Enrolling in Courses

Students may enroll online using the SURF online enrollment system with certain exceptions (e.g., challenging a prerequisite, time conflict, or petitioning to repeat a class). All enrollment instructions, important dates and times, and online restrictions are described in each semester's class schedule.

The college provides early enrollment dates for matriculated students (see Matriculation ), students participating in Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS) or Disabled Students Programs and Services (DSPS), foster youth and former foster youth (up to and including the age of 24), and active duty or recently discharged military personnel. (Contact Admissions and Records , DSPS , EOPS , or the Veterans Education Office for more information.) Note: Priority enrollment may not apply to enrollment in certain vocational or allied health programs that require a separate application process.

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ALERT: Changes to Priority Registration—Effective Fall 2014

The California Community Colleges Board of Governors approved changes that will establish system-wide enrollment priorities designed to ensure classes are available for students seeking job training, degree attainment, or transfer and to reward students who make progress toward their educational goals.

• New students who have completed college orientation and assessment and have developed educational plans as well as continuing students in good academic standing who have not exceeded 90 units(not including units in basic English, math, or English as a Second Language) will have priority over students who do not meet these criteria.

• Active duty military and recently discharged veterans, current and former foster youth, followed by students in Extended Opportunity Programs and Services and Disabled Student Programs and Services will continue to have the earliest priority for registration if they meet the same criteria listed above.

• The regulations, unanimously approved by the Board of Governors, will be implemented in fall 2014. We encourage students on probation to seek help to improve their academic standing. Students nearing 90 units should carefully plan their remaining courses.

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Credit Courses

Most MiraCosta College courses are offered for credit. That means they are taught by credentialed faculty who meet with students at regularly scheduled times or in self-paced or online formats, and they offer graded instructional experiences that require preparation averaging two hours of additional study for every hour of instruction (lecture). Credit courses are offered to meet requirements for two- and four-year degrees, job preparation or advancement, and basic skills. 

Courses numbered from 0 to 49 are basic skills or college preparatory courses. Credit from these courses does not apply toward the associate degree and is not intended for transfer to a four-year college or university. Students may take a maximum of 30 units of such courses; however, an exception is made for students enrolled in one or more courses of English as a Second Language (ESL) and students identified as having a learning disability. (For more information, see Non-Degree Applicable Courses in the Academic Standards & Policies section of the catalog.)

Courses numbered from 50 to 99 provide credit toward the associate degree, but this credit is not intended for transfer to a four-year college or university. However, the final determination for credit rests with the transfer institution.

Courses numbered from 100 to 199 represent introductory material and expectations for vocational or academic programs. These courses provide credit toward the associate degree, and this credit is intended for transfer to a four-year college or university. However, some courses that fall within this numbering system may be associate-degree-applicable only, and the final determination regarding the transfer of credit rests with the receiving institution. Courses that at minimum transfer to the California State University (CSU) or University of California (UC) as elective credit identify their transfer status in the "acceptable for credit" section of their course descriptions. Students are encouraged to meet with a MiraCosta College counselor and refer to www.assist.org  to determine if a course also meets a specific major-preparation requirement. Courses approved for the CSU (Plan B) and UC (Plan C) general education patterns are identified in the Transferring Course Work section of the catalog.

Courses numbered from 200 to 299 often assume skills and knowledge acquired in previous courses. Like the 100-level courses, they provide credit toward the associate degree, and this credit is intended for transfer to a four-year university. However, some courses that fall within this numbering system may be associate-degree-applicable only, and the final determination regarding the transfer of credit rests with the receiving institution. Courses that at minimum transfer to the California State University (CSU) or University of California (UC) as elective credit identify their transfer status in the "acceptable for credit" section of their course descriptions. Students are encouraged to meet with a MiraCosta College counselor and refer to www.assist.org  to determine if a course also meets a specific major-preparation requirement. Courses approved for the CSU (Plan B) and UC (Plan C) general education patterns are identified in the Transferring Course Work section of the catalog.

Courses numbered from 900 to 999 do not fall in any of the above categories but are, for the most part, specialized or advanced. Credit from these courses cannot be applied toward an associate degree.

Course Identification Numbering System (C-ID)

However, many universities, including the University of  California (UC), do not participate in the C-ID numbering system. Therefore, students should always go to www.assist.org to confirm how each community college’s course will be accepted at a specific four-year college or university for transfer credit.

Course Outlines

Students wishing detailed information about courses, such as minimum standards in terms of learning objectives, types of assignments, and level of difficulty involved, may access course outlines at www.miracosta.edu/instruction/webcms  under Public Access.

Course Selection

Course selection is generally the student's responsibility and is based on the student's academic plan and previous academic record. Enrollment in English and math courses may require placement testing, which is described under "Assessment" in the Matriculation section of the catalog (see Matriculation ). Members of the counseling staff are available to assist students in evaluating their academic potential and in making proper class selections.

Requisites & Other Enrollment Limitations

Prerequisites and corequisites are conditions of enrollment that students have to meet in order to register in a specific course. A prerequisite is a course that must be completed with a "C" or better prior to registration in the specific course; a corequisite is a course that is required to be taken the same semester as another course. Prerequisites and corequisites may be established for any of the following reasons:

• They ensure students have the knowledge and skills that are necessary for success in a specific course.
• They are required by a four-year public institution.
• They are part of a closely related lecture/lab pairing within a discipline.
• They are required by statute or regulation.
• They are necessary to protect the health or safety of the student or others.

Other enrollment limitations are established to prevent students from duplicating course work or from enrolling in two sections of the same course at the same time. In addition, some intercollegiate competition and public performance courses have auditions or try-outs that restrict enrollment to those students judged most qualified. 

Meeting & Clearing Prerequisites

Students may meet prerequisite requirements through satisfactory completion of designated MiraCosta courses or by completing course work from other United States regionally accredited post-secondary institutions. To clear prerequisites taken at another institution, students need to provide a transcript or other evidence, such as a grade report, to the Admissions and Records Office along with a Requisite Review form. The office reviews the transcript or other evidence to determine applicability. Additionally, students may meet prerequisites by qualifying through appropriate MiraCosta competency or other approved exams. High school course work may not be used to clear prerequisites unless the prerequisite listed in the course description specifically allows for it.

Only grades of "C" or higher (2.0 grade points based on a 4.0 scale or the equivalent) may be used to clear a prerequisite unless the course description states otherwise. All prerequisites need to be cleared before students can enroll online. Students who are enrolled in a requisite course can enroll in a course that requires the prerequisite for the following semester pending proof of the requisite course's satisfactory completion. If a student does not pass the requisite course with a "C" or better, he or she will be involuntarily withdrawn from the course and refunded applicable fees.

Challenging Requisites & Other Enrollment Limitations

A student may challenge any prerequisite, corequisite, or other enrollment limitation by submitting a MiraCosta College Challenge form at the time of registration to the Admissions and Records Office. The student will be enrolled in the requested class if space is available. The department whose course requisite or enrollment limitation is being challenged will review the challenge and notify the student of the department's decision within five instructional days (excluding weekends and holidays). If the challenge is upheld, the student may remain in the course; if it is denied, the student will be dropped from the class and refunded all applicable fees.

The only grounds for challenging a prerequisite or corequisite are as follows:

• It has not been established in accordance with the district's process for establishing prerequisites and corequisites.
• It is in violation of Title 5.
• It is either unlawfully discriminatory or is being applied in an unlawfully discriminatory manner.
• The student has the knowledge or ability to succeed in the course despite not meeting the prerequisite or corequisite.  
• The student will be subject to undue delay in attaining the goal of his or her student educational plan because the prerequisite or corequisite course has not been made reasonably available. 

The only grounds for challenging an enrollment limitation are as follows:

• It is either unlawfully discriminatory or is being applied in an unlawfully discriminatory manner.
• The district is not following its enrollment procedures.
• The basis for the limitation does not in fact exist.

Multiple & Overlapping Enrollments

Students may not enroll in two or more sections of the same credit course during the same term unless the length of the courses allows enrollment without the student being enrolled in more than one section at any given time.

Enrollment in two or more courses that have overlapping meeting times is not allowed except in special circumstances. To request approval for such an exception, the student needs to submit a Time Conflict Approval form. If the student is allowed to enroll in overlapping classes, then for attendance accounting purposes, he or she must satisfy all of the following requirements:

• The student provides sound justification other than scheduling convenience.
• The director of Admissions and Records approves the schedule.
• MiraCosta maintains documentation describing the justification and showing the student made up the hours of overlap during the same week under the instructor's supervision.

Adding Classes

Full-semester-length and 15-week classes may be added through the first week of the semester (or session) or, at the instructor's discretion, through the second week. If a student wishes to add a class that is closed (full), he or she may attend the first class meeting and request a permission number from the instructor if room becomes available. A student has not successfully added a class until he or she has officially enrolled and paid the appropriate fees. The instructor will ask the student to verify enrollment with the receipt obtained from SURF or the Admissions and Records Office/Student Accounts. A student may not add a class after the deadline listed in the class schedule. Students who believe they have extenuating circumstances for adding late may petition the instructor and appropriate dean. Deadlines for short-term, late-start, and open-entry classes are available in the Admissions and Records Office.

Dropping Classes

Students are responsible for dropping their own unwanted classes; however, instructors may drop students who are absent for the first class meeting or who have excessive absences thereafter. In addition, students may be dropped for non-payment, for failing to meet prerequisites, or as a result of disciplinary action.

To avoid receiving a failing grade, a student must officially drop a class either by using the online SURF system or by submitting a Drop Card to the Admissions and Records Office by the appropriate deadline. The instructor's signature is not required on the Drop Card. Three deadlines pertain to dropping a class: the first entitles the student to a refund and no record on his or her transcript; the second deadline results in a "W" (withdrawal) rather than an evaluative grade and no refund; and the third deadline is the 60 percent withdrawal date for calculating return of Title 5 funds for financial aid purposes. Each semester's class schedule lists the deadlines for dropping standard full-semester and short-term classes.

Wait List for Full Classes

Some classes fill quickly. Prior to the start of the class, students have the option to be placed on a wait list for full sections. Throughout registration before the first class meeting, a nightly process will attempt to auto enroll students into any available seats. Information regarding success, payment required, and problems will be communicated to students via email. If not auto-enrolled, wait list students (along with all enrolled students) are required to attend the first meeting of the class. If enrolled students are not present or other students decide to withdraw from the class, the instructor may allow students from the wait list to enroll. The instructor issues those students a permission number to use for adding the class on SURF. Students who wish to waitlist online courses should select wait list and contact the instructor via email once the class begins to inquire about possible openings.

Classes for which a student is waitlisted do not count as official enrollment and may not be used to fulfill enrollment requirements toward financial aid or verifications of enrollment. 

Fees

MiraCosta College is required by state law to charge each student a per-unit enrollment fee for credit classes. This fee is subject to change as directed by the California Legislature. All other fees are subject to change as directed either by the California Legislature or by the MiraCosta College Board of Trustees in accordance with Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations.

Detailed information about fees, financial aid, and scholarships can be found in each semester's class schedule, in the Financial Aid Office (located in Building 3000 of the Oceanside Campus), and at  www.miracosta.edu/studentservices .

Fees are due at the time of enrollment. Any debt will result in denial of further enrollment privileges and withholding of services, such as transcript requests and enrollment verifications.

Non-Resident Tuition

International students and non-California residents pay a per-unit non-resident fee. A student classified as a non-resident is required, except as otherwise provided, to pay a non-resident fee per unit in addition to the regular enrollment fee.

Cost of Textbooks

Most credit courses require students to provide their own textbooks, lab manuals, workbooks, and supplies. Course materials such as these can be purchased new or used from the college bookstore. Because textbooks are often more expensive than the enrollment fee, students are encouraged to participate in the bookstore's textbook rental, used book, and book buy-back programs. Students who need assistance paying for books should contact the Financial Aid Office to determine their eligibility for financial aid, book grants, or book loans.

Books for classes taught at the Oceanside Campus and all online courses must be purchased or rented at the Oceanside Spartan Bookstore or the Oceanside website; books for classes taught at the San Elijo Campus must be purchased or rented at the San Elijo bookstore or the San Elijo website; books for classes taught at the Community Learning Center (CLC) must be purchased or rented at the CLC bookstore.

Health Services Fee

All students enrolled in credit courses and taking any number of units at the Oceanside Campus, San Elijo Campus, or Community Learning Center are required to pay a health services fee as prescribed by the MiraCosta College Board of Trustees.

Students enrolled in credit courses conducted at other locations must also pay the health services fee. However, companies or school districts that arrange for MiraCosta to conduct classes at off-site locations may request a waiver of the health services fee by providing proof of accident insurance. Arrangements for a fee waiver need to be made with the Office of Instruction when off-site class negotiations are conducted.

The following students are not required to pay the health services fee:

• Those who are enrolled in noncredit courses. (They may choose to pay the fee if they want to use and benefit from the health and medical services that the Health Services Office provides.)
• Those who depend exclusively upon prayer for healing in accordance with the teachings of a bona fide religious sect, denomination, or organization. (These students must present documentary evidence of their affiliation with a bona fide religious sect, denomination, or organization.)

Instructional Material Fees

Some courses have a "required instructional and other materials" fee, which means students must purchase certain materials as a condition of their registration, enrollment, or entry into a class. These materials must be necessary for the student to achieve the respective course's objectives, and they must be of continuing value to the student outside of the classroom setting (per Title 5 §59402). Examples of these materials include, but are not limited to, tools, equipment, and clothing that are necessary for a student's vocational training and employment.

Parking Fees

All student vehicles parked on campus must be registered with the Parking/Campus Police Office, which is located in Parking Lot 1A on the Oceanside Campus and on the east side of the entrance to the San Elijo Campus. Upon request, the office will provide a copy of all the rules and regulations that pertain to parking on campus.

A parking fee is charged for registration of each vehicle each semester with some exceptions, which are listed in the class schedule, and the fee varies with the type of vehicle. Students receive a parking decal when they register their vehicle, and it needs to be affixed properly to the registered vehicle. Students who violate the college's parking rules and regulations are subject to citations and fines.

Student Center Fee

A Student Center fee of $1 per credit unit with a maximum of $10 per academic year (summer through spring) is charged to students enrolled in on-campus credit classes at the San Elijo or Oceanside Campus. This fee is waived for students who provide the Financial Aid Office with documentation of their participation in AFDC/TANF, SSI, or General Relief.

Student Identification Card Fee (optional)

The student identification (ID) card supports a variety of college services, such as using computer and language labs and writing checks in the college bookstore. The student ID card also serves as the college library card, expediting access to the library circulating collection and academic reserve collections. Students without a valid MiraCosta student ID card must provide proof of current semester registration along with a government-issued photo ID and proof of current address to access these library services.

Another advantage of having a student ID card is the cardholder discount students receive at various North County businesses, such as at participating copy centers, theatres, restaurants, clubs, museums, and sports events. In addition, ID card fees help fund a number of student activities and campus events as well as the publication of the Chariot student newspaper.

To obtain a card, students need to pay the fee at enrollment and bring their receipt of purchase and a picture ID to the Student Activities Office at either campus.

Transcript Fees

Two transcripts are provided to each student without cost. Additional copies cost $5 each. An additional $2 processing fee is charged for transcripts ordered online. 

Refunds

Student Eligibility for Refund

Refunds of enrollment, non-resident, Student Center, health services, and materials fees are given to the following students:

• Those whose classes have been canceled by the district
• Those who have officially dropped from classes (they have dropped online using SURF or turned in a Drop Card to the Admissions and Records Office) during the first two weeks of a full-semester class (or by 10 percent of a short-term class)
• Those who are members of an active or reserve military service who receive orders compelling a withdrawal from courses at any time during the semester.

Processing of Refunds

Refunds are automatically mailed or credited to the student's credit card throughout the semester. Students who have not received their refund by the sixth week of classes should call the Student Accounts Office at 760.795.6835.

Students who receive federal financial aid funds and totally withdraw before the 60 percent date of the term require a refund and repayment calculation to determine funds owed back to the various federal aid programs by both the college and the student. Unofficial withdrawals (grades of all Fs and/or Ws) also require a refund and repayment calculation. Refunds of federal aid programs are made according to a formula established by the U.S. Department of Education. Additional information is available in the Financial Aid Office.

Penalty for Dishonored Checks

A $10 penalty is levied for every check dishonored by the bank and returned to the college. This penalty is in addition to any and all other fees, fines, and charges.

A $10 processing fee is charged for a clearance of a HOLD that has been put on a student's record.

Delinquent Debt Collection Charge

Each student is responsible for paying all fees for a term or session. When classes remain on or are added to a student's schedule and fees are not paid, the fees owed are past due and subject to the collections process. If a delinquent debt is sent to the State Chancellor's Office Tax Offset Program, a 25 percent penalty charge may be added to the balance owed.