Academic & Campus Information
Use this page to access important information related to registration, refunds, financial aid, academic policies, student records, available support programs, and more.
Drop For Non-Payment
All student fees must be paid in full by the following deadlines or you may be dropped from all of your classes:
Last Day To Pay Online: Sunday, August 3, 2025
Drop Date For Non-Payment: Monday, August 4, 2025
Students on a waitlist for a class must check their El Camino College email daily to find out if they have been admitted to the class. Waitlisted students admitted to the class must pay those class fees by the same deadlines listed above or they will be dropped from all classes. For questions about the fee payment deadlines, call 310-660-3142.
Refunds
Students must drop their classes through the online system at MyECC according to the following schedule to receive a refund.
Sixteen-Week Semester:
Sunday, September 7, 2025
First Eight-Week Session:
Friday, August 29, 2025
Second Eight-Week Session:
Friday, October 24, 2025
To receive a refund for a parking permit, return the permit to the cashier’s window by the refund deadlines stated above. Refund checks will be mailed by the mid-point of the semester. Address changes should be promptly updated in the Admissions Office or via online form elcamino.formstack.com/forms/address.
The ASO Benefits Pass/Student Activities Fee (collected during fall and spring) is non-refundable after the second week of the semester.
Non-Resident Refunds
To receive a refund of your non-resident tuition for 16-week classes only, you must drop your full-semester classes through the online system at MyECC or in person with Admissions & Records by the following schedule:
16-Week Semester:
100%: Sunday, September 7, 2025
75%: Sunday, September 14, 2025
50%: Sunday, September 21, 2025
25%: Sunday, September 28, 2025
Financial Aid
Federal School Code: 001197
El Camino College offers financial assistance to students through the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), Cal Grants B and C, Student Success Completion Grant (SSCG), Federal Work-Study, Federal Direct Student Loans, Chafee Grant, and the California College Promise Grant (formerly known as the BOG Fee Waiver), and other state grants.
Apply for financial aid by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online at studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa. If you are a California Dream Act student (AB 540), complete the California Dream Act Application (CADA), in lieu of the FAFSA at dream.csac.ca.gov.
The best times to apply are October 1 to March 2; however, you may apply anytime. Follow the application process listed at www.elcamino.edu/admissions/application-enrollment to apply for financial aid.
Apply for the California College Promise Grant by completing the FAFSA or CADA. Please note that the California College Promise Grant only covers enrollment fees; students may be responsible for paying other fees, including the student health fee, student representation fee, and the Student Activities Fee/ASO Benefits Pass.
Ensure that you are also meeting the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy. (SAP is determined at the end of each semester for the subsequent semester.)
To maintain eligibility for the California College Promise Grant, students must meet academic and progress standards by maintaining a cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of 2.0 and completing more than 50% of units attempted.
For assistance and information, contact the Financial Aid Office.
If you are eligible for and receiving a Cal Grant award, keep in mind that you need to take at least 15 semester units per fall/spring semester or 30 semester units per academic year (fall, winter, spring, summer) in order to complete an associate degree within two years at El Camino College and/or to complete your bachelor’s degree within four years. Cal Grant awards are limited to four academic years, except for students enrolled in an institutionally required five-year undergraduate program or for students with bachelor’s degrees admitted to and enrolled in a professional teacher-preparation program.
Health Services Fee
In accordance with the California Education Code, Section 72246, students pay $26 each semester (and $22 per summer term) to cover the operation, supervision, programs and services of the Student Health Center. The Student Health Center is closed during the winter session. Students must be enrolled and currently attending at least one for-credit course to access the services provided by Student Health Services. There are exceptions under these conditions:
- Students who depend exclusively upon prayer for healing in accordance with the teachings of a bona fide religious sect, denomination or organization. Students who qualify for this exception may obtain a Health Services Fee Waiver form in the Student Support Services Division Office. All fee-waiver requests must be submitted by the second week of the term.
- Students will not be required to pay the student health fee if they are enrolled only in non-credit classes or only in apprenticeship classes.
The above students exempted from paying the Health Services Fee, if currently enrolled and attending at least one for-credit course, may choose to pay the fee through the Cashier’s Office at any time during the exempted term to access Student Health Services.
Student Health Services are provided for students 18 years of age or older who pay the mandatory Student Health Fee. High school students permitted to attend the college on a dual enrollment basis are not eligible to utilize Student Health Services.
Regularly enrolled college students under 18 years of age must pay the Student Health Fee and submit a parental or guardian consent form to receive most services. Due to the sensitive nature of topics discussed, children, including children of students, are not permitted in the Student Health Center. Educational materials and resources, as well as referrals to off-campus medical and mental health clinics may be found at www.elcamino.edu/studenthealthservices.
Exemptions: Students enrolled in non-credit classes only, students enrolled in apprenticeship courses only, and dual enrollment students will not be required to pay the Health Services Fee.
Refunds: Students who withdraw from all courses prior to the close ofthe second week of the term will be eligible for a refund of the Health Services Fee.
Admission Requirements
Any person over the age of 18 or possessing a high school diploma or its equivalent from the USA or other nation shall be admitted unless prohibited by law. If under the age of 18, students will qualify if they have:
- Graduated from high school; or
- Passed the California High School Proficiency Examination (CHSPE)
El Camino College may admit as a special part-time or special full-time student anyone in grades 11 or 12 who, in the opinion of the college president, may benefit from instruction. Concurrently enrolled 11th- and 12th-grade students must comply with all policies, follow all procedures, and meet all requirements by the published deadlines for each semester and/or term.
Attendance
Students who enroll in a class and do not attend the first scheduled meeting of the class may be dropped from the roster and their place may be given to a waitlisted student. During the course of the term, students may be dropped by the instructor for excessive absences. It is ultimately the student’s responsibility to drop a course.
California Nonresident Tuition Exemption Request
Formerly AB 540 Affidavit
California State Assembly Bills 540 and 2000 (AB 540 and AB 2000) and California Senate Bill 68 (SB 68) allow any student who meets all of the following requirements to be exempt from paying nonresident tuition at California Community Colleges, the California State University (CSU), and the University of California (UC).
1. Attendance at California schools. This requirement may be met in either of the following two ways:
- Total attendance (or attainment of credits earned) in a California high school or equivalent to three or more years of full-time attendance at California high schools, California high schools established by the State Board of Education, California adult schools (established by a county office of education, a unified school district or high school, or the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation), campuses of the California Community Colleges or a combination of these; or
- Three or more years of full-time California high school coursework, and a total of three or more years of attendance in California elementary schools, California secondary schools, or a combination of California elementary and secondary schools.
2. Completion of a course of study. This requirement may be met in any of the following ways:
- Graduation from a California high school or equivalent;
- Attainment of an associate degree from a California Community College; or
- Fulfillment of the minimum transfer requirements established for the University of California or the California State University for students transferring from a California Community College.
A student who meets the above requirements must file an affidavit with the Admissions & Records Office at El Camino College stating that he/she has an application to legalize his/her immigration status or will file an application as soon as he/she is eligible to do so. In addition to the affidavit, the student must also provide official high school and/or college transcripts that clearly show attendance in all semesters and the date of high school graduation and/or completion of transfer requirements or graduation from a California Community College. If the student attended more than one California high school and/or California Community College, then official transcripts from all high schools and/or California Community Colleges must be provided. If the student graduated through equivalency as mentioned above, then proof must be provided.
Student information obtained in this process is strictly confidential unless disclosure is required under law. Students who meet the criteria will be exempt from the payment of nonresident tuition but will not be classified as “California residents.” Students will continue to be classified as “nonresidents.” Students who are in the United States under a student or visitor visa are not eligible.
Registration Procedure
During priority registration each student is required to have a registration appointment before being permitted to register. Registration appointments are issued by the Admissions & Records Office and indicate the day and hour after which students may register.
Students who complete the admission requirements may check their appointment time on MyECC. Students must enroll on the date and time indicated or any time thereafter in accordance with the published registration schedule. Students who do not have a priority registration appointment will register during the open registration period.
Limitations
Enrollment in courses and programs may be limited to students meeting properly established
prerequisites and corequisites and for other reasons outlined in El Camino College
Administrative Procedure 5055.
Schedule of Classes
Before the registration period for each semester or term, the college publishes a
Schedule of Classes listing the courses offered and general registration procedures.
Schedules are available online at www.elcamino.edu/academics/schedules-calendars/class-schedules and may also be obtained at the Bookstore for a nominal fee. A searchable class schedule
showing open and available classes is also available online.
Priority Registration
In compliance with Section 58108 of Title 5, California Code of Regulations, priority
registration will be implemented as follows:
Registration Time Allowance
- All students may register on or after their scheduled registration appointment time, but not before.
- All students must register by the published deadlines and in accordance with the policies and procedures of the District. If a student fails to meet these deadlines or to follow the District’s policies and/or procedures, the student will not be allowed to register for the course. A student who attends and participates in a course without proper registration will neither receive credit nor a grade for that course, and the backdating of registration will not be considered by the District unless the student can prove that he/she properly registered in a timely manner and it was a college error that caused the registration to fail.
A hold against a student (dean, fee, dismissal, etc.), a failure by the student to apply for admissions, a failure by the student to meet prerequisites or corequisites, an unapproved course overload, a K-12 form or process not properly executed, an admissions hold (residency, AB 540, missing data, etc.) not resolved by the student in the manner and timeframe prescribed by the District shall not be considered to be college error. A student will not be allowed to enroll in a class if there is any time overlap with another class.
A student may not be allowed to enroll in a class if the enrollment violates any of the repeat rules as set forth in Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations or in the El Camino College policy and procedure on repeats. Attending and participating in a course without registration does not constitute college error.
For the complete El Camino College Board Policy and Procedure for Priority Registration, please see Board Policy 5055 and Administrative Procedure 5055.
Registration Priorities
During registration periods, the following registration priority shall be followed:
- Priority Level 1: Eligible students in veterans, foster youth, homeless youth, Disabled Students Programs & Services (DSPS)/Special Resource Center (SRC), Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS), CalWORKs groups, and Parenting students with dependedents under 17.
- Priority Level 2: Eligible students in District-designated groups.
- Priority Level 3: Continuing Students
- Priority Level 4: New/returning students who have completed orientation, assessment, and developed an education plan
- Priority Level 5: Other new/returning students, students who have reached over 100 units, Dual Enrolled/Concurrently Enrolled students
Students within a continuing student priority level will be prioritized by units earned, at or through El Camino College. The more units earned, the higher the priority up to an earned unit limit of 100. Continuing students with the same earned unit value will be prioritized randomly.
Students within a new/returning student priority level will be prioritized by the submission date of their application for admissions. New/returning students who applied on the same day will be prioritized randomly.
Eligible new students in Priority Levels 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 must have completed orientation, assessment, and developed an educational plan. Students should contact Veterans Services, Foster Youth, DSPS/SRC, EOPS, CalWORKs or one of the District-designated groups to receive information on qualifications for those programs and eligibility for priority registration.
Continuous Enrollment for Priority Registration
Continuous enrollment at El Camino College constitutes enrollment in the most recent
previous semester per academic year, excluding summer and winter terms. A student
must remain enrolled in at least one course for sufficient time to receive a grade
of “W” or a letter grade.
For the complete El Camino College Administrative Procedure 5055, Enrollment Priorities, please go to Enrollment Priorities.