CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES AND

ALTERNATE PROGRAMS

Who should consider a California Community College?

Students choose to attend a Community College for many reasons:• Undecided on academic or career goals• Have not met requirements for admission to a 4-year

directly out of high school• Second chance at first choice four-year institution • Are not ready or able to leave home• Want the affordability of community colleges• Want additional academic preparation or exploration in

specific academic areas

Types of Programs at CC’s

• Certificate Programs (Automotive, Welding, Pharmacy Technician, etc.)--- gain job skills

• AA or AS (“traditional” 2-year degree)• AA-T or AS-T (offered in a limited but growing

number of majors)

AA-T and AS-T

• New joint transfer program that makes it easier to transfer from the CCC to a CSU

• 24 different majors offered now, will expand• Guaranteed admission to CSU • GPA advantage when applying to CSU impacted majors

or campuses• When admitted to CSU, will need only 60 more semester

units to complete bachelor’s degree• See www.adegreewithaguarantee.com for more

information

Where Should I Go?

• 112 Community Colleges in California• Most DHS grads attend Las Positas or

DVC• Some CCCs have specialized programs

(e.g., Fire Service Technology at LPC; Culinary at DVC)

How Much Does it Cost and How do I Apply?

• Fees at CCCs are currently $46/unit. • With average of 30 units per year, fees are

about $1400/year. • Apply online (free), generally in February • Apply and complete enrollment steps as early as

possible. LPC has Early Admission period, which typically ends in late February

• Counselors from LPC and DVC will come to DHS to talk to seniors about their application and assessment procedures

What about Testing?

• No SAT or ACT testing required • Must take English and Math assessments

after apply to a CCC to determine whether placement into college-level English and math courses. No cost for those assessments.

• Some exemptions to assessment requirement—varies by CCC

CCC Transfer Agreements

• CCCs have Transfer Admission Guarantees (TAG) with many 4-year schools.

• All CCCs have TAGs with six UCs• Some CCCs have TAGs with certain CSUs,

private schools, and out-of-state schools (see examples on next 2 slides: Las Positas and SBCC)

• Las Positas has Concurrent Enrollment programs with UC Berkeley and CSUEB

http://www.sbcc.edu/transferacademy/TA%20Tag%20Poster%20-%20Spring%202014.jpg

CCC Enrollment Process

• Varies from college to college, so be sure to check the websites of colleges you intend to apply to

• The following slides are examples of enrollment process at Las Positas and DVC

Las Positas Early Admission Process

• Step 1: Submit an Early Admission Application online • Step 2: Receive a Confirmation Email with your Student

ID number • Step 3: Complete New Student Online Orientation• Step 4: Complete English/Math Assessments• Step 5: Complete assignments prior to Group Program

Planning Session• Step 6: Attend an Early Admission Group Program

Planning Session • Step 7: Register for Classes • Step 8: Pay Fees  

DVC Steps in Enrollment

• First time college students, including graduating seniors

In order to get priority registration and get in the classes you need to do the following:

• 1) Submit an application online using OpenCCC, • 2) Take the online orientation, • 3) take the college assessments for English and Math, and• 4) register for COUNS 095 to receive academic advising/educational planning

before you enroll in classes. • Once you complete these steps you will be able to register for classes before

students who have not completed these steps. Online orientation and assessment are completed late in the term prior to when you intend to start taking college classes, so it is important to submit your application for the correct term.

(continued…….)

DVC Enrollment, continued

• Register for classes through InSite/WebAdvisor on or after your assigned registration date.

• Pay fees. • Obtain a DVC Connect Card, your student ID. • There are other steps and services that may serve you and should be

explored: *Apply for Financial Aid and the Board of Governors Fee Waiver (BOG) *Apply for Extended Opportunity Program and Services (EOPS)

Trade/Technical Schools

• Consider speciality schools such as Heald, Wyotech, California Culinary Academy, Dublin Beauty College

• All have different entrance requirements---check with admissions

• All have financial aid available as well

Useful Websites about CCC and Transfer Options

• www.adegreewithaguarantee.com• www.californiacolleges.edu• www.assist.org• CSU Local Admission and Service Areas:

http://www.calstate.edu/sas/onestopkiosk/documents/CSULocalAdmission-ServiceAreas.pdf

• UC TAG Matrix: http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/counselors/files/tag-matrix.pdf

• Go the website of any CCC and search for “Transfer Programs”

Questions?