Eligibility

Students eligible for regular admission to Santa Monica College must be 18 years of age or older or must possess either (1) a high school diploma from a U.S. regionally accredited high school or from a foreign high school; or (2) a GED, a California Proficiency Program (CPP) Official Score Report, or a California High School Certificate of Proficiency (CHSPE), or the equivalent (e.g., a HiSET score report; a TASC [Test Assessing Secondary Completion] score report). Any apprentice, as defined in Labor Code Section 3077, or any other person who is over 18 years of age who, in the judgment of the Dean of Enrollment Services, is capable of profiting from the instruction offered at the College may also be admitted.

A student under the age of 18 who has completed high school from a U.S. regionally accredited or foreign high school or who possesses a GED or a California Proficiency Program (CPP) Official Score Report, or an official “Student Score Report” for passing the California High School Certificate of Proficiency (CHSPE) or the equivalent, may be admitted as a regular student, but must submit official proof of completion to the Admissions & Records Office in order to remove the “Under 18” years of age hold from the student’s record.

SMC will not accept the CPP, CHSPE, HiSET, TASC, or GED diploma without the score report. PLEASE NOTE: The California Department of Education has replaced the California High School Certificate of Proficiency (CHSPE) with the California Proficiency Exam (CPP). However, Santa Monica College will continue to accept valid CHSPE score reports issued to students.

Students who have completed 8th grade or who are currently attending high school may be admitted to Santa Monica College as part of the High School Concurrent Enrollment program and receive credit for SMC courses. Students may only attend on a less-than-full-time basis. For further information, refer to smc.edu/hsce or visit the Admissions Office.

Each student applying for admission or enrollment is classified as a “resident” or a “nonresident” for purposes of admission and/or tuition. Please see the Residency information below for important details regarding California residency requirements and how they apply to students attending Santa Monica College.

Students eligible for admission to noncredit programs must be 18 years of age or older or must possess a high school diploma from a U.S. regionally accredited or foreign high school, or a GED, California High School Certificate of Proficiency, or the equivalent (see above). A student seeking to enroll exclusively in noncredit courses, such as career development and college preparation courses, may be admitted to SMC once a noncredit application is completed. These students are not subject to the residency determination requirements of students enrolling in credit programs/courses. Students with F-1/F-2 status may not be admitted to noncredit programs. Students residing outside California are ineligible for enrollment in noncredit programs.

Applications will be accepted from those who wish to enter Santa Monica College with an F-1 or F-2 status. F-1 and F-2 students will be admitted for all terms. F-1 students are required to enroll in credit programs of 12 or more units in the fall and spring semesters. F-1 students admitted for winter or summer sessions must enroll in 4 or more units their first term. F-2 students are limited to enrolling on a less than full-time basis. Neither F-1 nor F-2 students may enroll in noncredit course.