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
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
Student must have a certain level of English proficiency to be successful at CCC. This requirement may be demonstrated by submitting official scores from one of the following English proficiency tests.
| Test | Score |
| TOEFL Internet | 40 or higher |
| TOEFL Paper | 400 or higher |
| TOEFL Computer | 120 or higher |
| IELTS | 4.5 (a minimum acceptable band score of 4.0) |
| ELS | ELS-109 or higher |
| International Education Center (IEC) | Advanced B Certificate |
| Graduation from an English Medium Diploma Programme at an International Baccalaureate (IB) School | Diploma |
| International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) | Certificate & also pass five exams 4 of which must be: English, Science, Math, and Social Sciences. |
| General Certificate of Education (GCE) | Completion of O-level & also pass five exams 4 of which must be: English, Science, Math, and Social Sciences. |
| Graduate from a U.S. high school | Transcript |
| Completion of English composition with a passing grade from a U.S. college/university. | Transcript |
* Citizens of countries and territories where English is an official and/or major language may be exempt from this requirement. Contact us for more information at international@contracosta.edu.
Orientation
Mandatory Orientation Dates:
August 12-14, 2019
- 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
Disclaimer: 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 |