Getting Started

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The first thing you should do is set-up a meeting with your college coach to get started with planning. You can sign-up for a meeting with your college coach. Depending on your goals, you might also need to set-up a meeting with your school advisor. We recommend doing that soon because virtual office hours tend to be more limited. 

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Taking Classes at a 4-Year School
If you want to meet specific school or upper-division requirements, or if your college has strict rules regarding credit transfer, your best option is to take your summer courses directly at your 4-year college.

Registration: Semester system schools should already have their summer course catalogs up for students. Quarter system schools divide their summer schedules into two parts: session I and session II. Make sure you research the appropriate deadlines for each session on your school’s website.

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Financial Aid: It’s important to remember that the summer session is not part of the traditional academic school year. As such, expect your financial aid to be reduced for your summer tuition fees. If you haven’t already done so, remember to submit your FAFSA/Dream Act! Your Pell Grant and Cal Grants are maxed out, but schools still award 25-50% of grant eligibility to full-time students, meaning you actually receive 125%-150% of your yearly grant eligibility if you enroll for summer courses. The rest of tuition might need to be covered through student loans or scholarship. Make sure you discuss this with your college coach so they can help you plan out your budget. 

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Taking Classes at a Community College
If you’re wanting to meet your program’s lower-division requirements, GE’s, or taking a course for personal and/or professional development, community college is the most convenient and cost-efficient option. 

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Registration: Start by choosing the community college that makes most sense for you. You can research the full list here. Not all community colleges offer the same classes, and you might find that one college’s course catalog aligns much better with your college plans. You can browse most school’s summer catalogs on their website. 

After you choose a college, go to their website to apply as a student. This process usually takes about 15 minutes. You should receive your student information and portal login within a few days. After that, you can start exploring and registering for classes. 

Remember, most community colleges are on a semester system. Foothill and De Anza are the only local community colleges on the quarter system. No matter what your school’s calendar system is, your credits will transfer equally. Courses will range from 6 to 8 weeks, depending on the available options.

Semester college term dates: early June to August (varies)
Quarter college term dates: June 29 to September 11

You can register for community college classes up to two weeks after the start of the term, but remember that community colleges can be highly impacted so you should register as early as possible to ensure you get the courses you planned. 
 
Financial Aid: Community college tuition is highly subsidized and much more affordable. Course costs range from $31 to $46 per unit. To send your financial aid information to the community college you select, simply go back to your FAFSA/Dream Act application, click “make changes”, and add the name of the college. 

Many students will be eligible for the California Promise Grant, which covers full tuition for students at community college, with some colleges even covering the cost of textbooks. To apply, make sure you select the corresponding checkboxes on your community college application, or visit the website. Also, if you’re a San Francisco resident, you qualify for free tuition at CCSF.