Admission to the College

Admission Eligibility

Any high school graduate or individual with a GED or high school proficiency certificate may be admitted to Gavilan College.

Non-High School Graduates

A person 18 years of age or older who has not received a high school diploma may be admitted to the college to take courses for the purpose of general education or to enroll in specialized vocational programs. The student may prepare for transfer to a four-year institution without the high school diploma. All non-high school graduates should request special counseling from the Counseling Department.

High School Students’ Concurrent Enrollment Opportunities Program

Gavilan College may admit as a special part-time student any high school student who can benefit from advanced scholastic or vocational work. Authorization for such attendance is dependent upon recommendation of the student’s high school principal and a written permit to attend.

Admitted high school students must maintain their full-time high school status when concurrently enrolled at Gavilan.

The college course load shall be determined on an individual basis by the students and their assigned counselors at Gavilan College and their high school in accordance with college policy.

Students will be expected to provide their own texts, instructional supplies and pay fees. All students shall conform to the college's academic rules, regulations and codes of conduct.

Additional information regarding requirements and admission procedures is available in the class schedule.

Out-of-State Students

Out-of-state applicants may be admitted to the college on the same basis as California residents except that they will be required to pay tuition prescribed by the Governing Board to cover the costs of instruction. After a student has been present in California for one year and one day and has manifested clear intent to become a California resident, she/he may apply for reclassification as a California resident. State law requires consideration of financial independence for students seeking reclassification.

International Students

International applicants must submit the following documents to the Admissions and Records Office (by May 15th for the fall semester and by September 15th for the spring) prior to being issued the I-20 to apply for a student visa (F-1):

1. A completed application form with photograph of applicant.
2. A $100 nonrefundable, one-time filing fee.
3. Official transcripts of secondary and post-secondary school work, translated in English and evaluated by an approved agency.
4. Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a minimum score of 501 through 550 on the paper-based exam or a computer-based test score of 173-213 for placement in English 420 or 440.
5. The financial statement indicating that the student has the means to support his or her costs of attendance either from personal, family or governmental sources, plus a bank statement or other proof thereof.
6. A photocopy of the I-20 if issued by another school and F-1 visa.

Health insurance is mandatory and must be purchased from the Student Insurance International Student Plan, available through Gavilan College.

International students cannot be admitted to the certificate or degree programs in Licensed Vocational Nursing or Registered Nursing.

Admission Requirements

Students shall complete the following requirements prior to registration:

1. File an Application for Admission with the Admissions and Records Office.
2. Submit official transcripts of all previous high school and college work. The transcripts should be mailed directly to the Admissions and Records Office by the school issuing them. It is the responsibility of the student to arrange for official transcripts to be sent to the college.
3. Complete Gavilan College skill assessment and orientation. Dates are available in the Admissions and Records Office, the schedule of classes and online.
4. Meet with a counselor to discuss placement and educational goals.
5. All students who are younger than 18 and have not graduated from high school must submit appropriate contracts at the time of registration.

Transfer Credit

Official transcripts from institutions fully accredited by appropriate accrediting associations will be evaluated for transferable lower division coursework. Appropriate units and subject content will be applied to major and general education requirements to meet prerequisites or graduation requirements. Courses taken at other California Community Colleges, California State Universities or any University of California will be transferred to Gavilan with the same general education designation as that of the issuing institution. Courses with letter grades of less than “C” will not be transferred.

Students who wish to transfer coursework from foreign institutions must submit official transcripts to a college-approved foreign evaluation service for translation and evaluation.

Coursework from a foreign institution cannot be used for certification to a four-year institution. Students should contact the institution to which they wish to transfer to inquire about the acceptance of foreign coursework.

Residence Requirements

At the time of registration each student is required to furnish a statement of legal residence. Students are qualified to attend Gavilan College if they are:

1. Residents of California.
2. Out-of-state students who meet admission requirements and pay tuition and fees as set by the Gavilan College Board of Trustees.
3. International students who meet the special admission procedures and pay tuition and fees as set by the Gavilan College Board of Trustees.

Legal Residence

Students are legal residents of California if one of the following requirements is fulfilled:

1. The students are at least 19 and have been legal residents of California for more than one full year immediately preceding the first day of instruction for the term they propose to attend.
2. Unmarried students between 18 and 19 years of age shall have their residency classification determined by considering:
   1. The residency status of their parents prior to age 18, and
   2. Their own residency after they became 18. The total time (a) plus (b) must be more than one year as in number 1 above. Unmarried students who are under 18 years of age must prove they have been entirely self-supporting and present in California for more than two years.
3. Students on active military duty based in California (and not assigned for educational purposes to a state-supported institution of higher education) or are the spouse or a child of a California resident. Persons under this classification shall be tentatively classified residents for the first year they are stationed in California. After that time they must have taken steps to become California residents (i.e., have a California driver’s license, have voter registration in California, pay state income tax on earnings).
4. Students who are employed by a community college district in a full-time certificated position are classified tentatively as residents for the first year they reside in California. After that time they must have taken steps to become California residents.
5. Public California college or university employees, their spouses, or children, are classified tentatively as residents for the first year they reside in California. After that time they must have taken steps to become California residents.
6. They are apprentices.
7. They are adult aliens who have had permanent U.S. residence (as determined from the date on alien registration card) for more than one year and have been a resident of California for more than one year. Adult aliens who are between 18 and 19 years of age shall have the residency classification determined by considering:
   1. The residence status of their parents while they were under 18, and
   2. Their own residency after becoming 18. The total time (a) plus (b) must be more than one year.
8. They are minor aliens whose parent(s) have been admitted for permanent residence to the U.S. and the parent(s) have resided in California for more than one year. The parent’s immigrant visa may be required to be seen.
9. They are students who are younger than 19 years old and have been under the direct care and custody of an adult other than their parents for a period of not less than two years, provided the adult is a legal resident of California.
10. They are students or parent(s) who earn their livelihood by performing agricultural labor for hire and have performed such labor for at least two months per year in each of the preceding two years.
11. They are minor students. They may not by their own act, by the appointment of a guardian, or by release of control by the parent, change residency while either parent is living.
12. They are students who are adult aliens. They shall be entitled to resident classification if they are refugees who have been granted parolee status or indefinite voluntary departure status in accordance with all applicable laws of the United States; provided that they have lived in the state one year.

Non-Resident Classification

For purposes of the non-resident tuition fee, a community college district shall disregard the time during which a student living in the district resided outside the state, if:

1. The change of residence to a place outside the state was due to a job transfer and was made at the request of the student’s or parent’s employer in the case of a student who resided with, and was dependent on, the student’s parent, and
2. Such absence from the state was for a period of not more than four years, and
3. At the time of application for admission to a college maintained by the district, the student would qualify as a resident if the period of the student’s absence from the state was disregarded.

A non-resident tuition fee shall not be charged to a student who meets each of the conditions specified in subdivision 1 to 3, inclusive.

All other students shall be classified as non-residents and be required to pay the non-resident tuition at the time of registration. Classifications shall be based on evidence presented in residence questionnaires. Students must further certify these residency statements under oath to an employee of the college who is authorized to receive oaths by the governing Board.

Resident Enrollment Fees for Non-Immigrant Students (AB540)

On Jan. 1, 2002, Gavilan College implemented AB540 as required by California law. This bill provides an exemption from payment of non-resident tuition for nonimmigrant students who have attended high school in California for a minimum of three years and have received a high school diploma or its equivalent in California. To be eligible, a student must have attended a California high school for three full years and have graduated from a California high school or have received the equivalent of a California diploma (GED, CHESPE). The exemption does not grant residency status and the qualifying student may not be eligible for state aid programs such as BOG or EOPS or federal financial aid. The student must sign an affidavit affirming that he or she has filed or will file an application with INS to legalize his or her immigration status as soon as he or she is eligible to do so. Contact the Admissions & Records Office for more information.

Fees

Resident and non-resident enrollment fees are subject to change each year. Consult the Schedule of Classes for current information. Payment of all fees are required upon registration.

Refund Policy and Procedure

Gavilan College shall not issue refunds for courses dropped past the second week of instruction in the regular terms, not beyond the first week of instruction during the summer session and, for short term courses, not beyond 10% of the course meetings. A $10 processing fee will be assessed.

Refund Date for short-term courses: Short-term courses must be dropped before 10% of the course meeting times have passed. For one- or two-day courses, this date will occur before the start of the course.

Refunds of the Enrollment Fee, Student Center Use Fee, parking fees and/or tuition are not automatically processed when a student withdraws or when classes are cancelled. All students must apply for a refund, even in the event of cancelled classes, by completing a Petition for Refund obtainable from the Admissions and Records Office. There is a minimum of a four-week processing time for all refunds to be received by mail. Requests for refunds must be made no later than two weeks following the date that the withdrawal/cancellation becomes effective. Refund amounts will follow the stated policy, minus the $10 processing fee.

Refunds of Student Body Cards

Anyone requesting an ASB card fee refund must obtain the written approval of both the ASB advisor and the Vice President of Student Services.

Download Gavilan College Refund Form