Credit: Christina House/Los Angeles Times/Polaris

Cal State University Fullerton pupil Linh Trinh, 21, right, and her swain Tan Nguyen, 21, walk around a deserted CSUF campus on Tuesday, Apr 21.

Credit: Christina House/Los Angeles Times/Polaris

Cal Country University Fullerton educatee Linh Trinh, 21, right, and her boyfriend Tan Nguyen, 21, walk around a deserted CSUF campus on Tuesday, April 21.

This report was last updated on February 25, 2021

Q: When will colleges reopen for in-person education?

A:Nearly all of the state's public colleges and universities plan to significantly increase the number of in-person classes for the Fall 2022 academic term.

The California State University Chancellor Joseph I. Castro said the 23-campus system remains committed to returning to in-person instruction past the fall, just repopulating the campuses will depend on the availability of coronavirus vaccine and the advice of medical and public wellness experts.

The University of California system also is planning for a return to primarily in-person instruction across its ten campuses this fall. All the same, specific plans volition be announced past individual UC campuses in one case they coordinate with public wellness agencies.

The 115 California Community Colleges that offer in-person teaching will continue offering online education and some in-person classes through the spring semester.

Q: Are students living on campus?

Since the onset of the pandemic, about universities across California have express housing in on-campus dorms to students with special circumstances, such as former foster youth and students who don't have admission to housing away from their universities.

In that location are some exceptions, nonetheless. While not at full capacity, UC San Diego has guaranteed housing this academic twelvemonth to freshmen, sophomores and transfer students. Well-nigh 10,000 students are living on that campus, which is more than the number of students living on any other UC or CSU campus.

At Stanford University, campus leaders have invited all juniors and seniors to alive on campus during the spring quarter, which begins March 29.

Q: How tin students access emergency financial aid Congress approved in the coronavirus relief funding to colleges?

A:Students should contact their campus fiscal aid function for more details virtually qualifying or applying for emergency relief.

In December, Congress canonical a new round of Covid-19 funds. Of that corporeality, more $2.83 billion volition become to California's public and private colleges. Search the EdSource database to larn how much each higher or university in California and nationwide received.

Q: What financial aid is available to students?

A: Students should complete a Free Awarding for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, or California Dream Act awarding to apply for state and federal fiscal assist. The Dream Act application is typically for undocumented students, and then they tin receive country assist. The statewide borderline for applying for aid is March ii.

Cal Grants are land financial help awards that don't need to exist paid back and are awarded each year to hundreds of thousands of students at community colleges, also as CSU, UC and private campuses.

Q: What if I don't accept internet access, or not reliable access, at my home?

A: Community college students who don't have a computer or other device to have classes online should cheque with their local college for possible laptop loan programs, according to the guidance.

Students who attend a four-year university and don't have internet at domicile should cheque in with officials at their universities.

Q: Has any admissions criteria changed for incoming students?

A: The University of California and California State University systems have relaxed some of their admissions criteria for incoming freshmen and transfer students.

UC and CSU suspended the SAT and ACT requirement for electric current loftier schoolhouse seniors applying for autumn 2022 freshman access. UC so went a stride further and abandoned the SAT and ACT exams every bit a freshman admission requirement in May and may implement a new examination requirement by 2025.

Last year, high school seniors were allowed to submit pass/no pass grades in identify of traditional letter grades for A-G courses completed in winter, spring or summertime 2020. A-1000 courses are the set of high school classes students must take to be eligible to attend i of the nine UC undergraduate campuses or one of the 23 CSU campuses.

Legislation has also been introduced in the state Associates that would require CSU to accept pass/no pass grades earned during the 2020-21 bookish yr for admissions purposes. The bill would encourage UC and private institutions to also accept those grades.

EdSource higher instruction reporters Ashley A. Smith and Michael Burke contributed to this report.

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