Eligibility

Admission to Sierra College is open to any person who:

  1. Has a high school diploma, GED, or passed the high school proficiency examination, or
  2. Is over 18 years of age and capable of profiting from instruction.

Admission Procedures

All new students and students returning to Si­er­ra Col­lege after an absence of one primary (Fall or Spring) se­mes­ters must sub­mit an ap­pli­ca­tion for ad­mis­sion prior to reg­is­ter­ing for class­es. Electronic ap­pli­ca­tions are available online at www.sierracollege.edu. Paper applications may be obtained at a campus Admissions and Records office. Students are encouraged to submit official high school and col­lege tran­scripts to Ad­mis­sions and Records.

Each semester the college offers registration op­por­tu­ni­ties to those who file an application for ad­mis­sion. For more information regarding registration steps, please visit the Admissions and Records website.

Residency Re­quire­ments

For the purpose of determining tuition and en­roll­ment fees, Si­er­ra College stu­dents are subject to the le­gal res­i­dence re­stric­tions es­tab­lished by the Cal­i­for­nia leg­is­la­ture. Res­i­den­cy is de­ter­mined at the time of ad­mis­sion and re­quires a state­ment of legal res­i­dence. Sup­port­ing doc­u­men­ta­tion may also be re­quired.

Any student who has not established California residency will be clas­si­fied as a nonresident for tuition purposes. Regulations allow certain students to apply for nonresident tuition waivers. Nonresident stu­dents who wish to request a res­i­den­cy sta­tus change must submit a Residency Reclassification Petition and required documentation by the end of the semester in question to Admissions and Records. Additional residency documentation options are available for active and discharged members of the military. 

For further information on how California residency may be established, or how to apply for a nonresident tuition waiver, please click here or contact Admissions and Records. 

International Students

International students attend Sierra College from around the world. Assistance with the application and registration process is provided by Admissions and Records. Students can access international student information and application forms on the college website.

In­ter­na­tion­al stu­dents wish­ing to apply for study to the col­lege on an F-1 visa must sub­mit the fol­low­ing to Admissions and Records:

  1. A completed Sierra College International Stu­dent Ap­pli­ca­tion.
  2. Meet at least one of the following English Lan­guage Re­quire­ments:
    TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score of 65 iBT (internet- based test), Duolingo Score of 100, Cambridge English Score (CEFR) of B2, or 5.05 IELTS (International English Language Testing System). This requirement is waived for students from countries that use English as the primary language in their educational systems. This requirement is waived for students from coun­tries that use En­glish as the primary lan­guage in their ed­u­ca­tion­al sys­tems.
  3. An of­fi­cial bank statement (in English) dated within three months indicating that there are sufficient funds available to cover tuition ex­pens­es (minimum $40,000.00 U.S. dollars).
  4. Official transcripts trans­lat­ed into En­glish in­di­cat­ing successful com­ple­tion at a sec­ond­ary school equiv­a­lent to com­ple­tion of an Amer­i­can high school and tran­scripts from any col­leges or uni­ver­si­ties at­tend­ed.
  5. A copy of valid passport (photo page).
  6. A non-refundable application processing fee of $150.00 pay­able to Sierra College in the form of a MasterCard or Visa credit card, cashier’s check, or check drawn on a U.S. bank (do not send cash). 

International Student Priority Application Deadlines

Fall semester May 1
Spring semester October 15

NOTE: Prior to arriving in the United States, prospective students shall submit to Sierra College proof of freedom from tuberculosis dated no more than 90 days before the start of classes. This report must be professionally translated to English.

Mandatory Sierra College Health Insurance

All in­ter­na­tion­al stu­dents at­tend­ing Sierra Col­lege must purchase mandatory health in­sur­ance from our approved provider. There are no ex­cep­tions, even for students who have health insurance through their home coun­tries.

Academic En­rich­ment Program

Sierra College provides special part-time ad­mis­sion to stu­dents who have completed the eighth grade and have demonstrated satisfactory academic standing.

Students must attend a high school which has a current Academic Enrichment Compliance form on file. Home schooled students must have an affidavit indicating they are legally home schooled.

Students must submit a Sierra College ap­pli­ca­tion for admission, an Academic En­rich­ment Permission form, and a high school transcript as needed.  En­roll­ment must be recommended by the school principal or counselor/designee, and have the consent of a parent or guardian. Students should be counseled by the high school staff to determine the courses in which they should enroll. Enrollment is limited to a maximum of 11 units per semester. Specific courses in which students may not enroll are published online on the Academic Enrichment Restricted Course List. Stu­dents admitted under these provisions are subject to all college rules and regulations and are not eligible for student employment. For more information please contact the Outreach Office at (916) 660-7340 or visit the College in High School website. 

Sierra College provides special part-time admission to students at participating high schools to enroll in college courses offered on their high school campus. Students can receive high school and college credit upon successful completion of these courses.  

Dual Enrollment Program

Students must submit a Sierra College application for admission, a Dual Enrollment Permission Form, and transcripts if requested.  Enrollment must be approved by the high school counselor or designee and have the consent of a parent or guardian.  Enrollment is limited to 11 units per semester, unless a 15 unit exception is allowable for specific course types.  Students admitted under these provisions are subject to all college rules and regulations and are not eligible for student employment. 

For more information please visit the College in High School website. 

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