Consumer Information

Pacific Northwest College of Art is required by the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, to disclose certain information to enrolled students, prospective students, parents, employees, and others on an annual basis.

PNCA does not discriminate on the basis 
of race, color, age, religion, sex, gender identity, physical disability, sexual orientation,
 or national or ethnic origin in the
 administration of its educational policies, 
admission policies, scholarship and loan 
programs, and other school-administered 
programs.

The College admits qualified
 individuals without regard to race, color, 
age, religion, sex, gender identity, physical disability, sexual
 orientation, or national or ethnic origin, to
 all the rights, privileges, programs, and 
activities generally accorded or made 
available to students at the school.

View our full policy

The Family Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) afford eligible students certain rights with respect to their educational records. Each year, the Pacific Northwest College of Art provides a notice to all enrolled students about: the right to review their educational records, to request amendment of records, to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information, and to file complaints with the U.S. Department of Education; procedures for reviewing educational records and requesting amendment of records; and information about PNCA policy regarding disclosures to school officials with a legitimate educational interest in the educational records.

For further information please contact the Office of the Registrar at 503-821-8903 or registrar@willamette.edu.

The Office of Student Life facilitates and supports access and inclusion for students with disabilities. They offer a range of academic accommodations, including exam adjustments, sign language interpretation, classroom relocation, and adaptive technology services.

Students can also get help with academic planning, problem solving, time management, and organizational strategies. In addition to working individually with students, Student Life offers several educational and support groups that may be valuable to students, especially as they are transitioning to the college.

For information about the facilities and services available to students with disabilities, please contact the Office of Student Life at pnca-student-life@willamette.edu or 503-821-8925.

Information about student body diversity can be found on the College Navigator website. For more information contact the Registrar’s office.

The cost of attendance reflects the amount of money a typical student is projected to need for school-related expenses during the academic year based on residency, housing arrangements, and degree program. The Financial Aid Office publishes estimated costs of tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, transportation, and personal expenses.

Actual expenses can vary depending on a number of factors, including but not limited to: number of credits being taken, degree program, housing arrangements, and lifestyle choices. For actual tuition and fee charges please visit the Tuition and Financial Aid section of the website.

If you have further questions concerning cost of attendance please contact the Financial Aid Office at 503-821-8971 or finaid@willamette.edu.

Net Price is the amount that a student pays to attend an institution in a single academic year AFTER subtracting scholarships and grants the student receives. A Net Price Calculator is available on our website and it allows prospective students to enter information about themselves to find out what students like them paid to attend the institution, after taking grants and scholarships into account.

Net price results from the calculator are estimates and are not final or binding and may change. Please note a student must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to be eligible for federal student aid funds.

For questions please contact the Financial Aid Office at 503-821-8971 or finaid@willamette.edu.

Refunds are based on assessed tuition and class fees, and calculated from the date you officially drop a class or reduce credits, not the date of your last class attendance. More information about PNCA’s refund policy, including the refund schedule, can be found on this website.

For further questions please contact the Office of the Registrar at 503-821-8903 or registrar@willamette.edu.

To officially withdraw from PNCA, you must complete and submit the Withdraw from College Form in the Registration Office or contact the Registration office registrar@willamette.edu 503-821-8903.

For questions about the process please contact the Registrar’s Office. Note: this may have an impact on your financial aid (see next section).

If you withdraw from the college and have received financial aid, funds may need to be returned to the appropriate financial aid programs, possibly creating a bill on your student billing account.

Financial aid is "earned" for each day that a student participates in class. You may be expected to repay the "unearned" portion of your financial aid if you withdraw from school or receive non-passing grades in your classes.

For questions please contact the Financial Aid Office at 503-821-8971 or finaid@willamette.edu.

Students can find various information concerning required textbooks for their courses, including retail price and ISBN, listed on the respective syllabi for each of their classes.

Information related to current undergraduate degree programs can be found at Undergraduate Studies. Information related to current graduate degree programs can be found at Hallie Ford School of Graduate Studies.

Information related to facilities in regards to academic programs can be found at Campus and Facilities.

Information related to faculty and other instructional personnel can be found on the Faculty website or by contacting the Office of Academic Affairs at 503-821-8891 or academicaffairs@pnca.edu.

Students with previous college credits are welcome and valued members of the educational community at PNCA. Transfer students bring to the College a diversity of ideas, experience and expertise that stimulate both the creativity and growth in the classroom.

PNCA offers a comprehensive and demanding program of sequential classes that lead to a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in the following majors: Graphic Design, Illustration, Animated Arts, Intermedia, Photography, Video and Sound, Painting, Printmaking, Sculpture, and Creative Writing. Much of a student’s success in this program is based on the completion of PNCA’s Foundation Year prior to study within a specified major.

If you are a transfer student accepted for admission to the College at an advanced level (beyond Foundation Year), you must have taken courses and earned credit that reflects a foundation level experience similar to our program as outlined in our catalog. We generally accept transfer credit from colleges that are regionally accredited.

Transfer Credit Policy is located on the PNCA Website.

Pacific Northwest College of Art is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). Accreditation of an institution of higher education by the NWCCU indicates that it meets or exceeds criteria for the assessment of institutional quality evaluated through a peer review process.

An accredited college or university is one which has available the necessary resources to achieve its stated purposes through appropriate educational programs, is substantially doing so, and gives reasonable evidence that it will continue to do so in the foreseeable future. Institutional integrity is also addressed through accreditation. For obtaining or reviewing documents describing institutional accreditation call 503-821-8930 or email cdaniels@pnca.edu.

Inquiries regarding an institution’s accredited status by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities should be directed to the administrative staff of the institution. Individuals may also contact: Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, 8060 165th Avenue N.E., Suite 10, Redmond, WA 98052, 425-558-4224.

Sharing files without the permission of the copyright owner puts you at risk of a criminal and/or civil lawsuit. If you are found to have violated Federal copyright law, you may be liable for damages up to $30,000 for each work infringed and, if willful infringement can be proven, then damages can go as high as $150,000 for each work infringed.

For more information see the "Copyright Infringement and Remedies" documents maintained by the U.S. Copyright Office. Unauthorized distribution of copyrighted material also violates the College's Computer Use Policy.

Those who violate this policy are subject to disciplinary action. Sanctions can include loss of network access privileges and disciplinary probation.

Questions regarding unauthorized distribution of copyrighted material, including unauthorized peer-to-peer file sharing, may be answered by the Information Technology Help Desk at 503-821-8916, by submitting a help ticket through Homeroom or by emailing pnca-help@willamette.edu.

PNCA is committed to maintaining a community of work and study for faculty, administrators, staff, and students that is free of sexual and other unlawful harassment, intimidation, and exploitation. The College does not tolerate behavior that constitutes sexual or other unlawful harassment of any member of the College community.

The College remains committed to providing an environment free from sexual harassment or harassment because of race, color, religion, religious creed, ancestry, national origin, age, sex, marital status, citizenship status, military service status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, and any other status protected by law.

Prohibited harassment in any form, including verbal and/or physical conduct, visual displays, threats, demands, and retaliation is unlawful and will not be tolerated.

The Policy on Sexual Harassment and Misconduct explicitly applies to PNCA students, faculty, staff, and all other individuals engaged with College activities. Students who know of harassment in violation of the Policy on Sexual Harassment and Misconduct should contact the Title IX Coordinator at titleix@pnca.edu.

The College will take prompt and effective corrective action in response to occurrences of harassment, including, where appropriate, disciplinary action up to and including termination or expulsion.

PNCA is committed to addressing student complaints timely and effectively, in accordance with applicable College grievance procedures While the College encourages students to work through internal university processes for resolution of their concerns, students may also file external complaints with certain agencies. For more detailed information on filing an external complaint against PNCA, please see below.

Questions about this policy can be addressed by the Student Life Office at 503-821-8925 or pnca-student-life@willamette.edu.

• For complaints alleging consumer protection violations, including, but not limited to fraud and false advertising:
  • Oregon Department of Justice, Consumer Protection Division Consumer Hotline: 1-877-877-9392
  • Oregon Department of Justice, Consumer Protection Division Website
  • Consumer Complaint Form
• For complaints regarding discrimination/harassment or distance education:
  • The Higher Education Coordinating Commission
  • Phone: 503-378-5690
  • The Higher Education Coordinating Commission Website
  • Contact the Higher Education Coordinating Commission
• For complaints regarding accreditation and other quality of education concerns:
  • The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
  • Phone: 425-558-4224
  • Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities Website

The Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program forgives the remaining balance on your Direct Loans after you have made 120 qualifying payments under a qualifying repayment plan while working full-time for a qualifying employer.

This program is administered by Federal Student Aid and additional information can be found on this website. Pacific Northwest College of Art is a qualifying employer for the program.

For more information call Federal Student Aid at 800-433-3243 or your federal loan servicer.

A number of disclosures are required pertaining to student financial aid information. Many of these disclosures are available on the Financial Aid Financial Aid website.

These include: information about the need-based and non-need-based federal, state, local, private, and institutional student financial assistance programs; criteria for awarding aid; eligibility requirements; method and frequency of disbursements; rights and responsibilities of students receiving federal aid including continued student eligibility and standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress; procedures for applying; general conditions and terms for federal work-study; and exit counseling information. Additionally, certain disclosures for loans are made when a student completes their Master Promissory Note for Direct Loans.

Sample Master Promissory Notes are available to review on those websites without having to create an account first. These loan disclosures include, among other things: terms and conditions of the loans; sample repayment schedule; and the necessity for repaying the loans.

Additional information regarding loans will be disclosed during Entrance and Exit Counseling as well. Information such as anticipated loan amount and disbursement date will be provided to students as part of a disclosure statement.

For additional information about these disclosures please contact the Financial Aid Office at 503-821-8971 or finaid@willamette.edu.

A federal or state drug conviction (but not a local or municipal conviction) can disqualify a student for FSA funds. Convictions only count against a student for aid eligibility purposes (FAFSA question 23c) if they were for an offense that occurred during a period of enrollment for which the student was receiving federal student aid—they do not count if the offense was not during such a period, unless the student was denied federal benefits for drug trafficking by a federal or state judge.

Also, a conviction that was reversed, set aside, or removed from the student’s record does not count, nor does one received when they were a juvenile, unless they were tried as an adult. The College will notify each student who becomes ineligible for federal aid due to a drug conviction.

For more information please visit the Federal Student Aid website and if you are unsure whether you should be ineligible for financial aid based on drug conviction please refer to the Drug Eligibility Worksheet.

Additional questions can be answered by the Financial Aid Office at 503-821-8971 or finaid@willamette.edu.

The College must provide a way for a student who is eligible for federal aid to obtain or purchase books and supplies by the 7th day of the term. PNCA’s Student Accounts Office offers an emergency loan program for students who are due a refund in financial aid funds to receive up to $500 of their financial aid refund in advance for purchasing books and supplies.

For questions please contact the Student Accounts Office at 503-821-8974 or student-accounts@willamette.edu.

State Grant Assistance

The state of Oregon offers grant assistance to students of Oregon.

For more information about availability of and eligibility for grant assistance please visit the website of the Office of Student Access and Completion or by contacting the Office of Financial Aid at 503-821-8971 or finaid@willamette.edu.

For students from states other than Oregon, please contact your home state's appropriate office to determine if they award state grants for students attending college outside of their home state.

National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS)

PNCA will submit student and parent federal loan information to the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS).

This information will be accessible by guaranty agencies, lenders, and schools determined to be authorized users of the data system. You can find a detailed history of your federal loans on this site.

For questions please contact the Office of Financial Aid at 503-821-8971 or finaid@willamette.edu.

Entrance Loan Counseling for Student Borrowers

Direct Loan Entrance Counseling is completed online.

While this must be completed prior to PNCA disbursing applicable loan funds to a first-time borrower, we have included a link to a guide about Direct Loan entrance counseling which includes comprehensive information on the terms and conditions of the loan and the borrower's responsibilities.

For questions please contact the Office of Financial Aid at 503-821-8971 or finaid@willamette.edu.

Exit Counseling for Student Borrowers

Direct Loan Exit Counseling is completed online.

Loan borrowers will be notified to complete exit counseling when a student nears graduation or if they drop below half-time enrollment. We have included a link to a guide about Direct Loan exit counseling which includes comprehensive information required to be disclosed through exit counseling.

For questions please contact the Office of Financial Aid at 503-821-8971 or finaid@willamette.edu.

Private Education Loan Disclosures

Information concerning Private Education Loans (i.e. Alternative Loans) and the process for applying for one may be found on our website.

Please keep in mind the terms and conditions of federal loans may be more favorable than the provisions of the private education loans and our office would recommend considering utilizing full federal loan eligibility prior to considering the use of a private education loan to finance their education.

For questions please contact the Office of Financial Aid at 503-821-8971 or finaid@willamette.edu.

Disputing a Federal Student Loan/Contacting the FSA Ombudsman

The Ombudsman’s office is a resource for borrowers to use when other approaches to resolving student loan problems have failed.

Borrowers should first attempt to resolve complaints by contacting the school, company, agency, or office directly involved. If the borrower has made a reasonable effort to resolve the problem through normal processes and has not been successful, he or she should contact the FSA Ombudsman.

Office of the Ombudsman U.S. Dept. of Education 830 First St. NE Mailstop #5144 Washington, DC 20202-5144
Phone: 202-377-3800
Toll-free: 1-877-557-2575
Fax: 202-275-0549
fsahelp.ed.gov

*Note: PNCA does not participate in a Preferred Lender Arrangement.

Pacific Northwest College of Art requires all incoming students to show evidence of immunity to measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR). All entering students born after 1956 must fill out the required form: Measles and Mumps Vaccine Requirement.

1. Provide the dates of the two vaccinations of MMR on or after their first birthday, with a minimum of 24 days between the first and second vaccinations.
   or
2. Claiming an Age Exemption if you were born before 1957
   or
3. Claiming a Medical Exemption requiring a Physician's signature certifying prior measles, mumps, and rubella vaccination
   or
4. Follow instructions for claiming a Non-Medical Exemption.

As part of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, Congress directed schools to make a good faith effort to distribute voter registration forms to its students. Voter registration forms are available in the Student Life Office. The Student Life Office can be contacted at 503-821-8925 or pnca-student-life@willamette.edu.

To register to vote, as an Oregon resident, you may obtain a voter registration form or register online at the Secretary of State’s website. For you to be eligible to vote in an election, your voter registration must be complete at least 21 days before the election.

If your home state is other than Oregon, you may use the national form available from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission or visit your home state's Secretary of State website.

The U.S. Department of Education also discloses a number of consumer information-related items about Pacific Northwest College of Art on the College Navigator website.