California Community Colleges

The California Community College system has 116 campuses throughout California. The colleges are spread throughout a wide range of geography, from mountains to coasts, and rural regions to big cities. All campuses offer courses that prepare students to transfer to a four-year college or career training program. See link here. For various reasons, many students choose to begin at community college and then transfer to a four-year college to complete their degree. Current high school students may also choose to take community college courses for academic advancement or in a subject area not offered at Acalanes. Either way, Diablo Valley College (DVC) in Pleasant Hill is the most commonly attended community college among Acalanes students.

Admision

Financial Costs

The cost of attending Community College involves fees, books, and transportation. If you move away from home and live in a college residence hall or private housing, then you must also consider the cost of housing and food. Costs are available on each school’s website.

DVC offers a First Time + Full Time = Free Tuition (FT3) program. In short, first-time college students completing at least 12 units and maintaining a minimum 2.0 GPA can receive free tuition. For more information, see here.

Housing

While most community college students live at home and commute to school; some campuses have college residence halls available to students. See the list here.

Most community colleges do not have dorms; however, some do and here are the ones:

West Hills College Coalinga in Coalinga, https://www.westhillscollege.com/coalinga/

College of the Redwoods in Eureka, https://www.redwoods.edu/

Lake Tahoe Community College in Lake Tahoe, https://ltcc.edu/

Cerro Coso College - Mammoth campus in Mammoth Lakes, https://www.cerrocoso.edu/escc/mammoth

Feather River College in Quincy, https://www.frc.edu/

Shasta College in Redding, https://www.shastacollege.edu/

Reedley College in Reedley, https://www.reedleycollege.edu/

Sierra College in Rocklin, https://www.sierracollege.edu/

Columbia College in Sonora, https://www.gocolumbia.edu/

Lassen College in Susanville, https://www.lassencollege.edu/pages/home.aspx

Taft College in Taft, https://www.taftcollege.edu/

College of the Siskyous in Weed, https://www.siskiyous.edu/

Career Programs

All community colleges have career development programs. These programs offer both pre-professional courses for transfer to a four-year college and two-year programs preparing students for direct work after completing community college courses.

DVC’s Certificate Programs and Associate Degrees prepare students with vocational skills for specific occupations. The faculty regularly reviews the programs with an advisory board of employers to ensure courses prepare students for employment. DVC also has many Associate programs for transfer to four-year colleges.

Transferring to a 4 Year School

Enrolling

Steps to Enroll at DVC:

Graduating High School Seniors: The process to register begins in February. Applying to DVC is a five-step process. Students must complete each step to register for courses successfully. Carefully follow the steps to apply here. This video walks you through the process step-by-step. The C&CC will also host DVC enrollment Academy sessions in the spring.

Current High School Students: If you would like to take a DVC course, follow the steps here. Students must also complete a concurrent enrollment Special Admissions Recommendation Form before registering for classes.

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