This Graduate Enrollment Checklist is a guide to the steps you need to complete for enrollment at CCA for new graduate students in Summer and Fall 2024.

If you have questions or need help with any of these steps, please contact graduateprograms@cca.edu.

In-person attendance is expected for all 2024 programs

CCA has resumed full in-person instruction on campus. Whenever your program offers in-person instruction, students will be expected to attend those courses in-person; the college is not able to offer virtual or hybrid options or exceptions.

CCA's COVID-19 vaccine recommendation

CCA supports student, staff, and faculty health and supports actions that reduce the spread of COVID-19. All students, faculty, and staff are strongly recommended to be up-to-date on their vaccinations against COVID-19 (with all recommended doses in their primary vaccine series, and one booster shot).

To confirm your attendance at CCA, you need to accept your offer of admission and submit your nonrefundable $500 enrollment deposit.

1. Go to the CCA Graduate Applicant Page. (This is the same page you may have used to check your application status.)
2. Access your applicant profile by clicking the blue button at the top right corner to log in.
3. Use the email address you used to apply in Slideroom to log in. Use the "reset password" feature if you are having trouble logging in.
4. Under the heading "Your Applications," select your application, and follow the instructions to accept your offer of admission and submit your enrollment deposit.

After submitting the enrollment deposit, students will receive an email confirmation, and then receive a second email with instructions on how to create their CCA Workday account and set up their CCA email address.

Students will need to set up their CCA email address before they are able to complete any of the checklist items below. If you need assistance, please email graduateprograms@cca.edu.

After you have set up your CCA email account, use the same CCA account credentials you have just set up to log into CCA’s student information system, Workday, by going to: workday.cca.edu. You will use this system for many administrative processes as a student, such as accessing your student records and viewing your class registration.

To help you better navigate and understand the workings of this system, CCA has a variety of resources available to students on the CCA portal:

• To get acquainted with your Workday home dashboard, we recommend reviewing this Intro to Workday Step by Step Guide
• Your Workday student profile is a comprehensive hub for viewing your information and completing a range of tasks. Get started by learning how to navigate your student profile: Navigating My Student Profile Step by Step Guide.
• For general understanding of how to navigate Workday, we encourage you to reference these Common Workday Features + Functions.

If you have any questions or need general technical support accessing Workday, please contact helpdesk@cca.edu.

After you have set up your CCA email account, use your CCA account credentials to log into CCA’s student information system, Workday, by going to: workday.cca.edu

At the top right corner of the homepage after logging into workday.cca.edu, you will see an inbox icon with a number in a bubble representing tasks or messages in your workday inbox. This is where you will find messages and action items. These may continue to be added throughout the summer as you continue the enrollment process, so be sure to check your Workday account regularly.

This action item will ask you to review and update your personal information, including preferred name, legal name, and preferred pronouns.

Refer to this step-by-step guide: Review My Personal Information.

This action item will ask you to review and update your contact information including your current home address, phone number, and email address. If you plan to live on campus for Fall 2024, you can update this information after you receive your housing placement information.

Refer to this step-by-step guide: Review My Contact Information.

This action item asks you to add emergency contacts, such as parents or guardians, for CCA to contact in case of an emergency. CCA strongly recommends that students add more than one emergency contact.

RAVE is CCA's wireless campus-wide emergency response network to quickly inform the community about any situation that poses a threat to safety. In the event of a campus emergency, email alerts will be automatically sent to all CCA email addresses. We encourage all students to add an emergency contact to their profile, someone CCA can contact if there is an emergency.

Refer to this step-by-step guide: Add Emergency Contacts

Understanding I-20 and F-1 Visa

Most international students must obtain a student F-1 visa to come to the United States to study full time in a degree program. In order to apply for an F-1 student visa, you will need an I-20 (Certificate of Eligibility) from CCA.

The Form I-20 is a U.S. government form issued by designated school officials at CCA. It states that the student named on the form has been accepted for a full-time course of study at CCA and that the school has reviewed financial documents needed to prove that the student has the financial means to live and study in the US for the full duration of their program.

Start the I-20 process

International students for 2024 should start the student visa process as soon as they make their enrollment deposit, and must submit an I-20 Request Form as the first step. Follow these instructions to submit an I-20 Request in Workday.

Please review CCA's International Student Services Portal page for further information about the I-20 process as a first step in the F-1 student visa process to come to the US to study at CCA.

Travel to the US

For information about traveling to the US, you may reference International Student Services' Travel in F-1 Visa status portal page.

After you create your CCA account, you will be able to log in to review your financial aid award package. If you applied for need-based aid, this information may not be immediately available due to FAFSA delays.

Review your financial aid award

Follow the instructions in View Financial Aid (Accept/Decline Awards) step by step guide to review and take action on your financial aid awards.

If you have questions about your financial aid awards, please make an appointment for a phone or virtual appointment. You may email finaid@cca.edu for questions, but please allow 1-2 days for a response.

Apply for need-based aid

In addition to institutional awarded merit or programmatic scholarship you may have received with your offer of admission, if you are a U.S. citizen, you may also take steps to qualify for need-based aid. If you have not already, complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and include CCA's federal school code 001127.

Housing options just for graduate students

Secure housing in the competitive Bay Area market before you start your program! CCA housing offers 9-month and summer lease options, depending on the instruction times of your program. Apply now to live in CCA graduate student housing in one of our two San Francisco residences in the sunny Potrero Hill neighborhood:

Blattner Hall

Opened in 2018, CCA's apartment-style community is located three blocks away from the San Francisco campus. Blattner hall offers spacious two- and four-bedroom apartment units, fully furnished, with full kitchens and modern amenities.

Founders Hall

Located next door to CCA's main building and graduate classrooms, Founders Hall offers graduate students a limited number of fully-furnished studio apartment or suite-style options, both with kitchenettes, and a shared outdoor terrace with views of the iconic San Francisco skyline. On the ground floor, CCA's dining facility, Makers Cafe, offers convenient meal plans for students.

Residents of both Founders and Blattner Hall are required to participate in the baseline meal plan assigned to the unit type as outlined in CCA's meal plan policy.

Fall 2024 housing application process for new incoming graduate students

The priority housing application deadline is May 31, 2024

Unit type and roommate preferences (if applicable) will be prioritized by housing application submission date, so the earlier you submit your application, the better chance you have at getting your preferred room type. Students who submit their housing application and Housing License Agreement by the May 31 priority housing application deadline will receive their room assignments by July 1.

Steps to apply for CCA housing:

Students first need to set up their cca.edu email address and Workday account, and wait 24 hours for their registration in Workday to process.

1. Access your Housing at CCA account: enter your CCA username and password (same as your CCA email). If you just created your CCA username, please note that it may take up to 24 hours before you can access your housing account with your new username.
2. Select “Get Started” –the blue button next to the Housing Application title.
3. Read the housing application carefully, and complete all fields as necessary.
4. Review and submit your application.
5. After receiving and reviewing your housing application, CCA Housing will send you a Housing Offer with an agreement for your review and signature.
6. Submit your $250 housing confirmation payment. This non-refundable payment will be applied toward your housing charges. Once paid, you will be entered into the housing assignment process.

Need help with your application? Contact housingdining@cca.edu or give us a call at +1 415-551-9223.

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CCA Housing, Dining and Residential Education provide a supportive residential community that honors the whole student through co-curricular experiences and learning. Contact housingdining@cca.edu to learn more.

After the college has received your enrollment deposit, new incoming graduate students in all programs except MFA Comics will have the opportunity to register for Fall classes, after May 15th. Because MFA Comics students start in summer, they will be administratively registered for their first semester of classes before the end of May. Please check your CCA email in early May for more information.

Billing notification will be sent out in Summer 2024 after registration is complete

Students will be notified and will be able to view their bill statement in their CCA account. Please wait to receive a statement for the Fall 2024 semester before submitting your first payment.

The first tuition payment will be due August 1st

We will post CCA’s 2024-25 standard rates and fees for incoming students to review ahead of receiving their first bill. Students who do not make their first payment by the August 1st due date may incur a late fee.

Payment plans are available!

View payment plan options and enroll in a payment plan via Touchnet. Touchnet is CCA's authorized and secure third-party payment plan processor. By enrolling in a payment plan online, you can track and schedule your payments to be deducted automatically from your credit card, debit card or bank account (via echeck).

Here is how you can view your billing statement and set up a payment plan in Touchnet:

1. Visit Touchnet Bill+Pay.
2. Login with your Workday username and password.

View Touchnet page navigation video

You can also access Touchnet though your CCA Workday account:

1. Log into workday.cca.edu using your CCA account credentials
2. Click on "My Student Finances"
3. Under the heading "Student Account," click on "Pay and Enroll in a Payment Plan via Touchnet". This will redirect you to CCA's authorized Touchnet payment page.

You can view these steps as video instructions to access Touchnet via Workday. Once logged into Touchnet, see "Touchnet page navigation video" above.

Refer to our billing page for more information.

All full-time CCA students are required to have comprehensive health insurance coverage while enrolled at California College of the Arts. 

Per CCA policy, all graduate students who are registered at 9 or more units per semester will be automatically enrolled in and billed for CCA’s Student Health Insurance Plan, unless they submit an online waiver application with proof of coverage by comparable health insurance, and the waiver is approved before the student health insurance waiver deadline.

Enrolling in CCA's student health insurance

CCA's student health insurance coverage for the 2024-25 academic year is provided through an Aetna EPO plan. It is a U.S nationwide insurance plan, so students will have access to a network of doctors, hospitals, pharmacies and specialists throughout the Bay Area and nationwide.

If you plan to enroll in CCA’s Student Health Insurance Plan for the 2024-25 academic year, you do not need to take any action. The cost for student health insurance will be included in the student account bill you receive in July.

Coverage dates for the students on the student health insurance plan are: August 1, 2024 - July 31, 2025.

Waiving CCA's student health insurance

A student may waive coverage from CCA's health insurance plan if you have continued health insurance coverage from another provider, and your personal health insurance plan meets established minimum-coverage requirements.

The health insurance waiver period for 2024-2025 will open in Summer 2024. More information and specific dates will be communicated to deposited students later this Spring. Any students seeking to waive CCA student health insurance are encouraged to start the process early. You can find more information about the process, documentation, and general requirements to be eligible for a student health insurance waiver here.

Questions? Please email healthinsurance@cca.edu.

Digital technology has the potential to enhance the study and practice of all disciplines within art and design. CCA views computing as an essential tool and promotes the digital literacy of all students. CCA requires that incoming students own an external storage device and laptop that meets our minimum system requirements. This requirement will help ensure that all students have access to the college’s digital resources at home or on campus. You will be asked to acknowledge CCA's Technology Requirement policy in your Workday account.

Graduate student technology requirements

Graduate students should refer to the Program Technology Requirements page for specific laptop requirements. If your program is not listed, the minimum system requirements will be appropriate.

Student discounts

CCA students are eligible for computer purchase discounts, access to Adobe Creative Cloud and educational pricing on software to assist with the cost of these recommendations and requirements.

RAVE is CCA's wireless campus-wide emergency response network to quickly inform the community about any situation that poses a threat to safety.

Use Manage Contact Information Step by Step Guide to add an emergency contact to your account, someone CCA can contact if there is an emergency.

Update your Portal profile

CCA Portal is the internal site for information, resources, and directory for students, staff and faculty. Find instructions for updating your Portal profile here.

Set up your Student ID photo
Students should take the opportunity this summer to set up their student ID photo to create their CCA OneCard card. Student ID cards will be used for room access, meal purchases, equipment check-out and use, and general campus access, so this process should be completed before your first semester on campus.

Any student choosing to live in CCA housing this fall should upload their photo by August 1 to ensure a smooth check-in process to CCA Residence Halls. Please see ID photo requirements and step-by-step instructions for how to complete.

New Student Orientation is a required, comprehensive, and personal introduction to California College of the Arts that will help you get to know other students, faculty, and staff who will become an important part of your college experience.

Deposited students will receive more information about orientation dates and requirements in Summer 2024.

Questions? Contact orientation@cca.edu.

Disability/Access Services

Providing access to a diverse student population is embedded in CCA’s philosophy.

We recognize disability as an aspect of diversity that is integral to society and to the campus community. CCA’s Disability / Access Services collaborates, with students, faculty, staff, and community members to create usable, equitable, inclusive, and sustainable learning environments. Students who have a documented disability or chronic medical condition should request academic accommodations by contacting the Office of the Dean of Students at access@cca.edu to schedule an intake appointment.

Career Development Office

CCA’s various departments and offices offer opportunities for domestic and international students to gain professional experience while in college. The Career Development Office is here to help students translate their passions into meaningful creative careers and practices. Students can apply to off campus opportunities and engage with employers on Handshake.

Work study jobs are posted on the internal college job board called Workday. Also, learn more about the Work Study Programs at Internal Job Board & Starting to Work.

FERPA

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their educational records:

• The right to inspect and review their educational records within 45 days of the day CCA receives a request for access
• The right to request the amendment of educational records that the student believes to be inaccurate or misleading
• The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in their educational records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent
• The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by CCA to comply with the requirements of FERPA

For full details of your rights, see Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act.

ARCH Art Supplies

ARCH Art Supplies, an independent art supply store and a San Francisco fixture since 1978, has been the go-to location for CCA students and faculty to purchase their supplies since they moved to Potrero Hill in 2001. In August 2021, they moved into the retail space in CCA’s Blattner Hall (1490 17th Street), making it even easier for CCA students to buy supplies and CCA merch on the go.

Online: shop.archsupplies.com

In-person: Visit ARCH at their storefront in Blattner Hall (1490 17th Street).