Getting Started at Sierra College

The Student Success and Support Program (SSSP) increases student access and success through the provision of core services, including orientation, assessment and placement, counseling, advising, and other education planning services.

Steps to Getting Started

1. Apply for admission.
2. Submit official transcripts.
3. Activate mySierra account.
4. Complete orientation.
5. Complete assessment-placement.
6. Meet with counselor to develop Student Educational Plan (SEP).
7. Register for classes.
8. Pay fees.

These steps, most of which may be completed online, provide a process that brings the College and the students together in a partnership agreement designed to help students develop and achieve their educational goals.

Agreement

Sierra College will:

• Assess students’ basic educational skills and career goals
• Orient students to the college’s programs, services and policies
• Provide top-quality instruction and services
• Offer a wide variety of courses
• Offer services to support students’ education
• Follow up on students’ progress toward educational goals

Students will:

• Participate in assessment and orientation
• Declare an educational goal
• Meet with a counselor to design an educational plan
• Attend classes and complete assigned coursework
• Seek out support services as needed
• Strive to make progress toward goals

Required Steps to Register

Students who are new to Sierra College and returning students who have been away from Sierra College for three years or more must complete orientation, assessment-placement, and new student group counseling prior to registering for classes.

Orientation

Orientation to Sierra College is delivered online through mySierra (the password protected portal that gives users access to secured information on the Sierra College intranet). Orientation provides information about programs, student support services, academic expectations and class registration pro­ce­dures.

Assessment-Placement

As part of the process to enhance student success, Sierra College requires assessment testing/placement for reading, mathematics, English and/or English as a Second Language. Course placement services include evaluation of the following documents:

• high school and other college transcripts;
• Early Assessment Program (EAP) results;
• ACT, AP, ELM, IB, and SAT results; and
• other two-year regionally accredited college assessment reports.

Students should use the online placement tool  located on the assessment web page to determine if an assessment test is needed.

Counseling

Sierra College provides new student group counseling sessions in which students work with counselors to develop Student Educational Plans (SEP). Counselors may also refer students to support services and answer specific questions and concerns.

Exemptions

Some students are exempt from orientation, assessment-placement, and counseling requirements. Nevertheless, stu­dents are encouraged to avail them­selves of these services. Students are exempt if they meet any of the fol­low­ing criteria:

• Hold an associate degree or higher;
• Apply with an educational goal of “educational development,” “maintain certificate or license,” or “advance in current job/career.”

Challenges or Appeals

A student may file a challenge or complaint if the stu­dent believes that the Student Success Act regulations are not being met. All challenges, appeals, complaints, or requests for information should be di­rect­ed to the counseling office in the Winstead Center on the Rocklin campus.

Enrollment Priorities

Enrollment priority is provided for students enrolling at Sierra College for the purpose of degree or certificate attainment, transfer to a four-year college or university, or career advancement. Students must:

• have completed orientation and assessment;
• attended a counseling appointment and developed a student education plan;
• be in good academic standing, first semester academic or progress probation, or be making satisfactory semester progress with a grade point average of 2.0 or higher;
• have completed less than 100 degree-applicable units at Sierra College (excludes all courses numbered 500 and above, such as non-degree applicable English as a Second Language courses, basic skills courses, or special courses designed to address the educational limitations of students with disabilities).

Registration priority shall be provided to students in order of priority listed below (within each category, priority is assigned by number of units completed at Sierra College).

Priority 1

• Foster youth or former foster youth up to 24 years of age.
• Veterans or members of the Armed Forces of the United States who are California residents and received honorable, general, or other than honorable discharge; and members or former members of the State Military Reserve within 15 years of leaving state or federal active duty.
• Students eligible for services through Disabled Students Programs and Services (DSPS).
• Students eligible for and receiving services through Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS).
• Students eligible for and receiving services through CalWORKs.

Priority 2

• TRiO students.
• RISE students through Spring 2020.
• Intercollegiate student athletes.
• Continuing students.
• Returning students.
• Ghidotti Early College High School students.
• New students.

Priority 3

• Students who have lost enrollment priority.
• All other students, including Academic Enrichment students.

Enrollment priority for any student (other than foster youth or former foster youth) shall be lost at the first registration opportunity for either of the following reasons:

1. The student is placed on academic and/or progress probation for two consecutive semesters and is subject to dismissal. (An automatic appeal will be granted for any student making satisfactory semester progress by earning a semester GPA of 2.0 or higher.)
2. The student has earned 100 or more degree-applicable units at Sierra College.

Students who are placed on academic or progress probation, or who have earned 75% or more of the 100 unit limit will be notified of the potential for loss of enrollment priority.

Enrollment Priority Appeals

Students may appeal the loss of priority enrollment status due to extenuating circumstances, or where a student with a disability applied for, but did not receive reasonable accommodation in a timely manner. Extenuating circumstances are verified cases of accidents, illnesses or other circumstances beyond the control of the student. Contact an Admissions and Records office for further information.

Class Registration

Stu­dents may reg­is­ter at the des­ig­nat­ed date and time or at any time there­af­ter during sched­uled hours of reg­is­tra­tion. Stu­dents are encouraged to use mySierra web registration at www.sierracollege.edu during their sched­uled time to ensure the best pos­si­ble course se­lec­tion. and registration.

Waitlists

20-space waitlists are established for every class offered by Sierra College. When a class reaches maximum enrollment, eligible students who meet the course prerequisite may join the waitlist.

• Students registered in a class section of a course are permitted to join waitlists for the same course.
• Students are permitted to join multiple waitlists for the same course.

If a seat becomes available in a class, the student at the top of the waitlist, also known as position (0), will receive notification through mySierra email. The student will be given 48 hours from the date and time of the email notification to register in the class. If the student does not register, they will be removed from the waitlist and the next student on the waitlist will be sent an email notification. This process continues until all available seats are filled. It is recommended that students regularly monitor their email and waitlist status.

Students remaining on a waitlist once the class begins must attend the class. Faculty adding students on the first and/or second day of class will give priority to students in waitlist order. Students failing to attend the first and second class meeting will lose their places on the waitlist.

For more information, read the waitlist articles  on the website or contact an Admissions and Records office.

Add/Drop Period

Reg­is­tra­tion is available during the first two weeks of the fall and spring semesters. Per­mis­sion to add must be obtained from the class professor. The professor supplies each student with a 4-digit add code that allows the student to add the course through mySierra web registration or in person at a campus Ad­mis­sions and Records office. All fees must be paid at the time of registration. Re­fer to the website for reg­is­tra­tion details and dead­line dates and times.

Late Start and Fast Track classes have class-specific add/drop deadlines. This information is published in the class schedule and may be accessed by clicking on the CRN (course reference number) and reviewing the "Critical Dates for this Course."

Note: Under no circumstances will class registration be processed after the withdrawal deadline.

Payment Information

Fees and tuition are due at the time of registration. Students are given a 10 calendar day grace period, after which they will be dropped from the classes for non-payment. Students registering for classes less than 10 days before the semester begins must have their accounts paid in full before the first day of the term. If there is an outstanding balance owed on the student account after the semester begins, a hold will be placed on the record and the account will be subject to collection.

Fees and Holds

Students owing fees after the start of a semester will have holds placed on their records. Students with holds for unpaid fees, fines, tuition, etc., must clear the holds before any future reg­is­tra­tion will be permitted or transcripts released. Sierra College reserves the right to use methods permitted by law to collect fees due, including referral to a collection agency. For further information, visit www.sierracollege.edu/payment .

En­roll­ment Fee

Sierra College charg­es a State-man­dat­ed en­roll­ment fee of $46.00 per unit each semester. Enrollment fees are established by the California State Legislature and are subject to change.

Recipients of CalWORKs, SSI/SSP, Gen­er­al As­sis­tance, or qual­i­fied de­pen­dents of de­ceased or disabled vet­er­ans may be ex­empt from the en­roll­ment fee. Check with the Fi­nan­cial Aid office at least one week prior to reg­is­tra­tion for fee cred­its, fee waiv­ers, grants and other means of fi­nan­cial as­sis­tance.

Health Fee

The mandatory health fee provides enrolled stu­dents with a range of med­i­cal services at the Sierra College Health Centers. The health fee is charged as fol­lows:

• $19.00 per semester for stu­dents enrolled in fall or spring se­mes­ter class(es);
• $16.00 for stu­dents enrolled in summer session class(es)

Exemptions are given for:

• Recipients of Board of Governor’s fee waiver Type “A”;
• Students enrolled exclusively in contract education classes, noncredit classes, or Public Safety In-Service Training classes;
• Students enrolled in the District’s Academic Enrichment Program;
• Students exclusively auditing classes;
• Students who are dependent upon prayer for heal­ing (contact an Admissions and Records office for the ex­emp­tion form prior to registration).

Instructional Materials Fee

Students may be required to provide instructional materials for a credit or noncredit course, or purchase such materials from Sierra College. Approved instructional materials and related fees are published in the class schedule. Instructional materials fees are collected at the time of registration.

Nonresident Student Tuition

Under state law, all community colleges are re­quired to charge tuition to out-of-state residents and in­ter­na­tion­al students. The charge for the 2016-2017 cat­a­log year is $211.00 per unit. Nonresident tu­ition is in ad­di­tion to the en­roll­ment fee.

In accordance with Education Code section 68130.5, all students other than nonimmigrant aliens under 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15), are eligible for exemption from nonresident tuition if the following requirements are met:

• The student must have attended a high school (public or private) in California for three or more years.
• The student must have graduated from a California high school or attained the equivalent prior to the start of the term (for example, passing the GED or California High School Proficiency exam).
• An alien student who is without lawful immigration status must file an affidavit with the college or university stating that he or she has filed an application to legalize his or her immigration status, or will file an application as soon as he or she is eligible to.

Students without lawful immigration status (undocumented aliens) are also eligible for this waiver if, in addition to the above criteria, they have ap­plied for legalization or intend to do so as soon as they become ­el­i­gi­ble. Contact an Admissions and Records office for more information and to complete a questionnaire form to verify eligibility.

Nonresident Student Capital Outlay Fee

In addition to the enrollment fee and nonresident student tuition, nonresident students must pay a Nonresident Student Capital Outlay Fee of $8.00 per unit. This fee is mandatory unless students can show “economic hardship.” Students wishing to apply for an economic hardship waiver must submit the completed paperwork to an Admissions and Records office.

Definition of Economic Hardship: Victim of persecution or discrimination in the foreign country in which the applicant is a citizen and resident, or who is a recipient of benefits under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, the Supplemental Income/State Supplementary Program, or a general assistance program.

Parking Fee

Every vehicle using the Rocklin, Nevada Coun­ty, or Tahoe-Truckee cam­pus park­ing fa­cil­i­ties must display a valid park­ing permit, clear­ly vis­i­ble through the driver-side, front wind­shield of the ve­hi­cle, or a val­id DMV dis­abled per­son license plate or placard. Permits may be pur­chased through mySierra. Stu­dents re­ceiv­ing fi­nan­cial aid may be el­i­gi­ble to purchase a permit for a re­duced fee. Con­tact a Fi­nan­cial Aid of­fice for de­tails.

Parking Fee

Permit	Cost
Regular Semester Fee
Standard Permit—Rocklin and Nevada County	$50.00
Standard Permit—Tahoe-Truckee	$40.00
Standard Permit—Financial Aid Eligible	$25.00
Carpool Permit	$35.00
Motorcycle Permit	$13.00
Summer Session
Standard Permit—All Campuses	$25.00
Standard Permit—Financial Aid Eligible	$25.00
Carpool Permit	$25.00
Motorcycle Permit	$5.00

Daily permits are available for $3.00 per day at per­mit dis­pens­ers lo­cat­ed in parking lots. There is no charge for parking from 4:00 p.m. Friday to 11:00 p.m. Sunday.

Parking permits are non-transferable. A park­ing per­mit does not guar­an­tee that a parking space will be avail­able. Citations will be is­sued to ve­hi­cles with­out permits and for violations of district policy and state law. For more information re­gard­ing park­ing fees, rules, or re­funds, contact the Parking and Security Services office at (916) 660-7120, or visit the campus parking web page .

Student Body Photo ID Card/Activity Sticker

Students who have paid all registration fees are eligible for Student Body Photo Identification Cards. The cards are issued at the Rocklin, Nevada County or Tahoe-Truckee Campus Admissions and Records offices. Students are required to have the photo ID to check out materials at the Sierra College Library and to use the Mathematics Laboratory, Testing Center, and Instructional Laboratories. There is no fee for the ID card.

A student body activity sticker may be purchased each fall and spring semester for $10.00. The sticker, when affixed to the ID card, provides student discounts at campus activities, performances, and athletic events, discounts at local participating businesses, and access to wireless Internet service at specific locations on campus. The sticker may be purchased through mySierra. Contact the Rocklin Campus Life Office at (916) 660-7380 for further details including refund information.

Student Center Fee

The mandatory Student Center Fee is designated solely for the purpose of funding and operating a student center. The fee, charged for the fall and spring semesters, is $1.00 per unit, to a maximum of $5.00 per se­mes­ter. Ex­emp­tions are given to:

• Recipients of Board of Governor’s Fee Waiver Type A; and
• Students enrolled exclusively in noncredit courses.

Additional Semester Expenses¹

The following are approximate costs of other fees and ex­pens­es for a full-time student for one se­mes­ter:

Additional Semester Expenses

Item	Cost
Room and Board (on campus)	$3,600.00
Books and Supplies	$400.00
Transportation (by car)	$700.00
Personal (clothes, recreation, etc.)	$900.00

1	These are es­ti­mates and are subject to change. Personal expenses vary with individual needs and tastes.

Refunds

Enrollment, health and student center fees are refundable to stu­dents who are dropped or drop themselves from full-term classes within the first two weeks of the fall and spring semesters. For specific short-term class refund dead­lines, stu­dents should refer to their printed student schedule/bill or the published class schedule, check their mySierra account, con­tact their pro­fes­sor or contact an Ad­mis­sions and Records office. Note: Refunds are not issued to students who drop or are dropped from classes by their professors after the census day.

Nonresident Student Tuition is refund­able for re­duc­tion of unit load if the stu­dent with­draws from full-semester classes during the first two weeks of a semester. Short-term classes have their own deadlines.

One-half of Nonresident Student Tu­ition is re­fund­able if the student completely with­draws from Sierra College with­in the first six weeks of a se­mes­ter, or the first two weeks of a summer session. This is not an automatic refund; students must submit a request to the Bursar's office.

All students receive a Refund Selection Kit after their initial registration in classes. Students may choose from the following disbursement options: direct deposit to an existing bank account, direct deposit to a BankMobile VIBE account, or paper check via U.S. mail. If no option is chosen, the default is a paper check.

Refunds are automatically processed two to three weeks after the semester begins. Allow an additional 14 days for paper check disbursements. For more information, read the Refund Information article  on the website.

Parking Permit Refunds

Applications for refunds will be ac­cept­ed during the first two weeks of a semester or the first three days of a summer session. Ap­pli­cants must present their park­ing per­mit to a campus Parking and Security Ser­vic­es office along with a com­plet­ed park­ing re­fund re­quest form. Al­low six weeks for the re­fund to be processed.

American Opportunity and Lifetime Learning Education Tax Credits

In accordance with the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997, Sierra College mails Tax Form 1098-T at the end of January to each student who paid enrollment fees in the prior calendar year and was officially enrolled as of the course census date. This information is also provided to the IRS. It is the student’s responsibility to provide proof of payment in accordance with IRS regulations. Please check with a tax preparer to determine if you are eligible for either of these tax credits or contact the IRS directly at (800) 829-1040 or at www.irs.gov . The records of students who have chosen an assigned identification number are not reported.

Reference: Sierra College Board Policies/Administrative Procedures Chapter 5 .