International Student Office
Student Services Center, Room – 110
larentz@contracosta.edu
Hours
Monday – Thursday
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Friday
9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
International Students
Greetings from California’s San Francisco Bay Area!
We’re happy to see that you are interested in what Contra Costa College has to offer. CCC is a fully accredited junior college that offers 120 different degree and certificate programs, as well as transfer pathways to four-year universities.
Application Deadlines
| Semester | When to Submit |
| Fall (August – December) | March 1 – July 1 |
| Spring (January – May) | August 1 – December 1 |
Apply
What Documents Do I Need to Apply?
New Students
- Copy of Passport.
- Proof of English proficiency and transcripts (if applicable).
- Proof of Financial support showing a minimum of $23,000 (bank Statements/Certificate of Deposits from within 6 months of the start of the semester)
- $50.00 nonrefundable application payment (credit card information required)
Transfer Students
- Copy of Passport, F-1 Visa
- Copy of I-20 & I-94
- Proof of English proficiency and college transcripts
- Proof of Financial support showing a minimum of $23,000 (bank Statements/Certificate of Deposits from within 6 months of the start of the semester
- $50.00 nonrefundable application payment (credit card information required)
Under 18 years of age?
Please keep in mind you must have graduated from a high school (secondary school), or be 18 years of age or older by the start of the semester. If you are under 18 by the start of the semester, you must have graduated and also complete the Minor Student Admissions Authorization form.
If you can’t apply online, just download and submit a paper application.
What happens next?
- You will be notified by email of your acceptance.
- You will receive an admissions packet which includes the acceptance letter along with the Form I-20 by mail – you need these documents for your F1 visa interview with the US Embassy/Consulate in your home country.
- You will receive your admissions packet by either USPS standard mail, or eShipGlobal express mailing service (recommended)
- Complete the CCC Online Orientation
- Participate in the mandatory International Students Orientation. Check your emails for updates!
- Register for classes. We will also do this in COUNS-108 course
- Pay enrollment fees (health insurance fees are included in the tuition costs. The fees for the medical insurance must be paid by the end of the 2nd week of the semester.
English Proficiency Requirement
Students whose first language is not English must demonstrate English language proficiency by one of the following for admission to Contra Costa College.
English Proficiency Tests
| Test | Requirement |
| TOEFL iBT Test of English as a Foreign Language (Internet-based) · CCC Institutional Code: 4943 · DVC Institutional Code: 4295 · LMC Institutional Code: 4396 | 61 |
| IELTS Academic International English Language Testing System | 5.5 Minimum band scores of 4.5 |
| CAE Cambridge English: Advanced | 160 |
| iTEP Academic International Test of English Proficiency | 3.5 |
| PTE Academic Pearson Test of English Academic | 45 |
| GTEC CBT Global Test of English Communication | 1100 |
| Step Eiken | 2A |
| TOEFL iTP Institutional TOEFL Only accepted for study abroad students from partner institutions | 500 |
*Only results within the past two years are accepted
**Scanned copies of official score reports are accepted; Online results verification (TOEFL, IELTS, CAE)
Partner Intensive English Programs
Conditional letters of admission will be issued for applicants in the following programs:
| International Education Center (IEC @ DVC) | Completion of Advanced B Level Certificate |
| ELS Language Centers | Completion of Level 109 (EAP) |
| UC Davis Intensive English Program Continuing and Professional Education | Completion of level 600 minimum 3.0 GPA; grade of B or higher in writing |
Secondary (High School) Academic Record
- Graduation from a U.S. high school with grades of C or higher in academic English (not ESL)
- Final IGCSE or O level results with a grade of C or higher in one of the following: English Language, English – First Language, English as a Second Language
- Graduation from an English medium International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme
- Graduation from a school where English is the primary language of instruction along with a letter from the School on institution letterhead stating that English is the medium of instruction
Post-Secondary (College / University) Academic Records
Transcripts from U.S. post-secondary institutions showing one academic year of college level English with grades of C or higher.
- International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) and
- General Certificate of Education, Ordinary Level (O Level)
The IGCSE and O Level qualifications described below meet both the high school graduation equivalency and English language proficiency requirements for international student admission to Contra Costa College.
Applicants must submit final IGCSE or O Level results showing five subjects passed with grades of C or higher. One of the subjects must be English – First Language, English as a Second Language or English Language. Scanned copies of the final IGCSE and O Level results are accepted.
Contra Costa College will not admit students based on preliminary results or students who take IGCSE and O Level exams as independent or private candidates.
General Educational Development (GED) Test
Applicants who pass a U.S. equivalent GED meet the high school graduation equivalency requirement for international student admission to Contra Costa College.
Orientation
Mandatory Orientation Dates:
January 13 – 15, 2020
What should you bring?
- A copy of your visa
- Paper/note taking devices
- Questions to ask staff
What will you learn?
- How to maintain your F1 status.
- How to create an educational plan (ed plan).
- About campus resources to help you with your studies.
- Meet other international students and establish friendships!
Housing
Jump Off Campus (JOC)
Renting rooms or apartments might be the best choice for students who want to fully experience life in the US. Although the college does not offer any housing, we have partnered with Jump Off Campus (JOC) to provide a reliable search engine for students and landlords.
Costs:
1) There is a $25 per-listing fee for landlords, which can be posted for a maximum of one year.
2) Students can also find roommates for free using their “insite.4cd.edu” email address.
3) Faculty, staff, and students who want to post listings can post for free under a “.edu” email address.
CUSTOMER SERVICE:
JOC has a system to detect fraud and customer support agents to handle all JOC requests. Call 855.633.2267 Mondays – Fridays, 9 a.m. 5 p.m. EST.
Homestay
Homestay is a good alternative for international students who prefer learning about US culture from a host family in a friendly environment. DVC Homestay can guarantee placement for a fee of $400.00. Please visit their website or contact Fia Parker at 925-876-0080 or fparker@dvc.edu for more information.
Other Search Engines
There are other search engines that students can use to find housing. We have listed some below. However, please note that by listing the housing options, we are in no way endorsing those specific businesses.
Maintaining F1 Status
- Be enrolled fulltime for Fall & Spring. This means enrolling in and maintaining a minimum of 12 units through the semester. You can enroll in more! (Summer is optional, but if you’d like to take classes, 6 units is considered full-time in the summer.)
- Students on an F1 visa at Contra Costa College are required to have international student health insurance that is offered through the College. We offer a low-cost insurance that is connected to local health providers. The cost is $555 for August 2019 – December 2019 and $777 for January 2020– July 2020. Students will pay this required insurance upon course registration at the beginning of each semester.
- Maintain an overall GPA of 2.0.
- Update address changes on Insite and notify us international@contracosta.edu within 10 days of the change.
- Pay all student tuition & fees by the end of the semester.
- Authorized for employment (on-campus, CPT, and OPT).
- Keeping your passport valid – you must have at least 6 months of validity (renew your passport before it expires!)
Student Profiles
Forms + Resources
| New Students | Continuing Students |
| International Student Application | Reduced Course Load (RCL) Request Form Payment (Wire Transfers) WU Globay Pay (Wire Transfers) |
| Employment | Transfer Students |
| On-Campus Employment | Students transferring into CCC Students transferring out of CCC |