Admissions and Registration

The following groups are eligible for admission to San Bernardino Valley College:

• Any individual, age 18 or above, who can reasonably profit from instruction.
• Any individual who has graduated from high school or who has been awarded a California Certificate of Proficiency, who has successfully completed the GED, or has been awarded a certificate of completion from a high school.

Admission Regulations and Residency

AB 540

San Bernardino Valley College, in compliance with California law, welcomes non-resident students, and will charge them the same fees as California residents, for tuition purposes, if they meet all of the following criteria:

• Have attended a combination of California High Schools, Adult Schools, and Community College for the equivalent of three (3) years or more.
• Have a high school diploma (or equivalent)
• In the case of non-immigrant aliens, you have applied for legal status – or will sign an affidavit stating your intent to do so.

Please visit the Admissions and Records Office for further information.

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)

You are eligible for DACA if you:

• Were under the age of 31 as of June 15, 2012;
• Came to the United States before reaching your 16th birthday;
• Have continuously resided in the United States since June 15, 2007, up to the present time;
• Were physically present in the United States on June 15, 2012, and at the time of making your request for consideration of deferred action with USCIS;
• Entered without inspection before June 15, 2012, or your lawful immigration status expired as of June 15, 2012;
• Are currently in school, have graduated or obtained a certificate of completion from high school, have obtained a general education development (GED) certificate, or are an honorably discharged veteran of the Coast Guard or Armed Forces of the United States and Have not been convicted of a felony, significant misdemeanor, three or more other misdemeanors, and do not otherwise pose a threat to national security or public safety.

Individuals can call USCIS at 1 (800) 375-5283 with questions or to request more information on the deferred action for childhood arrivals process.

Discharged Members of the Armed Forces

A student who was a member of the Armed Forces of the United States stationed in California on active duty for more than one year immediately prior to being discharged shall be exempt from paying nonresident tuition for up to one year if he or she files an affidavit with the community college stating they intend to establish residency in California as soon as possible. This one-year exemption shall be used while the student lives in this state and within two years of being discharged (effective January 1, 2013, AB 2478 amended Education Code Section 68075.5 to give the student two years to start the one-year exemption period as the student may need to temporarily to return to their home state after discharge and may not be able to immediately start their education in California). A former member of the armed forces of the United States who received a dishonorable or bad conduct discharge shall not be eligible for this exemption.

High School Students

Students who are currently attending high school, and are seeking advanced scholastic or vocational work may apply for admission to San Bernardino Valley College as a specially admitted, concurrently enrolled high school student.

Each student’s application and records are reviewed individually, and not all students who apply will be admitted. The over-arching concern of the admission review process is that the high school student is adequately prepared to engage in the rigors of college-level work, and has a high probability of success.  

To be eligible for dual enrollment, high school students must demonstrate that they are prepared for the rigor of college courses through one of the following methods:

• Successful completion of a student development course selected with the guidance of an SBVC Counselor
• Demonstrated academic success.  In order to meet this criteria, students must have a total weighted high-school GPA of 2.0 or greater and have been successful in similar courses

High school students wishing to attend SBVC must complete and submit the following items, at least two weeks prior to the beginning of instruction:

• Regular application for admission to SBVC
• Concurrent Enrollment Petition form
• Confidential Youth Emergency Card
• Official copy of their high school transcript

The Concurrent Enrollment Petition form requires the signature of the high school principal (or designee), certifying the student is academically qualified, and recommending the student for an advanced academic or vocational experience. All forms are available online at the Admissions and Records website. The courses requested at SBVC must not duplicate courses currently available at the high school.

All concurrently enrolled high school students must participate in the college assessment and orientation prior to approval to enroll.  High school students are limited to 11 units per term, unless they are participating in the Middle College High School or CCAP program.

In addition, dual enrollment students must complete a mid-semester check in with an SBVC Counselor.  Students who fail to fulfill this requirement will be limited to a maximum of one (1) course per semester for the following semester.

International Students

San Bernardino Valley College is approved by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to admit non-immigrant international students who are taking lower division coursework for transfer to four-year institutions or who are taking coursework leading to a vocational training certificate or an associate degree. San Bernardino Valley College requires international students to submit or mail to the Counseling Center (AD/SS 103) complete international application packages, including the following items:

• International student application for admission
• Non-refundable processing fee of $25
• A minimum score of 45-46 on the internet-based TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or a minimum score of 4.5 on the IELTS (International English Language Testing System).
• Official transcripts (i.e., academic records) from high school and college(s) previously attended, accompanied by a notarized translation if the original is not in English
• An affidavit of support form or form I-134, an official bank letter and an original bank statement, verifying sufficient funds are available to cover all expenses while studying in the U.S.
• Photocopy of passport
• Photocopy of I-94, I-20 and visa, if the student is currently studying in the U.S.

* If mailing, please write on the envelope: Attention: International Student Counselor*

The international application deadlines are May 1 for the Fall semester, October 1 for the Spring semester, and March 1 for the Summer sessions. International applicants living outside of the U.S. at the time of their applying to the college are strongly recommended to apply at least six months before the term starts. After submitting international application packages, applicants need to complete the General College Application online. Information about the international application can be found at the college’s website.

If an applicant is admitted to the college, students will receive a letter of acceptance, along with an I-20 Form (Certificate of Eligibility) issued by the college. Per USCIS regulations, international students must maintain full-time student status and enroll in at least 12 units per semester. International students are also required to purchase health insurance to cover the time they are residing in the U.S.

Non-Resident Veterans AB13

In August 2014, the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 (VACA Act) was signed into law. Please see the Admissions and Records Office for more details. (VACA is only applicable for students who are using CH. 30, 33, & 33TR GI Bill® benefits). A student who is a full-time employee of a public institution of higher learning, or whose parent or spouse is a full-time employee, will be entitled to resident classification until they have resided in the state the minimum time necessary to become a resident. Any student may make a written appeal to the Director of Admissions and Records within 30 calendar days of notification of a final decision by the college regarding classification.

Out-of-State Students

Out-of-state applicants are admitted to the college on the same basis as California residents except that they are required to pay non-resident tuition fees and Capital Outlay Fee in addition to other fees required by the college. After a student has been present in California for one year and has manifested clear intent to become a California resident, they may apply for reclassification as a California resident.

Residence Requirements

Residence determination must be made each semester for nonresident tuition purposes. The college application and, if necessary, other evidence furnished by the student are used in making residency determination. All documentation must be submitted within 2 weeks of start of term or submission of admissions applications. Residency will not be changed once the semester has ended. Any adult who is physically present in the state while, at the same time, intending to make California their permanent home, may establish legal residence. The resident determination date is the day immediately preceding the opening day of instruction for each semester or term.

Steps must be taken at least one year prior to the residence determination date to establish the intent to make California one’s permanent home with concurrent relinquishment of the prior legal residence. Some indications of intention to establish and maintain California residence include, but are not limited to:

• Payment of California state income tax as a resident;
• Registering to vote and voting in California;
• Possessing California motor vehicle license plates;
• Possessing a valid California driver’s license;
• Maintaining a permanent military address or home of record in California while in the armed services;
• Establishing and maintaining active California bank accounts;
• Being a petitioner for a divorce in California.

In general, an unmarried minor (a person under 18 years of age) derives legal residence from the parent or parents with whom he/she lives. The student who is within the state only for educational purposes does not gain the status of resident regardless of the length of his/her stay in California.

Exceptions to the Residence Requirements are as Follows:

1. Persons below the age of 19 whose parents were residents of California but who left the state while the student who remained was still a minor. When the minor reaches 18, the exception continues for one year to enable the student to qualify as a resident.
2. Persons below the age of 19 who have been present in California for more than a year before the residence determination date and who have been entirely self-supporting for that period of time.
3. Persons below the age of 19 who have lived with and have been under the continuous direct care and control of an adult, not a parent, for the two years immediately preceding the residence determination date. Said adult must have been a California resident for the most recent year.
4. Active Duty Military Students EC 68075; T5 54042; LEGAL OPINION 10-05: Students who are members of the armed forces of the United States domiciled or stationed in California on active duty are entitled to resident classification for purposes of determining the amount of tuition and fees for the duration of their attendance at a community college as long as they remain on active duty as of the residence determination date. If that member of the armed forces of the United States who is in attendance at an institution is thereafter transferred on military orders to a place outside this state where the member continues to serve in the Armed Forces of the United States, he or she shall not lose his or her resident classification so long as he or she remains continuously enrolled at that community college. Please note that exclusions or limitations from residency classification for active military duty students related to students “seeking a graduate degree” or “members of the armed forces who were assigned for educational purposes to state-supported institutions of higher education” are no longer applicable under the current statute and federal law. (The Chancellor’s Office has concluded that service in the California National Guard does not constitute being a member of the Armed Forces of the United States for Education Code sections 68074 and 68075.)