Residency Requirements

Residency Determination

A California resident, for purposes of attendance at a community college, is a person who is eligible to establish residence and who has maintained physical presence in the state for at least one year and one day immediately preceding the first day of classes with the intention of making California his or her home. The burden of proof to establish residence is on the student.

A student who is a non-U.S. Citizen must hold a Visa type that allows the student to establish domicile in the United States. California Education Code, Sections 68000-70902.

For more information, please visit the Cañada College Residency Requirements website at https://canadacollege.edu/admissions/residency.php

California Residents

Any California resident applying for admission to Cañada College must meet one of the following qualifications:

  • Be a graduate of a high school.
  • Be a non-high school graduate, 16 or 17 years of age, who has in his/her possession at the time of registration one of the following:
    • Formal certificate from California State Office of Education which indicates the student has passed the High School Proficiency Examination.
    • G.E.D., California High School Equivalency Certificate, with an average of 450 or above on all tests and a score of at least 410 on each test.
    • TASC - Test Assessing Secondary Completion
    • A formal, written document from the student’s high school district indicating he/she is exempted from any further high school attendance.
  • Be 18 years of age or older and, in the opinion of the President of Cañada College, be capable of profiting from the instruction offered.
  • Be a high school student whose admission is recommended by his/her high school principal and approved by the Registrar at Cañada.

Non-Residents

Out-of-state residents may qualify for admission to Cañada College by meeting the following requirements:

  • Be a graduate of a high school.
  • Be 18 years of age or older and capable of profiting from the instruction offered.
  • Have an academic record or test scores which indicate a potential for success in a college credit program.
  • Be a non-high school graduate, 16 or 17 years of age, who has passed the California High School Proficiency Examination or completed the G.E.D. examination series with an average of 450 or more on all tests and a score of at least 410 on each test.

AB540 Law: Certain non-residents may be exempted from paying non-resident tuition if they meet the following conditions:

  • Attended a combination of Califorina high school, adult school, and community college for the equivalent of three (3) years or more OR have three (3) or more years of California high school coursework and attended a combination of California elementary, secondary, and high school of three (3) years or more, AND received a California high school diploma or its equivalent, such as a GED or passing the California High School Proficiency Exam (CHSPE) OR have completed an Associate's Degree from a California Community College OR have completed the minimum requirements at a California Community College for transfer to a State University or the University of CA. If you are qualified, please complete the AB540 form and submit to the ContactUs link, by mail, or in-person to the Admissions and Records Office. Obtain the form from our website: canadacollege.edu/forms/residency.php or from the Admissions and Records office. 
  • This law does not apply to non-immigrant students such as F, H, or J, visa holders.
  • This law does not change or grant residency status; it exempts students from non-resident tuition.
  • There is no time limit on how far in the past the student might have attended and graduated from a California high school.