FAQ

Admissions and Records (7)

Please visit our website in upper left corner please enter username and password.
sa.peralta.edu

Becoming a student is easy. Your first step is to apply to the college. Then make sure to follow our Steps to Success to get registered in time for the new semester.

Students can reset their password online.  The quickest way is to reset your password yourself by following these directions. If you still need help email reset@peralta.edu with your name, date of birth, and student ID number.

Peralta’s High School Special Enrollment  provides enrichment opportunities for high school students who can benefit from college level instruction.  Detailed instructions can be found on the Peralta District website . Also, use CoA’s How-To guide for extra tips on submitting a complete and accurate form.

In order to be considered a California resident please complete the residency
questionnaire and provide us documentation that you have been here a year and 1 day prior to the term.

Residency Requirements
Residency Questionnaire

Articulation (4)

CoA maintains written articulation or course transfer agreements with many colleges and universities. These agreements are approved by the transfer college faculty and specify how courses will be accepted at the transfer institution. Students who wish to transfer need to become familiar with articulation agreements found on the many websites listed below (note: transfer students are strongly advised to speak with a CoA counselor and visit the Transfer Center):

ASSIST (Articulation System Stimulating Interinstitutional Student Transfer) is the official repository of transfer information for California’s public college and universities. ASSIST maintains current articulation agreements that identify which courses can be applied for elective, general education and major preparation credit when a student transfers from a California Community College to a CSU or UC campus. The ASSIST website offers easy access to a single database.

  • CSU General Ed Advising Sheet

Of the 48 total semester units needed to complete the CSU General Education-Breadth requirements, 39 lower division units can be completed at COA. The remaining 9 units must be completed in upper-division coursework at the CSU campus. CCSF courses that have been approved for meeting the lower division general education requirements for all California State University campuses can be found on ASSIST. This information has also been summarized on the CSU General Ed Worksheet.

  • IGETC Advising Sheet

Transfer students can follow the IGETC curriculum to satisfy lower-division general education requirements at the CSU or many colleges in the UC system (generally not advised for Engineering or high-unit science majors). CoA courses that have been approved for IGETC can be found on ASSIST. This information has also been summarized on the IGETC Worksheet.

  • Private or Out-of-State Articulation

Information on how CoA courses transfer to private or out-of-state colleges and universities can be found on the Other Colleges page of the articulation website. The Articulation with CoA link connects to articulation agreements with private institutions in California, as well as public and private colleges outside of California.

  1. Transfer Credit Agreements: These agreements indicate which courses will transfer for university credit, at a minimum. Courses that are approved for transfer credit do not necessarily count toward general education or a major at the university. CoA courses that transfer for credit to California State University or University of California (also known as the UC Transfer Course Agreement – UC TCA) are identified in the COA catalog at the end of the course descriptions, or on the ASSIST web site.
  2. Course-to-Course Agreements:  The purpose of a course-to-course agreement is to determine if a specific course taken at one college will satisfy a requirement at another college. For instance, if a community college course is approved as “comparable” to a university course, it may fulfill the same general education and major preparation requirements that the university course does.
  3. General Education:

1) Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC): (IGETC) is a general education program which community college students can use to satisfy lower-division general education requirements at the CSU or UC systems without the need to take additional lower division general education requirements after transfer. IGETC is often not recommended for high-unit majors, like engineering.

2) CSU General Education-Breadth (CSU GE): CSU GE is a general education curriculum that identifies courses that students may take to fulfill the lower division GE requirements for the CSU campuses.

3) Campus-Specific General Education: Students may opt to follow the general education pattern specific to a university campus. Articulation agreements also exist between COA courses and general education requirements at UC campuses and private colleges and universities.

  1. Major Preparation: Major Preparation agreements specify courses that meet the lower division requirements for a major at a four-year college or university.
  2. Course Identification Numbering System (C-ID):C-ID is a statewide numbering system that can be used to determine course equivalency between California colleges.  If two courses from two different colleges share a specific C-ID number the courses can be considered “equivalent” so that they can be used in lieu of the other college’s course to meet college degree, certificate and prerequisite requirements.  However, this equivalency does not extend to transfer General Education (e.g., IGETC, CSU GE) or articulation for a major at a university campus.  Course articulation for transfer to UC and CSU can be found at ASSIST.org.

C-ID is still relatively new, but continues to grow and expand.  COA courses that have been approved for C-ID to date are listed at https://www.c-id.net/course_compare.html

Each college or university has its own program requirements. These requirements vary with the student’s intended major. An articulation agreement is an agreement, usually with a four-year institution, that specifies which courses may be transferred to meet elective credit, general education, or major requirements.

Simply stated, articulation deals with how courses transfer from one college to another. Specifically, articulation is the process of establishing which courses offered at College of Alameda (CoA) are comparable to, or acceptable in lieu of, courses offered at four year colleges and universities. The purpose of articulation is to facilitate the successful transfer of students from the community colleges to the baccalaureate colleges and universities.

Athletics (10)

IF YOU DID PLAY OR PARTICIPATE IN INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS

YOU MUST COMPLETE 12.0 UNITS IN RESIDENCE PRIOR TO YOUR FIRST SEASON OF COMPETITION STARTS AT THE COLLEGE OF ALAMEDA

YOU MUST HAVE EARNED A GPA OF 2.0 SINCE THE FIRST SEASON OF COMPETITION

YOU MUST HAVE PASSED AND COMPLETED 6.0 UNITS FOR EVERY FT TERM ATTENDED SINCE YOUR FIRST SEASON OF COMPETITION

  1. You must immediately meet with the Athletic Director to complete the following forms:
  2.  Form 2 – Student Athlete Transfer Form  (Word)
  3. Form 1 – Student Eligibility Report          (Word)
  4. THE COLLEGE OF ALAMEDA MUST HAVE OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS ON FILE FROM THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE YOU ATTENDED

IF YOU DID PLAY OR PARTICIPATE IN ANY INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS,

YOU MUST COMPLETE 12.0 UNITS IN RESIDENCE PRIOR TO YOUR SECOND SEASON OF COMPETITION STARTS AT THE COLLEGE OF ALAMEDA

THE 12.0 UNITS IN RESIDENCE  CAN ONLY BE COUNTED AFTER THE FINAL CHAMPIONSHIP DATE OF THE SPORT HAS CONCLUDED

FOR THE RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT, YOU CAN ONLY COUNT 8.0  OF THE 12 UNITS TAKEN AT THE COLLEGE OF ALAMEDA DURING THE SUMMER TERM

YOU MUST COMPLETE 24.0 UNITS PRIOR TO YOUR 2ND SEASON OF SPORT

YOU MUST HAVE EARNED A GPA OF 2.0 SINCE THE FIRST SEASON OF COMPETITION

YOU MUST HAVE PASSED AND COMPLETED 6.0 UNITS FOR EVERY FT TERM ATTENDED SINCE YOUR FIRST SEASON OF COMPETITION

  1. You must immediately meet with the Athletic Director to complete the following forms:
  2.  Form 2 – Student Athlete Transfer Form  (Word)
  3. Form 1 – Student Eligibility Report          (Word)
  4. THE COLLEGE OF ALAMEDA MUST HAVE OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS ON FILE FROM THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE YOU ATTENDED
  1. You must immediately meet with the Athletic Director to complete the following forms:
  2. Form 2 – Student Athlete Transfer Form  (Word)
  3. Form 1 – Student Eligibility Report          (Word)
  4. THE COLLEGE OF ALAMEDA MUST HAVE OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS ON FILE FROM THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE YOU ATTENDED

IF YOU HAVE ATTENDED A 4 YEAR INSTITUTION, PRIOR TO ATTENDING A CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE, YOUR ATHLETIC ELIGIBILITY TO TRANSFER AS A 4-2-4 STUDENT ATHLETE IS A COMPLEX ISSUE, PLEASE MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO SEE THE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR TO REVIEW YOUR OPTIONS.

You must immediately meet with the Athletic Director to complete the following forms:

http://Student Athlete Transfer Form

Form 2 – Student Athlete Transfer Form

Form 1 – Student Eligibility Report

THE COLLEGE OF ALAMEDA MUST HAVE OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS ON FILE FROM THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE YOU ATTENDED

Please contact your coach of sport.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

HEAD COACH – Marshall Collins (email: mcollins@peralta.edu)

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

HEAD COACH – Vacant

Attending college is different from high school. You are now accountable for the financial responsibilities and obligations.  The tuition – the enrollment fees, and books are now part of your collegiate world.

Financial Aid Programs at the College of Alameda


Federal

State

If you would like more information and advisement regarding the programs and opportunities offered by the Financial Aid Office at the College of Alameda, please click on the following link:

Financial Aid Office
Hours of Operation:

(510) 748-2391

Monday: CLOSED

Tuesday: 8:00 am – 7:00 pm

Wednesday: 8:00 am – 7:00 pm

Thursday: 8:00 am – 7:00 pm

Friday: CLOSED

Hours are subject to change

You as a student athlete must be knowledgeable and understand your options once you leave an Out of State Community College and wish to attend a California Community College.

  1. IF YOU DID NOT PLAY OR PARTICIPATE IN ANY INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS
  2. You must immediately meet with the Athletic Director to complete the following forms:
  3. Form C – Out of State – Student Contact Form     (Word)
  4.  Form 2 – Student Athlete Transfer Form  (Word)
  5. Form 1 – Student Eligibility Report          (Word)
  6. THE COLLEGE OF ALAMEDA MUST HAVE OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS ON FILE FROM THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE YOU ATTENDED

IF YOU DID PLAY OR PARTICIPATE IN ANY INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS

YOU MUST COMPLETE 24.0 UNITS PRIOR TO YOU 2ND SEASON OF SPORT 

YOU MUST HAVE EARNED A GPA OF 2.0 SINCE YOUR FIRST SEASON OF COMPETITION

YOU MUST HAVE PASSED AND COMPLETED 6.0 UNITS FOR EVERY FT TERM ATTENDED SINCE YOUR FIRST SEASON OF COMPETITION

  1. You must immediately meet with the Athletic Director to complete the following forms:
  2. Form C – Out of State – Student Contact Form     (Word)
  3.  Form 2 – Student Athlete Transfer Form  (Word)
  4. Form 1 – Student Eligibility Report          (Word)
  5. THE COLLEGE OF ALAMEDA MUST HAVE OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS ON FILE FROM THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE YOU ATTENDED

We offer our students the opportunity to participate in two intercollegiate teams (Men’s Basketball and Women’s Volleyball) which compete in the Bay Valley Conference of the California Community Colleges Athletic Association (CCCAA). The following courses are specifically designed to improve athletic skills and strengthen physical endurance, are offered to our student-athletes:

  • ATHL 2 Basketball Foundations (Summer)
  • ATHL 6 Intercollegiate Men’s Basketball (Fall/Spring)
  • ATHL 7 Basketball Team Pre-Season Preparation (Summer and/or Fall)
  • ATHL 71 Intercollegiate Women’s Volleyball (Fall)
  • ATHL 72 Volleyball Strategy and Theories (Spring and/or Summer)
  • ATHL 73 Volleyball Team Pre-season Preparation (Summer and/or Spring)
  • KIN 60 Circuit Training (Fall/Spring/Summer)

You have made a positive choice in your decision to become a STUDENT ATHLETE  at the College of Alameda.

Please click on the following link to begin the admission steps    https://alameda.edu/enroll/

One of the requirements as a Student Athlete, is that you must make an appointment to see a counselor who has knowledge and understanding of the academic and athletic requirements for you. The outcome of this meeting with the counselor, will allow you to have a basic understanding of the classes and requirements to transfer and to be athletically eligible to participate during your enrollment at the College of Alameda. The counselor that you should be making an appointment with is:

Nicole Wise, nwise@peralta.edu

CalWORKs (6)

To participate in CalWORKs, a student must be a parent of eligible minor(s), have an active CalWORKs through County Social Services, and be enrolled at College of Alameda.

If you are not currently participating in CalWORKs but you would like to see if you’re eligible, apply online using Benefits Cal or through one of these Alameda County Office Locations.

You’re in the right place!

Contact Marissa Nakano, EOPS/Care/CalWORKs Counselor by email at mnakano@peralta.edu or (510) 748-2260 to get set up!

Sort of! Care is a program within EOPS for CalWORKs participants who also meet EOPS eligibility requirements, are a single-parent head of household, and have at least one child fourteen (14) year of age or younger.  For more information, please visit College of Alameda’s EOPS/Care

Yes! CalWORKs is California’s interpretation of TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), which is a federal program.

CalWORKS at Social Services offer supportive services for student attending college with:

  • Transportation funds
  • Access to affordable childcare and funds
  • Ancillary funds to purchase required books, materials, and supplies for college classes
  • Referrals to resources to obtain housing and other vital supportive services

CalWORKs at College of Alameda offer supportive services for students at COA with:

  • Academic counseling
  • Work study opportunities
  • Priority enrollment for classes
  • Transfer application fee waivers
  • Workshops aimed to support student parents

Within CalWORKs, eligible participants are given a Welfare-to-Work (WTW) Plan which documents
what activities they’ll participate in to meet CalWORKs requirements.  This typically includes college training programs, volunteering, job search or employment through work study, and others (depending on the recipient).  Typically the activities are determined by the recipient and their employment counselor at Social Services.  A Welfare-To-Work plan is REQUIRED to receive services from College of Alameda CalWORKs.

Career and Employment Center (5)

On-the-Job Training

Tax Credits/Hiring Incentives

Business-to-Business Resources

Online Job Order form

To post a job, please visit our Job Order page. All Job Orders will be promptly posted on our Job Postings page, and distributed to other career centers in the EASTBAY Works network. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your Job Order, please contact us at northcitiescc@gmail.com. Thank you for your referrals!

Download an application HERE or come in to either of our centers and simply ask any available staff person!

The Alameda and Berkeley One-Stop Business Centers are part of EASTBAY Works, a network of thirteen One-Stop Business and Career Centers located throughout Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. EASTBAY Works is a regional partnership designed to coordinate employment activities in both Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. EASTBAY Works is funded by the Department of Labor and the State of California.

The College of Alameda operates two One-Stop Career Centers:
Alameda One-Stop Career Center
College of Alameda
Portable P
555 Ralph Appezzato Memorial Pkwy, Alameda, CA 94501

Berkeley One-Stop Career Center

Berkeley Adult School, Room 105
1701 San Pablo Ave, Berkeley, CA 94702
Click HERE to find out more information about the Berkeley One Stop.

Job Postings can be found by clicking HERE. However, we strongly encourage you to come in to either our Alameda or Berkeley One Stop Career Centers, as there is so much more we have to offer! One of our staff will give you a quick tour of the center and then give you more information on how to best utilize the resources available to you.

Counseling (4)

The Counseling Department is located in Building A (Administration). Counselors are available from 8:oo am to 7:oo pm on Mondays, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Tuesday through Friday. The office phone number is (510) 748-2209.

We are temporarily closed for in-person services due to the shelter in place order. Drop-ins and in-person appointments will be suspended until further notice. We will have online/remote counseling appointments starting April 6th through ZOOM. Online ZOOM Appointments can be scheduled by filling out a request for an appointment above.

Quick question?  Chat with a Counselor by clicking the icon on the bottom right of this page.

Fall and Spring semesters are 18 weeks long.  Summer session is 6 weeks.

A full-time student enrolls in 12 or more units during a regular semester. A part-time student can enroll in as little as 1/2 unit to as many as 11 units.

The College may accept lower-division units earned from accredited colleges or universities. Please bring an unofficial copy of your previous college units and meet with a counselor for more review.

Financial Aid (24)

Yes. For each semester that you receive aid you will need to complete a certain number of units with a minimum GPA of at least 2.0. In addition, you need to maintain an overall completion rate of at least 67% and an overall GPA of at least 2.0. This is called maintaining “Satisfactory Academic Progress.”

Yes. Please make sure to visit your college Financial Aid Office 7 – 10 days after you have done so.

No. You will be eligible for most Federal Financial Aid if you attend school half-time. However, with the Pell and SEOG Grants, your awards will be larger if you attend full-time.

Yes. Payments for student loans begin once a student leaves school for six months (or falls below half-time enrollment for six months).

If you have not registered with the CampusLogic website for financial aid, you will need to do that first: alamedaperalta.verifymyfafsa.com

You must complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) . You can do it electronically at www.fafsa.gov.  Once completed you will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) via e-mail or in the mail. Please review your SAR and bring it to the Financial Aid Office in Building A-101 to check if there are any corrections to make.

Parents can e-sign the required forms, but they first need to create an account.

NOTE: Creating an account in the CampusLogic Website for Financial Aid cannot happen until until the student requests the signature and the parent is sent an email.

When a student requests a parent to e-sign a document, the parent will receive an email that tells them that there are documents to sign and provides them with a link to log in or register. When the parent clicks on the link to create an account, they will be directed to the Secure Parent Log-in screen. They will want to click the button that says- create account:

The parent is required to complete the following information:

  • Preferred email
  • Confirm email
  • Choose username
  • Create password
  • Confirm password

The parent will then need to confirm their information. This will also need to match the information that was provided on the aid application

  • Parent First name
  • Parent Last Name
  • Parent Date of Birth
  • Parent Social Security Number

Once the parent confirms their information, they will be asked to confirm their student’s information. Again, this needs to match the information that was provided on the aid application.

  • Student first name
  • Student last name
  • Student date of birth
  • Student social security number

After the information is entered in, the parent will want to review the privacy policy before clicking on the Create Account.

If the account creation is successful, the parent will be routed to the log-in page. The parent will also receive an email asking them to confirm their email address. THIS STEP IS IMPORTANT- confirming the email address allows the parent to use the “forgot password” feature in the future, should it be forgotten. If the email is not confirmed, then the parent will need to call to have their password reset.

After logging in, the parent will be presented with the forms that need a signature. The parent should review the information the student put in the form.

Making updates to the form

If the information is not accurate, the parent can click on the “form not approved” button and the form will be sent back to the student to update.

Opting out of e-sign

The parent can also opt out of e-signing the form. If that is selected, both the student and the parent will need to provide signatures on the form.

E-signing the form

If the parent approves the form, they can sign the form using the same signature they created during the log-in process.

Provided that you maintain satisfactory academic progress, you can receive Federal Financial Aid until you exceed 150% of the published length of an eligible program. (In other words, students in 60 unit A.A./A.S. programs or planning to transfer to 4-year schools will need to complete their studies by the time they earn 90 units.) Students who exceed the maximum time-frame may petition for an extension of funding through an “appeal process.”

It may take at least 4-8 weeks.

It depends upon your family’s situation. The maximum Pell Grant would be $5,815 per year. The maximum Subsidized Stafford Loan for a first year dependent student is $3,500. Work-study allocations usually begin at $3,800 per year.

Call 1-800- 4-FED-AID / (800) 433-3243 (Note: If you provided an e-mail address, the SAR will be sent to you electronically.)

It might be difficult–especially in the first year. However, regardless of your income in the previous year, you will probably qualify for student loans.

Not necessarily. Applicants for Federal Financial Aid (below the age of 24) are considered to be dependents, unless they are married, a veteran, an orphan, a ward of the court, or have dependents (usually children).

No. You need to complete a separate COA Application for Admission.

Generally, grant recipients receive two checks a semester. One check comes at the beginning of the term and one check comes at the middle of the term. Loan recipients usually get two checks a year: one in Fall and one in Spring. College Work-Study students get one paycheck a month.

Yes & No. Students may submit a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) application as early as October the year before the academic year you are applying for. Students that apply by March 2 will receive priority consideration for several types of Federal Financial Aid. Students that don’t meet the priority deadline can still apply throughout the school year. (However, some Federal Financial Aid may no longer be available for those that apply late.) There is also a second deadline of Sept. 2 for Cal Grant consideration.

Students need to send their official transcripts (from ALL non-district schools that they have attended) to the COA Financial Aid Office. In addition, about a third of the applicants will be chosen for verification and will need to submit the required documents prior to their file being processed.

  1. When you have successfully logged into the CampusLogic website for financial aid, you will be taken to a task list- select anywhere on the task to expand and get additional information about what is needed.
  2. Some tasks you will be able to satisfy completely online, while others will require you to download, complete, and upload back to the task.
  3. To e-sign an online form, you will need to create a pin that you will use to sign all your online forms on the CampusLogic website for financial aid. You can also opt out of e-signing your documents- it is up to you!
  4. Dependent students may have forms that require a parent signature. After you (the student) have e-signed a document, you will have the option to request a parent signature. You will need to:
    • Select the parent you would like to sign the document
    • Enter the the parent’s email address
    • Confirm their email
    • Select the Send Request button

Upload any documents needed to complete your tasks.  Once all documents are completed and all additional information uploaded, you can submit your verification for review.

The FSA ID is your official Federal Student Aid ID, which you will use to log in to your FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).

CampusLogic is a secure document upload system that allows you to complete your outstanding Financial Aid tasks online.with secure document upload from any device, and e-sign capabilities? It is an easy, mobile, personalized process that makes everything about navigating financial aid easier.

Verification is proving that the income you reported on the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is correct. Usually, verification is completed by submitting a photo copy of your and/or your parent’s federal tax return. In addition, you will be asked to submit a Verification Worksheet to confirm your Dependent or Independent status.

There are three types of Federal Financial Aid: grants, loans, and work-study. A grant is free money. Loans are borrowed from the government and MUST be repaid. Work-study is a job on campus.

You will be able to:

  • Securely upload documents from any device.
  • E-sign documents—both you and your parents.
  • Manage your financial aid tasks online
  • Receive automated reminders about outstanding tasks and next steps

Because many people are applying for financial aid. But here’s a rough breakdown of the steps and the approximate timeframe for each: For you to receive your SAR after you have submitted your application online (Free Application for Federal Student Aid): 2 to 4 weeks; For COA to process your file: 4 to 6 weeks.

Health & Wellness Services (4)

To schedule an appointment with a mental health counselor for fall 2021 semester, contact the Health Services Coordinator, Lisa Sawadogo at 510-748-2320, email at lisasawadogo@peralta.edu who will return messages on August 9, 2o21.

*Please note that due to California Telehealth laws and regulations, students must be currently residing in California in order to access telehealth appointments.*

SUMMER MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING HOURS AND CONTACT INFORMATION:

Jennifer Golden, PsyD: jmgolden@peralta.edu or #510-434-3826 available Mondays and Thursdays 9a.m. – 5:30p.m. and Fridays 1p.m. – 4p.m.

Claire Crosetti, LMFT: ccrosetti@peralta.edu or #510-464-3175 available during summer session June 14 – July 22, 2021 on Mondays.

DURING FALL 2021, College of Alameda has both a nurse and nurse practitioner  available off-site.  Medical care includes:  first-aid, pregnancy testing, flu Shots, COVID-19 testing, TB testing, blood testing, health education, family planning, birth control, sexually transmitted infections, eye exam vouchers, and community referrals.

Days and Times:  Monday – Friday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

All services are currently being provided off-campus at the Roots clinic. Please call ahead and let them know you are a Peralta student and provide your student ID.

*ROOTS MEDICAL SERVICES WILL NOT BE OFFERED DURING THE SUMMER, CHECK BACK FOR FALL SCHEDULE*

Roots Clinic, 7272 MacArthur Blvd, Oakland, Ca 94605

#510- 633-7077

Due to COVID-19, we will not be offering massage and acupuncture appointments at this time.

All services are free of charge to enrolled students. All enrolled students pay an $18 health fee each semester that is used to fund health services. There are no additional costs to students.

MESA (5)

You may submit an application either online

You will then schedule an appointment to meet with our MESA Counselor to complete your intake and see if you qualify as a MESA or Friends of MESA student.

No, the MESA tutoring and study space is open to ALL students. MESA students get priority tutoring, but no one will be turned away.

Benefits of joining us:

  • Counseling & Transfer Planning ⇒ Dedicated MESA Counselor
  • Internship opportunities ⇒ Connecting student to internship
  • Tutoring services ⇒ We do have tutors available for all STEM area at COA
  • MESA Workshops ⇒ Connecting student with University or industry
  • We provide Laptops
  • Priority Enrollment

You must:

  • be enrolled in at least 6 units towards your academic goal;
  • meet with a counselor to develop a Student Educational Plan;
  • attend at least 1 MESA event per semester;
  • volunteer at least 2 hours with a community organization related to your field or with MESA each semester

You are eligible to join if you meet the following:

  • You are a first-generation college student, which means that neither one of your parents or guardians completed a college degree. You are still considered a first-generation college student even if you have a sibling that has completed a college degree;
  • You come from a historically under-represented background;
  • You come from a low-income household; AND
  • Your goal is to transfer to a 4-year university to study a major that requires at least 2 semesters of Calculus such as: Biological Sciences, Math, Engineering, Computer Science, Chemistry, Physics, Earth Sciences, Pre-Med, Pre-Pharm, or Pre-Dental.

DREAMERS or students who are undocumented are also eligible to apply.

Unfortunately, international students are not eligible for MESA, but are welcome to participate in the MESA Student Club.

Consult with a MESA staff if you have any questions.

Placement (4)

You will first be asked to self-report your high school coursework, grades, and/or GPA. If you do not remember your high school coursework information, you will be directed to complete our guided self-placement questionnaire. You can complete either of these options through our online English & Math Questionnaire (https://tinyurl.com/COAplacement).

If you have taken an English and/or math courses at a different college, please bring a copy of your unofficial transcripts to your counseling department.

College of Alameda’s placement process is compliant with AB705 which is a bill that requires a community college district or college maximize the probability that a student will enter and complete transfer-level coursework in English and math within a one-year timeframe and use, in the placement of students into English and math courses, one or more of the following: high school coursework, high school grades, and high school grade point average (GPA).

AB 1805 is a bill that requires our college to 1) inform students of their rights to access transfer-level coursework and academic credit English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) coursework, and of the multiple measures placement policies as outlined in AB705 and 2) publicly post our placement results which can be found here.

*To maximize success, you may be required to take additional support classes.

Student Accessibility Services (4)

There is no Special Education in postsecondary education, although some students may choose to participate in classes offered by SAS.

If you participated in Special Education classes in K-12, you will find that your rights and responsibilities and the services provided to you are different in college.  That is because the federal law that applies to K-12 (the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or IDEA) does not apply to postsecondary schools.

You may want to read an article by Paul Grossman, chief regional attorney of the San Francisco Office for Civil Rights (OCR), entitled  Attorney Paul Grossman on Legal Rights for College Students with LD.

Also, please see the chart below for more information about the differences between high school and college support services for students with disabilities.

High School Support ServicesCollege Level Support Services
The school district is responsible for evaluating and documenting the disability.Students are responsible for providing current documentation of their disability to the college.
An IEP meeting is held to determine placement and appropriate services.Students working with college professionals will determine if and/or what services are appropriate.
Once a disability is documented, services are made available and included in the student’s daily schedule.Even after documentation has been provided and appropriate accommodations have been identified, students must request the accommodations each time they are needed.
Special classes or placements must be available for students.Students, with advice from their counselors, set their own academic goals.
Specific goals and objectives are determined for each student receiving services.Colleges are not required to provide special classes or programs for students with disabilities.
Parents are notified and must give permission for any decisions regarding their son or daughter.Parents are not notified of services their son or daughter requests unless the student grants permission for that information to be released.
Teachers, administrators, and parents advocate for students.Students must advocate for themselves.
Reevaluation of students is conducted by the school on a regular basis (generally every three years.)Reevaluation of a disability is not generally required if a student remains continuously enrolled in the college.
Students may be evaluated using differential standards and curriculum may be fundamentally altered.The laws mandate equal access to instruction but they do not require fundamental alteration of a program.

Rights and Responsibilities of Students with Disabilities

Students with disabilities have the right:

  • To participate voluntarily in Student Accessibility Services
  • To participate in other courses, programs, or activities offered by the college
  • To be evaluated based on ability, not disability
  • To appeal a decision regarding accommodations through the student grievance process

Students with disabilities have the responsibility:

  • To provide professional documentation of disability to the college
  • To request accommodations in a timely way
  • To follow SAS procedures for obtaining accommodations
  • To work cooperatively with SAS to determine and implement accommodations
  • To comply with the Student Rules of Conduct as written in the College catalog
  • To maintain the academic standards of the college

Faculty Rights and Responsibilities

Faculty have the right:

  • To set academic standards
  • To evaluate the student based on the standards of the class and to grade accordingly
  • To advise the student to contact SAS if the student requests an accommodation and the instructor has not received written notification from the SAS office

Faculty have the responsibility:

  • To work with SAS to provide for accommodations in a fair and timely way
  • To adjust instruction without fundamentally altering the program
  • To provide handouts in a timely way for alternate media provision
  • To select textbooks in a timely way so e-text can be ordered from the publisher
  • To respect and maintain a student’s right to confidentiality about his/her disability
  • To contact the SAS office if there is disagreement about the accommodation
  • To work with SAS to ensure that instructional web pages are accessible to students who use assistive technology
  • To work with SAS to ensure that instructional videos are captioned

Faculty do not have the right to refuse to provide accommodations, to question whether the disability exists when accommodations have been authorized by SAS, or to request to examine the student’s documentation.

SAS Rights and Responsibilities

SAS has the right:

  • To request and receive current documentation that supports the need for accommodations
  • To deny a request for accommodations if the documentation demonstrates that the request is not warranted or if the individual fails to provide appropriate documentation
  • To suspend or terminate services if the student repeatedly does not comply with SAS policies or procedures or does not meet the academic standards established by the college.

SAS has the responsibility:

  • To assist faculty in providing or arranging accommodations and/or auxiliary aids
  • To hold student information confidential except where permitted or required by law
  • To communicate to students, faculty, and staff the process to request accommodations
  • To verify the student’s disabilities and authorize accommodations based on educational limitations caused by the disability
  • To establish requirements for measurable progress and abuse of services. If a student does not adhere to established procedures, SAS will notify the student of the possibility of suspension or termination of SAS services.

A disability is a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, including but not limited to: caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating and working.

(Americans with Disabilities Act Amendment, 2009).

Eligibility for SAS services is based on the specific educational limitations caused by the individual’s disability.

Student Activities & Campus Life Office (3)

Students interested in joining the ASCOA must meet the following minimum requirements

  • 2.0 cumulative GPA
  • Enrolled in 5 semester units at College of Alameda
  • Be in good standing with the College of Alameda and PCCD

For more information visit the ASCOA website

College of Alameda programs, departments and student clubs interested in reserving space in the Student Center or quad must submit the Student Center Facility Request form a minimum of two weeks prior to the date of the event.

COA departments, clubs, faculty and staff can direct questions and inquires regarding reserving space in the Student Center to Njoube Dugas at cdugas@peralta.edu.

Facility Request by External Organizations

Non COA affiliated organizations, businesses, individuals, etc., interested in tabling on campus or reserving campus facilities for events must submit the Peralta Community College District Facility Usage form to Facilities Coordinator, Shuntel Nathaniel at snathaniel@peralta.edu.

Students interested in starting a club must submit the following documents:

  • Club Officer Listing
  • Advisor Agreement
  • Club Charter Agreement
  • List of Club Members
  • Club Constitution

For more information on the club registration process and registration documents go to Start a Club webpage

Transfer Program (4)

Information for transfer students is published in the catalog (either printed or online) of any institution. We are available to assist you in locating and using these resources. In addition, universities send representatives to our annual Transfer Day event held on our campus each fall. Representatives also visit College of Alameda on a regular basis to meet with students individually. You may also go to assist.org to view transfer information for the CSU and UC system.

You will achieve full junior standing when you have completed 60 transferable semester units. The University of California and California State University requires 60 UC-transferable semester units for upper division transfer. Independent and out-of-state universities often accept students with fewer than 60 semester units. Please check the printed or online catalog for the specific university to which you want to transfer for their requirements. A College of Alameda transfer counselor can assist you with this.

Transfer Admission Guarantees are agreements between four-year universities and community colleges that provide students who meet certain requirements guaranteed admission. Currently students who attend a California Community College can participate in TAG programs with six UCs and nine participating Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). For more information on the UC TAG click here.  For more information about CCC/HBCU TAG program click here.

The Cross Enrollment Program is for current College of Alameda students planning to transfer who would like to experience taking a course at either CSU East Bay, UC Berkeley, Mills College or Holy Names University.

Depending on the campus, students can attend either at no charge or pay $46 per units. To be eligible for Cross

Enrollment a student must have:

  • 20 semester units of transferable coursework with a minimum GPA of 2.4 or higher.
  • Completion of English 1A with “C” or higher.
  • Full-time student status (12 semester units) during the term of participation in the program, including units for the one concurrently enrolled course.
  • Student must have College of Alameda as their home campus (majority of units) during the semester of application and during the semester enrolled in the concurrent enrollment course.
  • Course(s) cannot be offered at College of Alameda or restricted by the four-year institution.
  • Students are not permitted to enroll in a Concurrent course that has a schedule conflict with student’s College of Alameda class schedule.
  • Students should contact the Transfer Center before the end of the prior semester to complete a Concurrent Enrollment application

Veterans Resource Center (4)

If you have completed a minimum of one year’s active duty and were honorably discharged AND have completed 12 units from the Peralta District, you may receive six semester units toward the Associate Degree. Request for the VRC staff to submit a copy of your DD214 to the District Office of Admissions & Records.

All new students to College of Alameda must apply, take a online Orientation, and take an Assessment test. [link to New Students/ Admissions new page]

To begin your VA Benefits, please take the following steps:

1. Apply for Veterans benefits 

2. Submit copies of DD-214 & Certificate of Eligibility Letter to certifying official

3. Meet with Veteran’s counselor, Jamar Mears to identify your classes and enroll.

To receive timely payments, each semester you are enrolled at the College of Alameda, you must submit your Schedule of Classes to VA Certifying Official La Shawn Brumfield in the VRC

Remember: To be certified for VA payment, all classes must be on your Student Education Plan. To revise your Education Plan, please meet with the Veterans counselor, Jamar Mears

A veteran student who is on academic probation for two consecutive semesters shall be subject to discontinuance of VA benefits if the student earned a cumulative GPA of less than 2.0 (“C” grade). This directive is separate and apart from the college’s standards for academic dismissal.

Chapter 30 Montgomery G.I Bill®: Application form 1990 and a copy of form DD214 discharge paper (member 4 copy only) that indicates discharge from service and a copy of the Certificate of Eligibility.

Chapter 33 Post 9/11 GI Bill®: A copy of Certificate of Eligibility, and a copy the DD214 member 4 that indicates an discharge from service.

Chapter 35 for Dependents: Dependent children need to provide a copy of their birth certificate if completing an application in our office, or a copy of the Certificate of Eligibility with the full VA File Number as issued to the student from Dept. of Veterans Affairs.

Chapter 1606 Selected Reserve: Reservists are required to bring in a “Notice of Basic Eligibility” (NOBE) that can be obtained from their reserve or National Guard unit or a copy of the Certificate of Eligibility.

Chapter 1607 (REAP): Military Reservists will be informed by the Department of Veteran Affairs what their benefit package will be. Military Reservists will be eligible for this benefit as long as they continue to be in the Active Reserves.

“GI Bill®” is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.”