Students that meet the basic eligibility criteria will need to "Opt In- Join"once their first eligible semester. Please login to your Corsair Connect SMC Promise to
Opt In or click on the following link to view a video tutorial on how to join: How To Join SMC Promise
Opt In deadline dates:
Fall 2025: September 14
Summer 2025: June 29
Spring 2025: March 02
Winter 2025: January 19
Fall 2024: September 08
SMC Promise Eligibility
Students will potentially receive 2 years of eligibility. A student's SMC Promise eligibility starts the first Fall semester
in which they would potentially qualify for the benefits, whether they attend or not.
Students can continue to receive eligibility so long as they enroll in their Unit
Requirement for the future semester.
Please login to your Corsair Connect- SMC Promise to check your eligibility status,
requirements, dates, deadlines and pertinent information: Welcome to Corsair Connect
1st Year
Requirements for all students interested in joining for the first time.
You are a California resident or an AB 540 student.
You graduated from any public or private California high school in 2025 and are directly
attending SMC as a first-time college student.
Starting in Fall 2025?
Opt-in- Join! by September 14, 2025.
You must meet and maintain your SMC Promise requirements, listed below, by the requirement
deadline of October 26, 2025:
Financial Aid Requirement: Complete and submit your 2025-2026FAFSA or DREAM.
Unit Requirement: Enroll in 12 units or DSPS- RCL Unit Reduction.
If you do not complete and or maintain your requirements by the deadline means that
you will fall out of SMC Promise and will need to PAY for your fees.
Please login to your Corsair Connect- SMC Promise to check your eligibility status,
requirements, dates, deadlines and pertinent information: Welcome to Corsair Connect
Eligible students with disabilities may be approved for fewer than 12 units as a reasonable
accommodation, DSPS RCL- Unit Reduction, but it must be on file prior to the beginning
of each semester. Contact the Center for Students with Disabilities at DSPS@smc.edu for more information.
2nd Year
Requirements to continue with SMC Promise for a second year.
Any student within their 2 years of eligibility can continue on to receive eligibility for a second year by simply
enrolling in their Unit Requirement. Please review the information below for further
details.
Attending in Fall 2025?
You must meet and maintain the SMC Promise requirements, listed below, by the requirement
deadline of October 26, 2025:
Financial Aid Requirement: Complete and submit your 2025-2026 FAFSA or DREAM.
Unit Requirement: Enroll in 12 units or DSPS- RCL Unit Reduction
If you do not complete and or maintain your requirements by the deadline means that
you will fall out of SMC Promise and will need to PAY for your fees.
Please login to your Corsair Connect- SMC Promise to check your eligibility status,
requirements, dates, deadlines and pertinent information: Welcome to Corsair Connect
Eligible students with disabilities may be approved for fewer than 12 units as a reasonable
accommodation, DSPS RCL- Unit Reduction, but must have it on file prior to the beginning
of each semester. Contact the Center for Students with Disabilities at DSPS@smc.edu for more information.
Summer & Winter
Summer and WInter short-term semesters are OPTIONAL to attend and are only covered by SMC Promise if you meet both requirements, Financial
Aid and Units.
Summer and Winter short-term semesters are OPTIONAL to attend. Most students will NOT be able to meet their Unit Requirement during the short- term semesters and will
need to PAY out of pocket if they attend.
Attending Summer 2025?
Opt-in- Join! by June 29, 2025.
You must meet and maintain your SMC Promise requirements, listed below, by the requirement
deadline of June 30, 2025:
Financial Aid Requirement: Complete and submit your 2025-2026FAFSA or DREAM.
Unit Requirement: Enroll in 12 units or DSPS- RCL Unit Reduction.
If you do not complete and maintain your requirements by the deadline means that you
will need to PAY for your fees.
Please login to your Corsair Connect- SMC Promise to check your eligibility status,
requirements, dates, deadlines and pertinent information: Welcome to Corsair Connect
Regain Eligibility
Any student who has Opted In and is still within their 2 years of SMC Promise eligibility, and has fallen out, onlyneeds to enroll in their Unit Requirement for the future semester, prior to that semesters
specific requirement deadline, to Regain Eligibility.
There is no need to make up units in the subsequent short- term Summer or Winter semesters
to Regain Eligibility, just enroll in your Unit Requirement for the future semester
prior to the next semester's requirement deadline!
Students will still need to complete both their Financial Aid and Unit Requirements by the semester's specific requirement deadline to receive the benefits of the SMC
Promise.
The following are some examples, but are not limited to such examples, to give you a better understanding
of how to Regain Eligibility:
Student is enrolled in their Unit Requirement of 12 units for the Fall 2025 semester
through the requirement deadline of October 26, 2025. At the end of the semester the student does not complete 12 units with passing grades.
The student then enrolls in their Unit Requirement of 12 units in the future Spring
2026 semester, prior to April 20, 2026. The student will automatically Regain Eligibility for the Spring 2026 semester.
Student is not enrolled in their Unit Requirement of 12 units for the Fall 2025 semester at the requirement
deadline of October 26, 2025. The student will need to pay for their Fall 2025 semester fees.
The student then enrolls in their Unit Requirement of 12 units for the future Spring
2026 semester, prior to April 20, 2026. The student will automatically Regain Eligibility for the Spring 2026 semester.
Student is part of DSPS and their Unit Requirement is 6 units. The student is enrolled
in 6 units for the Fall 2025 semester through the requirement deadline of October 26, 2025. At the end of the semester the student does not complete 6 units with passing grades.
The student then enrolls in their unit requirement of 6 units for the Spring 2026
semester, prior to April 20, 2026. The student will automatically Regain Eligibility for the Spring 2026 semester.
Student is part of DSPS and their Unit Requirement is 6 units. The student is not enrolled in their Unit Requirement of 6 units for the Fall 2025 semester at the requirement
deadline of October 26, 2025. The student will need to pay for their Fall 2025 semester fees.
The student then enrolls in their Unit Requirement of 6 units for the future Spring
2026 semester, prior to April 20, 2026. The student will automatically Regain Eligibility for the Spring 2026 semester.
Please login to your Corsair Connect- SMC Promise to check your eligibility status,
requirements, dates, deadlines and pertinent information: Welcome to Corsair Connect
If you have any questions about Regain Eligibility please send an email with your complete name and SMC ID number to the Welcomecenter@smc.edu or call 310-434-8101.
SMC Promise Special Consideration
If you do not qualify to Regain Eligibility or if you have an extenuating circumstance,
please email the Welcomecenter@smc.edu (opens in new window) to request a SMC Promise Special Consideration. It is not guaranteed that you will
gain eligibility, but your file will be reviewed. Or you can call for further information:
310-434-8101.