Eligibility for Admission

The right of any person to attend any college in the Ventura County Community College District is conditioned by certain admission and residency qualifications as provided by state and federal law.

Ventura County Community College District has an Open Enrollment Policy.  You are eligible to attend if you meet any of the following requirements:

• You are 18 years of age on or before the first day of instruction of the term for which you are applying.
• You are a high school graduate.
• You have the equivalent of a high school diploma. (i.e. you have passed the General Education Development test (GED) or a state's high school proficiency examination.

Please note that other factors may determine eligibility.  Contact Admissions and Records for more details.

Open Enrollment Policy

It is the policy of Ventura County Community College District that, unless specifically exempted by statute or regulation, every course—course section or class—reported for state apportionment, wherever offered and maintained by Ventura County Community College District, shall be fully open to enrollment and participation by any person who has been admitted to Ventura County Community College District and who meets such prerequisites and/or corequisites as may be established pursuant to regulations commensurate with Section 58050 (a)(3) of Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations as related to limitations on the receipt of state apportionment.

For admission to the Ventura County Community College District colleges, student self-certification may serve as proof of high school attendance and graduation or its equivalent. Students may be required to provide verification of high school graduation; or in the case of homeschooled students, verification from an accredited high school district that the home school curriculum completed meets the criteria for exemption from California Compulsory Attendance Laws, for financial aid eligibility or other purposes.

Students  enrolled in a K-12 school may be eligible for admission under dual enrollment provisions noted under the Admission of Minors/Dual Enrollment section in this catalog.  The intent is to provide K-12 students access to take college-level courses that are not available through their primary school or other alternatives so they can benefit from advanced scholastic and vocational education the opportunity.

Students entering any of the public community colleges of California are subject to the residency requirements as determined by the state of California. Students whose legal residence is determined to be in another state (nonresidents) or in a foreign country (international students) may be admitted under conditions stipulated by the governing board upon payment of specified tuition and fees. Additional information regarding residency requirements may be found under the "Residency" section in this Catalog, on the College website or by contacting the campus Admissions and Records Office.

General Admissions Procedures

Prior to being eligible for priority registration, NEW STUDENTS to the Ventura County Community College District:

• Must complete an application for admission on the Ventura College website;
• Submit transcripts from high school and/or any colleges/universities previously attended to expedite financial aid services and registration;
• Must complete orientation;
• Must be assessed through multiple measures for placement in Math and English courses;
• Must complete an education plan with a counselor.

See “Student Equity and Achievement Program” on page 16 for more information.

The application for admission is available online at www.venturacollege.edu/apply.

Returning students who have not attended one of the VCCCD colleges in the last year:

Must reapply for admission at www.venturacollege.edu/apply.

Must reactivate the MyVCCCD Student Portal if necessary;

• May be required to complete orientation, assessment and counseling to develop or revise their educational plan;
• Returning students who have attended other colleges should make a counseling appointment to have any other college transcripts evaluated for the educational plan.
• All requirements must be completed for returning students to receive priority registration.

Applications for admission to the colleges of the Ventura County Community College District become the property of the colleges once they are submitted. Applications are submitted under penalty of perjury, whether submitted online or in written form. Falsification of information provided therein may result in disciplinary measures up to and including dismissal, termination of eligibility for programs and/or services as appropriate, and/or the retroactive assessment of nonresident tuition charges if warranted. Falsification of information that results in fraud or other crimes may result in legal penalties.

Ventura College participates in an array of federal and state financial aid programs. All students are encouraged to apply for financial aid by completing the Free Federal Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) at www.fafsa.gov.

Students who qualify under AB 540 are encouraged to complete the California Dream Act Application at https://dream.csac.ca.gov/. Apply early as some funds may be limited. For further information and deadlines, please visit the Financial Aid Office website at http://www.venturacollege.edu/finaid.

Admission of Minors/Dual Enrollment/ Special Admission

Pursuant to California Education Code, Section 76001, minors are permitted to take college courses under very specific circumstances. The intent is to provide minors who can benefit from advanced scholastic and vocational education the opportunity to take college-level courses that are not available through their primary school or other alternatives.

The term "Dual Enrollment Student" refers to concurrently enrolled K-12 students who have been recommended by their school principal or designee and have parental permission to attend a community college during any session or term. Parental permission may not be required for dual enrollment students who are 18 years or older.

Those admitted as part-time dual enrollment are limited to a maximum of 11 units per semester or term.

Enrollment fees are waived for Dual Enrollment students enrolled in 11 units or less. All other fees apply.

Part-time dual enrollment students determined to be nonresidents may be admitted and classified as nonresidents but exempt from paying additional nonresident tuition per California Ed. Code, Section 76141. Please note the following conditions:

• The exemption only applies to dual enrollment students enrolled in 11 or fewer units per semester. The exemption does not apply to full-time dual enrollment students.
• This exemption does not apply to categories of students who would not qualify for AB 540 nonresident tuition exemption; i.e., a) students who reside outside of California and enroll via Distance Education and b) students on most non-immigrant visas.
• Students with T or U visas are eligible for this exemption;
• Students receiving this exemption do not receive resident status for the purposes of tuition or financial aid. Rather, they are exempt from nonresident tuition under this law.

To qualify and register for Dual Enrollment, all students must apply for admission. After the initial application, Dual Enrollment students must present the following documents each semester they register at the college:

• Completed Recommendation for Dual Enrollment and Memorandum of Understanding forms signed by their school principal or counselor or designee and a one-time parent or guardian consent (consent obtained by parent or guardian shall apply to all community college dual enrollment courses attempted by the student until parental or guardian consent is withdrawn in writing).
• In addition, students in 8th grade or below must meet with the Vice President of Academic Affairs, or their designee to determine if the student has the abilities and sufficient preparation to benefit from instruction at a community college, and that the student's safety and that of others will not be affected. The decision of the Vice President of Academic Affairs, or their designee shall be final. Once a decision has been made, the student, their parent or guardian and the school principal shall be informed of the decision.
• Home-schooled students must present the completed Private School Affidavit. For more information, visit www.cde.ca.gov/sp/ps.

All Dual Enrollment forms are available online at www.venturacollege.edu/DualEnrollment. Detailed information on clearing prerequisites is available online and in this catalog.

Students applying for Full-Time Special Admission status must contact the Admissions and Records Office. Petitions for Full-Time Special Admission will be considered only after the parent and student have exhausted all alternatives available through the secondary school district the student would be attending. The decision to admit a minor as a full-time special admission student may be subject to the availability of classes and approval from the Vice President of Academic Affairs. Full-time special admission students are required to complete at least 12 units in each primary term, and to maintain continuous enrollment until reaching the age of 18.

Important Note: Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, once a student is attending an institution of postsecondary education, all rights pertaining to the inspection, review and release of his/her educational records belong to the student without regard to the student’s age. Therefore, all students, regardless of age, must provide written consent for release of their college transcripts and/or college records. For more information, please refer to “Privacy Rights Regarding Student Records” in this catalog.