Welcome!
Santa Monica College supports undocumented students throughout their journey in education. Immigration status does not affect admission eligibility regardless of DACA-eligibility. We offer a variety of services and resources to further the success of our current and future students.
Requirements for New Students
- Must be 18 years of age or older; or
- Younger student who has graduated from a regionally accredited high school; or
- 16 years of age and possessing a "Student Score Report" for passing the California High School Proficiency Examination.
- Requirements differ for High School Concurrent Enrollment Students.
Steps to Apply:
Apply to SMC
Start by creating an account or signing in to OpenCCC. Complete and submit the CCCApply admission application. Because of undocumented status, you may not be able to verify your identity through ID.me as part of your OpenCCC account setup.
Without ID.me verification, your application may be flagged as spam and delayed.
If your application is delayed and you’re unable to complete ID.me verification, please contact Admissions & Records for assistance.
Note: Under California and federal law, SMC does not disclose information to any agency or person without the consent of the student (except when compelled to do so through a Court-issued subpoena).
Complete the California Dream Act Application
AB 540 students should complete the California Dream Act Application. The earlier you apply, the better.
To receive disbursements, students 18 or older must verify their identity through ID.me when creating their OpenCCC account. If you can’t verify online, bring a government-issued photo ID to Admissions and Records or the Financial Aid Office to complete verification.
Submit a Nonresident Tuition Exemption and high school transcripts
Eligible AB 540 students qualify to pay in-state enrollment fees. Submit a Nonresident Tuition Exemption to Admissions and Records, along with your California high school transcript, to determine your eligibility. We will accept an unofficial transcript showing you are a high school graduate. Submit transcripts no later than September 15 following your graduation.
Complete Orientation, Placement, and Education Planning (if required)
You will get an email informing you if orientation, placement, and education planning are required. See a counselor to help select your classes.
Enroll in Classes
Congratulations! You have completed all of the steps above. Now you can search for classes and enroll in the term you applied for.
VIDEO TUTORIAL: HOW TO VIEW YOUR ENROLLMENT DATE/TIME
VIDEO TUTORIAL: HOW TO LOGIN TO CORSAIR CONNECT (STUDENT PORTAL)
Important Information
AB-540/DREAM Act
The California Dream Act allows students enrolled at California colleges to apply for financial aid.
DREAM Center
The Santa Monica College Dream Resource Center is committed to creating a safe, nurturing, and supportive environment for undocumented students, and students from mixed-status households, to feel empowered to achieve their academic, professional, and personal goals.
California Nonresident Tuition Exemption
California Community College students who qualify for the Nonresident Tuition Exemption
(previously referred to as the AB540 Exemption) will be charged in-state enrollment
fees—currently, $46 per unit, and not the supplemental tuition charged to nonresidents.
Links and Resources
Contact and Support
Admissions
- Chat with Pearl! Click on the blue button at the bottom-right.
- QLess: Join our QLess call back line
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Email: admissions@smc.edu
- Phone: 310-434-4380
Technical Questions (24/7)
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Call: 877-247-4836
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TTY: 877-836-9332
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Email: support@openccc.net
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Ask Questions: Ask a question, share an idea, or report a problem.
Account Recovery
If you have previously created an OpenCCC account but do not remember the username or password, you can recover your account information via email or text message by clicking the "Forgot?" tab on the CCCApply sign in screen. You will receive instructions to the selected recover method for recovering your username, and creating a new password. Santa Monica College does not have access to OpenCCC accounts and is unable to assist students in recovering their account information. Please follow up with OpenCCC if you are unable to recover your account using their account recovery system.
