has completed its work and the new resources and tools are available, the WACTC college presidents want to be kept apprised of progress in systemwide adoption of the newly aligned practices.  

What’s Next?

All colleges are asked to assess where they are on the "change adoption spectrum” in their Travel & Expense (T&E) Change Assessment College Worksheets at this page: Organizational Change Management (OCM) | Travel & Expenses PAW | ctcLink Reference Center  

Each college has its own Change Assessment College Worksheet. This worksheet is a tool to assist colleges in reporting this information and to help them identify any specific changes needed to align with the recommendations.  

While some recommendations await formal approvals and implementation, colleges are encouraged to begin evaluating the impact of these changes now to ensure readiness. 

Status Report Dates 

This is an ongoing self-assessment through Spring 2026. Colleges’ self-reported statuses will be relayed to the WACTC college presidents on the following dates:  

• February 26, 2026 
• March 26, 2026  
• April 23, 2026  
• May 28, 2026  

The statuses will be automatically downloaded into a worksheet to be presented periodically at WACTC Technology Committee meetings throughout Winter and Spring quarter 2026 to demonstrate college progress with Travel & Expense alignment.  

Where to Learn More

ctcLink College Collaboration Group (cCCG)

Regular meetings, second and fourth Wednesdays, 10 a.m.

The PAW OCM subgroup will continue to check in on this process during the biweekly ctcLink College Collaboration Group meetings to help ctcLink College Leaders stay on goal.  

Travel and Expenses Q&A & Mini Trainings and OCM T&E sessions

Join the Process Alignment Workgroup – Organizational Change Management (OCM) Subgroup for focused discussions on completing the Change Assessment Worksheet and developing Change Action Plans to integrate the Travel & Expense Task Force recommendations into your college’s regular business practices.

Colleges who have already implemented some of these changes are encouraged to participate and share their experiences supporting travelers and travel administrators in adopting the new processes.

Questions?

If you need clarification, please reach out to the Project Management Office (PMO) team at PMOteam@sbctc.edu and they will guide your question to the right party for response. 

Travel & Expense Process Alignment: Tools and Training Ready for Use

The systemwide Process Alignment Workgroup (PAW) has concluded its inaugural travel and expense process alignment task force and passed the baton to the ctcLink Support and Training teams.

Recommendations and best practices for alignment are regularly updated and incorporated into ctcLink reference and training materials.

Colleges and SBCTC staff are encouraged to dive in to explore and take advantage of Travel and Expenses Training Resources, including:

• Self-Paced Travel & Expense Training Courses
• Travel & Expense Learning Opportunities - Instructor-led sessions designed for staff who have successfully completed the self-paced Travel & Expense Canvas course trainings. Sessions are delivered on a cyclical basis — monthly, quarterly, or yearly — with the goal of strengthening participant skillsets.
• Recurring FIN Work Session: Travel and Expenses Mini Training & Workshop
• Fluid vs Classic: The Travel & Expense Task Force has recommended using the Fluid interface going forward, as Oracle is no longer providing updates to “Classic” pages. Training materials are being updated to reflect Fluid pages, while maintaining the instructions for “Classic” to allow colleges time to make the transition. Also, Fluid better meets accessibility requirements and is responsive to device size.
• Reference Center Resources: detailed user guides and step-by-step instructions for creating, submitting, approval, and managing travel authorizations, cash advances, and expense reports, as well as delegation workflows, troubleshooting errors, budget exceptions, and administrative maintenance tasks.

ctcLink Production Environment – ctcLink Server Maintenance

Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, 6 to 8 a.m.

SBCTC will install important Oracle patches during this maintenance window.

The entire ctcLink production environment (all pillars) will remain offline during this initial maintenance period.

• The HighPoint Campus Experience (HCX) mobile site and app will be unavailable.
• The Online Admissions Application Portal (OAAP) will be unavailable.
• The integration between CampusCE and ctcLink will be unavailable. Following completion of the maintenance activities, colleges will need to resubmit any unprocessed orders received during the downtime. 
• Users logging into ctcLink will be directed to an offline notice with links to college Canvas sites.
• Canvas will not be impacted.

Don’t Miss Out on Time-Sensitive eList (Listserv) Messages

If you turn “Digest” mode on in your list subscription settings, you'll get posts bundled together (usually one per day, but possibly more on busy lists or fewer on less active lists), instead of individually when they're sent.

To receive important, time-sensitive messages as soon as possible, turn “Digest” mode OFF in your list subscriptions

Visit the Mailman eList Manager page for general help for list members and list owners.

Instructions for List Members

Are you missing out on real-time emails, because you selected the Digest option?

1. Find your list at the complete list of Mailman lists.
2. Click on the LIST-NAME link.
   • Scroll down to the “LIST-NAME Subscribers” section.
   • Under “To unsubscribe from LIST-NAME, get a password reminder, or change your subscription options, enter your subscription email address”
     • Enter your email address.
     • Click the "Unsubscribe or edit options" button

3. At the next screen, enter your password.*
4. Scroll down to “Your LIST-NAME Subscription Options”
   • Set Digest Mode: Toggle to Off
   • Scroll to the bottom of the page and click "Submit My Changes" button.

Repeat steps for each list to which you subscribe.

After Digest mode is changed from On to Off, you may receive one last digest.

*Forgot your member password?

See Retrieve a Lost Password at Help for Mailman List Members.

Instructions for List Owners/Admins

Are your list members missing out on real-time emails because they have selected the Digest option? As the list owner, you can change that setting to ensure your subscribers get messages as soon as possible.

1. Find your list at ctc.edu mailing lists - Admin Links.
2. Click on the LIST-NAME link.
3. At the next screen, enter your password.*
4. Under Configuration Categories, click on Membership Management, then Member List.
   • Scroll through the list alphabetically to find any members with the “digest” button selected.
   • Click to unselect “digest” option.
   • Scroll to the bottom of the page and click "Submit My Changes" button.
5. Repeat for each alphabetical section.

*Forgot your admin password?

See Change Your Administrative List Password at Help for Mailman List Owners.

Get Connected: Join ctcLink Support eLists

ctcLink Customer Support sends updates, outage notices, changes to configuration, training and workshop opportunities, global and cross-pillar communications to colleges via Mailman eLists (often referred to as listservs, which is a registered trademark).

College subject matter experts (SMEs), PeopleSoft users/stakeholders can use the lists to ask their college peers questions about how they do things in ctcLink, best practices, local training plans, and more. 

When you join, do NOT select the Digest option or you might miss out on time-sensitive messages.

Find your lists

• ctcLink Support eLists – Lists geared toward ctcLink end-users, including reporting, queries, and dataLink.
• In addition, each ctcLink pillar area suggests related lists to join under their “Get Connected to” menus.
  • Campus Solutions (CS) Core
  • Financial Aid (FA)
  • Finance (FIN)
  • Human Capital Management (HCM)
  • Student Financials (SF)
• Mailman eLists – See the complete list of Mailman lists available to the community and technical colleges.

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.

ctcLink Environment & Pillar Updates 2026

Colleges are regularly notified of planned downtimes, as well as unexpected outages, via the ctcLink Alerts eList.

You can also keep track of 2026 planned service outages for Campus Solutions, HCX, Human Capital Management, and Financials at the ctcLink Support Environment/Pillar Updates tracker.

Restock Your Resiliency Toolkit

Take some time 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.

Since piloting outside participation and receiving positive feedback and requests, we sought agency leadership and support to work across SBCTC departments to present to a systemwide audience. 

2026 Offerings

Professional Development Suite

• Effective Communication Strategies 
• Generational & Learning Preferences - NEW 
• Leadership 
• Presentation Tips & Tricks - NEW 
• Teams/Team Bonding 
• Time Management 
• Top Tier Customer Experience 

Personal Development Suite 

• Emotional Quotient (EQ)
• Managing Stress Part 1
• Managing Stress Part 2
• Mental Health: Awareness & Support
• Mind Frame: Turn Negative Thoughts into Positive Actions
• Psychological Safety in the Workplace
• Vicarious Trauma
• Work/Life Balance 

Teaming Suite 

• Effective Communication Strategies
• Psychological Safety in the Workplace
• Teams/Team Bonding

Learn More and Sign up

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.

Enhancement Requests Update

As of February 20, 2026.

• 334 Enhancement Requests Submitted 
• 279 Enhancements (84% complete) - 242 Deployed, 37 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
  • 13 in defining requirements
  • 5 in design and development
  • 4 in testing
• Next Up – 11
• Future Work – 22

How to Check the Status of an Enhancement Request

The ctcLink Customer Services Teams document 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.

CS Core Updates

ctcLink Production Environment – ctcLink Server Maintenance

Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, 6 to 8 a.m.

SBCTC will install important Oracle patches during this maintenance window.

The entire ctcLink production environment (all pillars) will remain offline during this initial maintenance period.

• The HighPoint Campus Experience (HCX) mobile site and app will be unavailable.
• The Online Admissions Application Portal (OAAP) will be unavailable.
• The integration between CampusCE and ctcLink will be unavailable. Following completion of the maintenance activities, colleges will need to resubmit any unprocessed orders received during the downtime. 
• Users logging into ctcLink will be directed to an offline notice with links to college Canvas sites.
• Canvas will not be impacted.

Full-Year Class Schedule Display

All four terms (Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring) are available for viewing beginning April 1 of each year. The Instruction Commission (IC), with the support of the Washington State Student Services Commission (WSSSC), approved the full-Academic Year availability of class search.

• Class Schedulers:  Your campus can choose whether your classes display to students.  Use the Schedule Print checkbox on class sections to control this.
• Registrars:  Your campus  can choose which terms are open for enrollment.  Students cannot enroll prior to the Open Enrollment date you populate on your Term/Session Table UNLESS you assign them an Enrollment Appointment that allows them to enroll before that date.  And, even with an Enrollment Appointment,  neither staff nor students can enroll prior to the First Date to Enroll defined on your Term/Session Table.  

Colleges can view the global display dates in the Term Values Table (Set Up SACR > Foundation Tables > Term Setup > Term Values Table).

HEUG (Higher Education User Group) Conversations

Keep in mind that HEUG is a collection of PeopleSoft users from around the globe who work in similar but different systems.  While it can be interesting or inspiring to see what others are doing and thinking we ask that you keep in mind that what works in one system may not work in or apply to another.

• April 17, 2026, 11 a.m. Pacific: Round 3: Ghost & Fraudulent Applications Community Discussion, This discussion will focus on what to do after the application, and what happens if there's enrollment or aid awarded.  If you were unable to join the first discussion, there is a recording.

Join HEUG

Washington community and technical college system employees using ctcLink PeopleSoft products are welcome to join. 

Learn more about signing up for HEUG Membership.

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 Wahl, SBCTC Student Services & K12 Alignment Policy Associate, with any questions.

CS Core Learning Opportunities

You can find details about upcoming CS Training and Work Sessions on the SBCTC Calendar, CS Core Weeklyish COREspondence, and CS Core eLlist.

Please visit the QRG Campus Solutions Learning Opportunities Recordings for a list of previous recordings.

Work Sessions LINK UP for 2026

Based on survey feedback and attendance patterns, the CS Core team is pleased to announce a new delivery approach to align and “link up” the training and work sessions:

• Training sessions: first Wednesday of each month, 8:30-9:30 am.
• Work sessions: third Wednesday of each month, 8:30-9:30 a.m.

Linking the Why (Theory) to the How (Practice)

Content provided by the training team will be coordinated with support offered by the functional team.  Tanjagay will begin the month with a foundational review, covering the “how-to” of that month’s Training topic.

Later in the month, the support team will host a Work Session that will focus on that same topic, providing a forum to apply knowledge and manage the real-world situations users encounter. 

In this way, CS Core aspires to address both “theory” and “practice.” 

Added bonus?  With the intentional focus on those "what do I do when" cases, the support “Work Sessions” will better live up to their moniker! 

This new approach creates options and opportunities that better reflect the spectrum of user experience levels and needs.

CS Core ctcLinkUps are planned with intention, and each session is designed to stand alone. While the content is related, sessions are independent. You may choose to attend either session alone or both as a set.

Newer users might choose to attend just the training, while seasoned users might opt to attend just the Work Session. Some users, perhaps those to whom the content most directly applies, may find value in attending both!

CS Core Training: Rooted in Good Configuration: Healthy Courses Grow Healthy Classes

• Training Session: Wednesday, March 4, 202, 8:30-9:30 a.m., Learn more and join the session
• Work Session: Wednesday, March 18, 2026, 8:30-9:30 a.m., Learn more and join the session

As March approaches, the garden calls. It’s also time to tend to our courses (and classes).

In the Training Session, we'll address how to add amendments to your course catalog and ensure that your classes have the best possible start.

During the Work Session, we'll get hands-on with best practices, important considerations, and practical strategies for managing any unwanted weeds. Bring your questions and, if time allows, we'll answer what we can.

Please note: We will not cover and cannot address areas outside our scope, including Faculty Workload (HCM) and Course/Class Fees (SF).

FIN Updates

ctcLink Production

Environment – ctcLink Server Maintenance

Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, 6 to 8 a.m.

SBCTC will install important Oracle patches during this maintenance window.

The entire ctcLink production environment (all pillars) will remain offline during this initial maintenance period.

• The HighPoint Campus Experience (HCX) mobile site and app will be unavailable.
• The Online Admissions Application Portal (OAAP) will be unavailable.
• The integration between CampusCE and ctcLink will be unavailable. Following completion of the maintenance activities, colleges will need to resubmit any unprocessed orders received during the downtime. 
• Users logging into ctcLink will be directed to an offline notice with links to college Canvas sites.
• Canvas will not be impacted.

Travel & Expense Process Alignment: Tools and Training Ready for Use

The systemwide Process Alignment Workgroup (PAW) has concluded its inaugural travel and expense process alignment task force and passed the baton to the ctcLink Support and Training teams.

Recommendations and best practices for alignment are regularly updated and incorporated into ctcLink reference and training materials.

Colleges and SBCTC staff are encouraged to dive in to explore and take advantage of Travel and Expenses Training Resources, including:

• Self-Paced Travel & Expense Training Courses
• Travel & Expense Learning Opportunities - Instructor-led sessions designed for staff who have successfully completed the self-paced Travel & Expense Canvas course trainings. Sessions are delivered on a cyclical basis — monthly, quarterly, or yearly — with the goal of strengthening participant skillsets.
  • Travel and Expenses Q&A & Mini Trainings - Every last Monday of the month, 11 a.m.  See schedule below. The PAW Organizational Change Management (OCM) subgroup will attend these standing meetings. Collaboration and future topic schedules will be discussed, so travel subject matter experts and ctcLink College Leaders are encouraged to attend.  
• Recurring FIN Work Session: Travel and Expenses Mini Training & Workshop
• Fluid vs Classic:   The Travel & Expense Task Force has recommended using the Fluid interface going forward, as Oracle is no longer providing updates to “Classic” pages. Training materials are being updated to reflect Fluid pages, while maintaining the instructions for “Classic” to allow colleges time to make the transition. Also, Fluid better meets accessibility requirements and is responsive to device size.
• Reference Center Resources: detailed user guides and step-by-step instructions for creating, submitting, approval, and managing travel authorizations, cash advances, and expense reports, as well as delegation workflows, troubleshooting errors, budget exceptions, and administrative maintenance tasks.

Feel free to reach out to Gretchen Fulmer, Associate Director of Training, if you have any questions.

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

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.

Mark your calendar for the upcoming Travel and Expenses Q&A & Mini Trainings and OCM T&E sessions! The PAW OCM subgroup will attend the FIN standing meetings (as well as the extra OCM sessions) to help guide the colleges. Travel subject matter experts and ctcLink College Leaders are encouraged to attend.   

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.

Michele Rockwell, MSML, ctcLink Finance Functional Analyst, facilitates.

• 11 – 11:30 a.m., Training: First half of the meeting will typically be a short training focused on a particular topic/process in Grants and Projects. This portion of the meeting is usually recorded. The recording will be posted to the ctcLink Learning Opportunities Information Canvas Course.
• 11:30 a.m. – 12 p.m., Q&A: Second half of the meeting will not be recorded. You are invited to drop in with any questions related to grants and projects at the open Q&A sessions. This open time is for college end-users to collaborate with functional support and other Grants and Projects staff/supervisors to troubleshoot issues, discuss workflow or process questions, and/or even 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

Related QRG: FIN - Grants/Contracts section of the ctcLink Reference Center

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

Finance College Users Production Support Meetings

Meetings are held every other 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.

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 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

Financial Aid Business Process Review Update

SBCTC partnered with College Aid Services (CAS), at the request of the presidents, to develop a systemwide Financial Aid Policy & Procedure (P&P) Manual in response to staff turnover and resulting knowledge gaps, and to ensure that financial aid processes and ctcLink operate as efficiently and consistently as possible.

This work was grounded in community feedback and the need for clear, “global” standards across ctcLink.

What does “global” mean in this context?  A collectively agreed-upon standard that establishes a baseline informed by federal regulations (ED), state policies, and SBCTC policies that incorporates ctcLink configuration, while still allowing for institution-level variation where appropriate. 

Focus groups are ongoing for each section of the manual, with participation from the financial aid community and representation from 24 of the 30 colleges/districts.

These groups are expected to conclude at the end of February, at which point revisions will be incorporated to the Policy & Procedure manual.

Once the P&P Manual is finalized, a technical review will begin to identify opportunities to implement the policies and procedures more efficiently within the Financial Aid module of ctcLink.

Future system configuration changes, informed by the manual, will follow the governance and prioritization process within the financial aid community (FAST to FAC to SBCTC, WSSSC, etc.)

FA Support Updates

ctcLink Production Environment – ctcLink Server Maintenance

Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, 6 to 8 a.m.

SBCTC will install important Oracle patches during this maintenance window.

The entire ctcLink production environment (all pillars) will remain offline during this initial maintenance period.

• The HighPoint Campus Experience (HCX) mobile site and app will be unavailable.
• The Online Admissions Application Portal (OAAP) will be unavailable.
• The integration between CampusCE and ctcLink will be unavailable. Following completion of the maintenance activities, colleges will need to resubmit any unprocessed orders received during the downtime. 
• Users logging into ctcLink will be directed to an offline notice with links to college Canvas sites.
• Canvas will not be impacted.

Work Study Program Business Process & Resource Guide

The Work Study Program Business Process & Resource Guide is now available at the ctcLink Reference Center.

Two new guides added to FA Packaging Hub

• FA Exx990 Process Guide | 9.2 FA - Packaging and Awards
• FA File Review Queries Guide | 9.2 FA - Packaging and Awards

For all the Packaging and Awards guides, visit the Financial Aid Packaging Hub at the ctcLink Reference Center.

FA Weeklyish Bulletin

Trying to recall that important thing you read in the ctcLink Financial Aid eList, 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

FA Training: FA Term Fundamentals

Tuesday, March 24, 9 to 10:30 a.m., Learn more and join the session

Understand the steps on how to manually build FA Term and review the features and functions on the FA Term page:

• Activate an Aid Year
• FA Term Tab
• Acad Level Tab
• Statistics Tab
• Financial Aid Tab
• Records/Term Info Tab
• Withdrawal Info Tab

Primary Audience: Staff responsible for FA File Review and Awarding

Prerequisite Course(s): FA101 Managing 3Cs & FA Application Processing

Presenter/Facilitator: Kelly Forsberg, ctcLink Functional Trainer (Financial Aid)

2026 FA Drop-in Support Sessions

Need help troubleshooting or want to learn something new? Join these casual drop-in sessions to connect with colleagues, share insights, and solve challenges together.

Questions? Contact Kelly Forsberg, ctcLink Functional Trainer (Financial Aid).

HCM Support Updates

ctcLink Production Environment – ctcLink Server Maintenance

Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, 6 to 8 a.m.

SBCTC will install important Oracle patches during this maintenance window.

The entire ctcLink production environment (all pillars) will remain offline during this initial maintenance period.

• The HighPoint Campus Experience (HCX) mobile site and app will be unavailable.
• The Online Admissions Application Portal (OAAP) will be unavailable.
• The integration between CampusCE and ctcLink will be unavailable. Following completion of the maintenance activities, colleges will need to resubmit any unprocessed orders received during the downtime. 
• Users logging into ctcLink will be directed to an offline notice with links to college Canvas sites.
• Canvas will not be impacted.

HCM Tax update 26-A Ready for Use

Human Capital Management (HCM) Tax Update 26-A upgrade was implemented in production on February 12, 2026. 

The HCM Tax Update 26A - February 2026 document outlines the changes users will experience  with the upgrade and includes the following functional changes:

Benefits

• Savings Age Catch Up Extension Process
• Benefits Savings Management Page

Payroll

• Updated Federal / State Tax Table
• Local Tax Table Changes
• Garnishment Rule Changes
• Employee State Tax Data for WA
• Minnesota UI
• Updated Message in Paylines
• 2025 W-2C Form Functionality Changes
• Employee Self Service
• Federal Form W-4 PDF
• New Mexico W-4 PDF
• Utah W-4 PDF

1042-S Reporting

• Year-End Form 1042-S Processing
• 1042-S Employee Information
• 1042-S Year End Data
• Form 1042-S Data Summary
• View Form 1042-S

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 January 2026, Issue 71 edition includes:

• Updates for the Paid Leave and WA Cares programs
• Quarterly reports due
• Help for employers and workers affected by flooding
• New law for striking workers
• WA Cares webinar for employers

Share and Subscribe

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

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

Refresh your HCMemory

HCM Work Sessions are recorded and stored in the ctcLink Learning Opportunities Information Canvas course (formerly Pillar Work Session Info) for future reference.

More about how to access the Training Recordings Archive.

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 Sessions

Recurring every Wednesday, 1 to 3 p.m., HCM Work Sessions offer deeper dives into PeopleSoft functionality, focusing on skills enhancement in specific HCM functions (e.g., payroll, benefits, manager self-service).

SF Updates

ctcLink Production Environment – ctcLink Server Maintenance

Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, 6 to 8 a.m.

SBCTC will install important Oracle patches during this maintenance window.

The entire ctcLink production environment (all pillars) will remain offline during this initial maintenance period.

• The HighPoint Campus Experience (HCX) mobile site and app will be unavailable.
• The Online Admissions Application Portal (OAAP) will be unavailable.
• The integration between CampusCE and ctcLink will be unavailable. Following completion of the maintenance activities, colleges will need to resubmit any unprocessed orders received during the downtime. 
• Users logging into ctcLink will be directed to an offline notice with links to college Canvas sites.
• Canvas will not be impacted.

SF Survey Results Are In! 

Thank you to everyone who participated in the recent SF training survey. Your feedback is incredibly valuable and directly shapes how we plan future training opportunities and work sessions. We appreciate the time you took to share your thoughts.

Requested Topics 

Popular topics you asked for include Adjustment Calendars, Collections, SFRA, Communications, Term Rollover, and many more. These will help guide our upcoming schedule.

Training & Work Sessions 

We will continue offering Monday afternoon sessions, with occasional Thursday or Friday options to provide more flexibility.  

Canvas Updates Coming Soon  

• The SF 100 course will be redesigned to serve as a true beginner-level introduction.
• All SF courses will be reviewed and updated to align with the latest system version.
• New intermediate (300/400‑level) courses are in development!

Reference Center Enhancements 

We continue to expand and improve our Reference Center guides. If you have ideas or requests, please submit them using the new SolarWinds request path:  Training > Reference Center > SF – Reference Center  

Focused Learning Modules 

We are creating short, on-demand videos covering targeted topics. These modules will be available in both Canvas and the Reference Center for quick, easy access.  

The first modules—Request Missing Student National ID (SSN) Communications and Review and Close a Cashier’s Office—are already live. 

Is it Spring Tuition Calculation time yet? 

• When ready, please submit a ticket to turn on 2263 term nightly tuition calculation jobs. This should be prior to your registration opening for the term(s). 
• Ticket request type = ctcLink Support > Student Financials > SF: Turn on Tuition Calc with the Subject: WA### Tuition Calc for 2263 Spring Term 

Student Financial Responsibility Agreement (SFRA) 

All colleges are live with this enhancement and as of this morning 221,112 have been collected. 

SBCTC process schedule job page updates  

Whenever you’re curious about when ctcLink jobs run on a daily basis, please check out the Process Schedule page to see which jobs are currently scheduled and running. You'll find the SF jobs listed in the Alphabetical list of scheduled Campus Solutions processes.  

New query available in PRD 

QCS_SF_STD_RECEIVABLE_AS_OF_DT - Pulls student transactions as of date range.   

Term range will pull all transactions made between those terms, but columns 10, 11, 12 are constrained by the prompted date range. Columns 7,8,9 show an amount charge as of now, but 10, 11, 12 consider the historic date range and display an amount as of that date.  

Let us know if you need us to make a special conversion version for you in PCD.  A QRG with additional information is coming soon.

SF eList subscriptions

Please note the ctcLink Support eList and SBCTC e-list sign up pages, especially these three:

• Main Student Financials eList: ctcLinkSME_StuFin
• 1098-T Statements eList: ctcLink-1098T
• BAR (Budget, Accounting, and Reporting Council) eList: BAR

Remember, besides receiving notes from our team, these resources are an easy way to ask questions of your college system SF colleagues.

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.

SF Work Session: Collections Deep Dive

Thursday, Feb. 26, 1 to 2:30 p.m., Learn more and join the session

Student Financials staff are invited to join presenter Charles Velasquez for a deeper look at the collections process and answer any collection related question you may have.

SF Training: Term Rollover

Monday, March 9, 2026, 1-2:30 p.m., Learn more and join the session

In this session, we will cover:

• Term Roll Checklist
• New Term Fee rates
• Setting up Tuition Review with SBCTC

Primary Audience: Student Financials Staff

Presenter/Facilitator: Pauline Smith, ctcLink SF Functional Trainer

2025 1098-T Processing Updates

Sign Up for the New ctcLink 1098-T eList

You are invited to join an eList focused on student 1098-T Tax Statements.

During a recent internal SF 1098-T meeting, we reflected on how far the colleges have come with 1098-T processing and how a dedicated community space for conversation and shared learning could further support that progress.

The new “ctcLink 1098T” eList will be used to:

• Share important 1098-T updates from the State Board SF Team
• Provide a topic-specific space for peer-to-peer questions and discussion. Topics may include ctcLink functionality as well as policy-related news, considerations, and questions

Please note this eList is not a platform for exchanging sensitive information and, like all agency eLists, is subject to public records requests.

The SBCTC SF Team will continue to use both the ctcLinkSME_StuFin and BAR eLists for outgoing State Board communications in addition to this new list.

Sign up

We encourage any college staff directly involved in annual 1098-T statement generation, communications, corrections, or policy work to sign up using the link below.
ctcLink1098T eList sign-up link

1098-T Security Lockout

Colleges may now generate 2025 1098-Ts in Production. Access to processing in PRD was restricted during the month of December as an added precaution.

This security lockout was removed on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026.

1098-T Resources

You can find training, resource links, and special considerations for this year's 1098-T processing in the 2025 1098-T Business Processing Guide QRG.

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.

DEV_ Query Spring Cleaning

The SBCTC Reporting Team will clean up DEV_ queries in PCD beginning Monday, March 16, 2026.

Any DEV_ query that has not been modified in three years or more will be deleted.  This applies to all three ctcLink pillars.

If you would like to keep your query, please save a private copy.  

Query Developer Learning Opportunities

Query Fundamentals Lab

Every Monday, 10-11 a.m., Join the Webex session

Query fundamentals labs are held weekly giving all Query Developers the chance to practice their query development skills. Different topics/skills are covered each week. Past lab exercises and recordings are available in Canvas.

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.

Accessibility Support “Office Hours” – All College Faculty Invited

Every Friday, 1 –2 p.m., Office Hours Zoom link

The Washington eLearning Council (eLC) Accessible IT Workgroup has launched a weekly drop-in "Accessibility Question" office hours for all college faculty and staff.  

Instructional Designers from across Washington will be on hand to answer questions and help faculty at all SBCTC colleges make their courses more accessible in a low-pressure environment. This project is supported by SBCTC staff.

System Projects Related to Digital Accessibility

Canvas and Ally Tool Support

• In progress: SBCTC's Request for Information (RFI) for Canvas Accessibility Checker tool. Pre-submission teleconference Jan 22. Vendor responses in progress.
• Bi-weekly Ally Support sessions for Canvas Admins through May 2026.

Systemwide Activities

• Siteimprove automated website accessibility tool: vendor has offered special pricing if 10 new SBCTC colleges sign on by March 31, 2026. Current customers are not eligible to restructure existing contracts.
• CATO is authoring an Accessible IT Procurement Best Practices resource.

Scalable PDF and Document Remediation Efforts

Pilot college debrief on DocAccess AI-driven PDF tool was held Feb. 11. Key stakeholders are eLC and ITC.

Washington Department of Enterprise Services contract has received 45 vendor bids DES Competitive Solicitation for PDS Remediation: Award date: April 14, 2026.

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.

Please join us for the next ctcLink Accessibility Open Forum on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, 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.