California

Community

Colleges

Hosted by: Ryan Eckles

Athletic and General Counselor at Las Positas College

Tonight's Program

Benefits of Attending a Community College

• Less expensive!
• High transfer rate to UCs, CSUs, et al
• Improve your transcript/GPA after HS
• Open to all students
• Schedule flexibility
• Small class and lab sizes = 28 approx.
• Vibrant student life, athletics, leadership opportunities

• Certificate of Achievement. Designed for immediate entry into the workforce. Entry-level job opportunities. Education about 18-24+ units. No general education is required; requirements are discipline specific.

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• Associate Degree (Associate in Arts, Associate in Science). Designed to provide discipline-specific education (your major), + AA or AS general education. Greater amount of education and training. Job opportunities higher than “entry-level.” Need 60 units to earn AA/AS degree.

Units comprised of General Education requirements + Major requirements

What is the Community College Pathway?

• Transfer to a 4 year college (with or without an Associates Degree)

Community College offers the best value and the lowest tuition.

Compare the average cost to attend a full time each year.

For 12 units, tuition is $552 per semester.

$46

*LPC Unit Cost

Yearly Tuition 2025-2026

Value of Community College

Page No - 11

*In-state tuition. Does not include books, parking, and other fees.

Types of Classes

Community College Educational Pathways

• Transfer Options:
• Transfer to a bachelor’s-granting institution (a “four-year” university) to earn your Bachelor’s degree
• Earn your Associate Degree for Transfer (AA-T, AS-T)
• Transfer with or without an AA/AS degree

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Community College Educational Pathways

Transfer Options:

• You typically need at least 60 units to transfer to a public California university as junior (University of California or California State University). 
• Transfer requirements (courses and number of units) vary for private/independent and out-of-state campuses.
• Visit Counseling Office

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Where can I transfer?

Colleges, Universities, Career/Technical Colleges can be:

• Public, private, religious, for-profit, and out-of-state (including HBCUs)
• Some Examples: 
• California State University system (23 campuses) = public
• University of California system (9 undergraduate campuses) = public
• Saint Mary’s College, Stanford University = private / independent
• UT-Austin, NYU, University of Hawaii = out-of-state
• University of Phoenix, Capella University = for-profit*

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* With for-profit colleges, verify regional accreditation.

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Guaranteed Transfer Programs

23

30

7

6

Guaranteed Transfer Pathways 

Even without a guarantee program, LPC students transfer to many universities including UC Berkeley, UCLA, University of Southern California, Cal Poly – San Luis Obispo, and many more. Developing a Student Educational Plan with a counselor is essential.

UC TAG Eligibility

• 30 transferable units required when submitting the TAG; 60 by the Spring before transfer

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• Only students transferring directly from a California Community College are considered for a TAG, including international students

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• Specific courses and grades may be required; most (but not all) majors eligible (varies by campus)

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UC Transfer Admissions Guarantee (TAG)

Did you know?

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91% of transfer students come from a California community college.

Associate Degrees for Transfer (ADT)

• A transfer pathway used for admission to one of the 23 California State Universities

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• An option that allows students to complete an Associate’s Degree while satisfying general education and major requirements for transfer

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• Does not replace existing transfer options but provides an additional path for transfer

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• Prescribed pattern of courses for specific �majors (AA-T and AS-T) completed with 2.0 or higher GPA

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Benefits of ADT

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• Guaranteed admission to a local CSU in non-competitive major
• Transfer from Las Positas is to similar, non-impacted majors only
• LPC offers over 30 transfer degrees!
• GPA “boost” of 0.1 to 0.2 for impacted campuses and majors
• Opportunity to graduate in two years after transfer is also guaranteed.

Las Positas College can help you guarantee your transfer to many other schools by following individual campus and program requirements:�

 Saint Mary’s College

 University of the Pacific

 Santa Clara University

 Arizona State University

 University Arizona

 University of Hawaii at Hilo

 Over 35 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)

 Over 35 Accredited Independent California Colleges (ICCUs)

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Private Independent & Out-of-State�Guaranteed Transfer Programs

Honors Transfer Program

Program Requirements

• 3.75 GPA from high school OR
• Recommendation Letter from an Instructor/ Counselor

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Access to honors transfer guarantee and or/ priority agreements with over 30 multiple top competitive universities

DEGREES AND CERTIFICATES

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Student Support Programs

• Financial Aid Office
• Counseling
• Transfer Center / Career Center
• Student Health & Wellness Center
• Tutorial Center, RAW Center, Math Support
• Disabled Student Programs & Services (DSPS)
• Extended Opportunity Programs & Services (EOPS)
• California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs)

Career & Transfer Center

Offers resources and guidance to students such as:

• resume workshops
• interview skills
• job and internship fairs
• individual career assistance
• assistance with UC Transfer Admissions Guarantee (TAG)
• access to a nationwide database of college catalogs
• host admission reps from 4-year colleges and universities
• many resources on the career center and transfer center webpages.

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Financial Aid

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• Money to assist with the costs of college
• Grants
• Fee Waivers
• Scholarships
• Loans
• First-Time Full-Time Free Tuition Promise

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• 2026-2027 FAFSA/CADAA Now Open

Student Life at LPC!

• Student Clubs
• Student Government
• Inter-Club Council
• Club Fairs
• Job & Internship Fairs
• Fun theme days!

ATHLETICS AT COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Apply with our Steps to Register

3 Core Services

• Orientation
• Assessment
• Student Education Plan

Completing these core services will guarantee priority registration!

Important Tips

BUILD KEY PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH STUDENTS, PROFESSORS, COUNSELORS & LEADERS

CREATE A STUDENT EDUCATION PLAN WITH A COUNSELOR

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ALL CAMPUS RESOURCES & STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES

IT'S NORMAL TO FEEL OUT OF PLACE AS YOU ENTER COLLEGE

VISIT CAREER AND JOB FAIRS ON CAMPUS. USE HANDSHAKE FOR NEW OPPORTUNITIES

STAY UPDATED ON WHATS GOING ON