Policies
Matriculation is now the Student Success and Support Program
Signed by Governor Brown on September 27, 2012, Senate Bill 1456 revised and renamed the Matriculation Act of 1986 as the Seymour-Campbell Student Success Act of 2012. Effective January 1, 2013 the Matriculation program is now called the Student Success and Support Program.
A first-time student must complete the following 3 core services in order to receive a priority registration appointment for enrollment:
Students must also complete the following by early in their first year at Los Angeles City College:
- Identify a Career Goal: If you do not have one yet, enroll in a Counseling Course, visit the Career Center, or see a counselor in Academic Counseling.
- Identify an Educational Goal: You want an AA or AS Degree, a Certificate from an occupational program (CTE), and/or to transfer to a university.
- Identify a Course of Study or Major: This will determine what is in your Educational Plan.
- Work with a counselor on a Comprehensive Educational Plan when your career and education goal are clear
All students at LACC are required to complete these activities by the end of 15 degree-applicable units (completed) or the end of the 3rd semester of attendance.
New Enrollment Priorities
Effective Fall 2014, new students who have completed assessment, college orientation, and have a student educational plan, as well as continuing students in good academic standing (i.e., not on academic or progress probation) who have not exceeded 100 units (not including non-degree applicable basic skills classes) will now have priority over students who do not meet these criteria.
Active-duty military and veterans, current and former foster youth, students in Extended Opportunity Programs and Services, CalWORKs, and Disabled Students Program and Services will continue to have first priority for registration if they are in good standing. Students who are not in good standing will lose their registration priority and register last. Students will be allowed to appeal the loss of their registration priority, but only for documented cases of extenuating circumstances or documented cases of disabled students not receiving their accommodations in a timely manner.
Please view this short video on Priority Registration to learn additional information about what you need to do to have the highest priority.
Enrollment Priorities Appeal Process
A. The enrollment priority appeal process for LACC will be available to students only during specified periods during the Fall and Spring terms. The annual calendar for registration appointments (established by District I.T.) will be referenced to establish an appropriate start date and end date for appeals. For Fall 2016 registration, students should be permitted to appeal their enrollment priority. Students will receive an email notification with deadlines.
B. All enrollment priority appeals should be submitted at the Admissions Office on a petition.
C. The only appeals that will be approved are those for students that have extenuating circumstances. Circumstances that constitute grounds for an appeal are defined as:
- Verified cases of accidents, illness, or other circumstances beyond the control of the student (e.g., fire, flood, or other extraordinary conditions).
- A student designating that he/she applied for reasonable accommodation for a disability, but did not receive reasonable accommodation in a timely manner.
- Significant academic improvement, which is defined as achieving no less than a 2.0 semester grade point average in the prior term for which restoration of enrollment priority is being requested.
D. Students that have approved appeals will be notified by the Registrar (or designee) and their registration date will be changed to reflect their new enrollment priority, prior to the first date of registration for the subsequent term. Student petitions that are denied will be advised of the denial by the Registrar (or designee) and referred to the Student Success & Support Program Office to complete the process.
Remedial (Basic Skills) Enrollment Limitation
Title 5 California Code of Regulations §55035 establishes that students will be limited from taking more than 30 units of "remedial" coursework. The Remedial Coursework Limit regulation defines remedial coursework as non-degree applicable basic skills courses. Effective Winter 2010, the college's registration system will prevent students who have exceeded this limit from enrolling in additional basic skills courses.
Note: This limit does not apply to completion of noncredit basic skills courses.
Only the following students are exempt from the limitation on remedial coursework:
- A student enrolled in one or more credit or noncredit English as a Second Language (ESL) courses.
- Students with a verified learning disability with appropriate academic accommodations.
For additional information on who qualifies for academic accommodations, please contact the Office of Special Services (OSS).
Students may be eligible for a waiver of the limitation on remedial coursework if the student shows significant, measurable progress toward the development of skills appropriate to his/her enrollment in college level (i.e., degree applicable) courses. The waiver will be decided through the general petition process. Students interested in applying for a waiver should speak with a counselor to discuss and complete a general petition for submission to the Admissions Office in Administration Building Room 100.
Students having exhausted the unit limitation should consult with a counselor to enroll in the appropriate adult noncredit education class(es) provided by the college.
Course Repetition and Withdrawal from Credit Courses
Title 5 California Code of Regulations §55040, §55041, and §55042 establish that the number of times that a student may withdraw and receive a “W” symbol on his or her record for enrollment in the same course is not to exceed three times. All credit course repeats and withdrawals in a student's enrollment record are counted towards the new limit. For courses specifically designated as "repeatable" students may repeat up to three times. Also, add permits for a course within the LACCD will not be processed if there are three recorded attempts for that course in any combination of W, D, F, Inc. or NP grades. Students may be permitted one additional enrollment on an appeal basis if they need to repeat a course due to an educational need (e.g. significant lapse of time since course was last taken) or when there are specific extenuating circumstances such as flood, fire, or other extraordinary conditions beyond the student’s control. The limits set forth will affect students based on their current and prior course enrollments. The decision by students to repeat or withdraw from a class with a "W" has many more implications under these new regulations so students are encouraged to consult with their counselor before enrolling.
Except as provided below, this repetition limitation applies to all levels of courses that involve a similar primary educational activity, regardless of whether the repetitions reflect multiple enrollments in a single course or in multiple courses involving the same primary activity. (Title 5, section 55042)
- Visual or performing arts courses in music, fine arts, theater or dance which are part of a sequence of transfer courses are not subject to this limitation.
- ESL courses and non degree-applicable basic skills courses are not considered "activity courses" for purposes of the regulation.
The district policy will permit a student to enroll again in a course after having previously received the authorized number of “W” symbols in the same course in the colleges within the district if:
- The Chief Instructional Officer, Chief Student Services Officer or other official designee approves such enrollment after review of a petition filed by the student.
- Students with a verified disability may repeat a course when an individualized determination is made based upon their academic accommodations. These students should consult with the Office of Special Services.
All appeals requiring consideration must be approved through the petition process. The petition may be obtained in the Admissions Office (AD 100), Academic Counseling Office (AD 108), and the Welcome Center (AD 105).
Ability To Benefit Test
The deadline to take the Ability to Benefit test was June 20, 2012, as it is being discontinued.
You must meet ALL of the following conditions BEFORE July 1, 2012 to be eligible for financial aid without a high school diploma or GED:
- Pass the Ability to Benefit Test on or before June 20, 2012
- Be admitted to LACC as a degree- or certificate-seeking student
- Declare a program of study that is financial aid-eligible
- Be enrolled in and attending classes applicable to a financial aid-eligible program
This change is being made in accordance with federal law, as stated by the U.S. Department of Education:
“Public Law 112-74 amended HEA section 484(d) to eliminate Federal student aid eligibility for students without a “certificate of graduation from a school providing secondary education or the recognized equivalent of such a certificate.”