The California Community College system is composed of 109 two-year public institutions statewide organized into 72 districts. It serves more than 2.5 million students and represents the largest system of higher education in the world.
What is a community college?
A: Community colleges are publicly supported and locally oriented colleges that offer programs for transfer to a four-year college, career education programs, remedial or "catch-up" programs for students who lack a strong educational background, and continuing education for cultural growth, life enrichment, and skills improvement.
Q: Who can attend a community college?
A: Any high school graduate is eligible for admission to a community college. However, you do not have to have a high school diploma as long as you are over eighteen years of age and can benefit from instruction. High school students may be permitted to enroll for "advanced placement" courses provided they have the consent of their school principal and their college president and meet grade-point requirements
Q: How much does it cost to attend?
A: An enrollment fee is charged to every student who takes courses for credit. The current resident fee is $26 per unit. There are also additional expenses--for books, parking, health services, transcripts, and child care if it applies.
Current estimated annual expenses for a student taking 15 units per semester, with no waiver of fees and living off-campus are: fees ($330); books and supplies ($1,224); transportation ($738); food and housing ($7,448); and miscellaneous personal expenses ($1,913). Approximately 30 percent of community college students partially offset these expenditures with fee waivers.
Q: May I complete my first two years of undergraduate study at a community college?
A: Yes. All California Community Colleges offer courses that meet lower-division (first two years) requirements of a four-year college or university. Trained counselors and advisors can help you plan your community college program to make sure that the courses you select are transferable. You should also refer to the catalog of the college or university to which you plan to transfer and check its requirements, especially in your major subject. Many community colleges now offer written transfer guarantee programs to specific universities. The transfer center or counseling office will be able to advise you.
Information taken from www.cccco.edu
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