Enrollment Priorities

References: Title 5 Sections, 58106 and 58108; Education Code 66025.8, 66025.9, and 66025.92; Board Policy No. 5055 – (BP) Enrollment Priorities.

Southwestern College shall adopt procedures for registration and standards for enrollment in any course that are consistent with Title 5 and uniformly administered by appropriately authorized staff. 

It is the intent of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges to provide priority registration for students who enroll in a community college for degree or certificate attainment, transfer to four-year college or university, or career advancement.

All courses of the College District shall be open to enrollment, subject to the priority system set forth herein.  Enrollment in courses and programs may be limited to students meeting properly established prerequisites and co-requisites, or due to other practical considerations. (See BP/AP 4260 Prerequisites, Co-requisites, and Advisories)

Enrollment may be limited due to the following:

  • health and safety considerations;
  • facility limitations;
  • faculty workload;
  • availability of qualified instructors;
  • funding limitations;
  • regional planning;
  • legal requirements; and
  • contractual requirements.
  1. Registration priority shall be provided to students in the following order:

Any new or returning Southwestern College student, or any student who is a member of Enrollment Priority levels one through three below, shall complete the matriculation process before being granted priority enrollment.

The matriculation steps that must be completed are:

    1) Orientation
    2) Assessment-Placement
    3) Student Education Plan.

State Mandated First level of enrollment priority shall be provided to students who are members of at least one of the following groups:

These registration priorities apply to courses during summer and intersessions as well as fall and spring semesters.

The following students will have the highest and equal priority for enrollment:

  • A member of the armed forces or a veteran pursuant to Education Code Section 66025.8;
  • A foster youth, former foster youth, homeless youth, or former homeless youth pursuant to Education Code Section 66025.9;
  • A student who has been determined to be eligible for Disability Support Services (DSS) or Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPs);
  • A student who is receiving services through CalWORKs;
  • A student who is a Tribal TANF recipient.

Students qualifying for level one enrollment priority shall be further prioritized as follows:

  • 50 to 90 units completed at Southwestern College.
  • 30 to 49 units completed at Southwestern College.
  • 0 to 29 units completed at Southwestern College.
  • 91 to 99 units completed at Southwestern College.

Second level of enrollment priority shall be provided to students who are members of at least one of the following groups:

  • Associated Student Organization Executive Board, Senate members, and Student Trustee.
  • District Identified Learning Communities.
  • Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) Program.
  • University Links.
  • Vocational Rehabilitation.
  • Honors Program.
  • Eligible student athletes.
  • Undocumented students who have self-identified with the District, completed the California Dream Act Application, or registered under AB540.
  • Restorative Justice students who have recently been released from incarceration during the past year..
  • Current Southwestern College student workers in good academic standing

Students qualifying for level two enrollment priority shall be further prioritized as follows:

  • 50 to 90 units completed at Southwestern College.
  • 30 to 49 units completed at Southwestern College.
  • 0 to 29 units completed at Southwestern College.
  • 91 to 99 units completed at Southwestern College.

Third level of enrollment priority shall be provided to students who are members of the following group:

  • SWC High School Early Admission Program (EAP) students (fall term only).

Students qualifying for level three enrollment priority shall be further prioritized as follows:

  • 50 to 90 units completed at Southwestern College.
  • 30 to 49 units completed at Southwestern College.
  • 0 to 29 units completed at Southwestern College.
  • 91 to 99 units completed at Southwestern College.

Fourth level of enrollment priority shall be provided to students who are members of the following group:

  • Continuing students who have not lost registration priority, as defined in these policies and procedures.
  • Students who attend an Altus School (Charter School of San Diego, Audeo, Audeo II, Audeo III, Audeo Valley Charter School, Grossmont Secondary, Sweetwater Secondary, Mirus)

Students qualifying for level four enrollment priority shall be further prioritized as follows:

  • 50 to 90 units completed at Southwestern College.
  • 30 to 49 units completed at Southwestern College.
  • 0 to 29 units completed at Southwestern College.
  • 91 to 99 units completed at Southwestern College.

Fifth level of enrollment priority shall be provided to students who are members of the following group:

  • New and returning (former) students on a first-come, first-served basis.

Sixth level of enrollment shall be provided without priority to students who:

  • Have been on academic probation more than two consecutive semesters OR.
  • ​Who have earned 100 or more degree applicable semester units.
  1. Loss of Enrollment Priority

Enrollment priority specified in this section shall be lost at the first registration opportunity after the student:

  • Is placed on academic or progress probation or any combination thereof as defined in BP/AP 4250 Probation for two consecutive terms; OR
  • Has earned 100 or more degree-applicable semester units or quarter equivalent units at the District.

A unit is earned when a student receives a grade of A,B,C,D or P in a degree-applicable course. The 100-unit limit does not include units for non-degree applicable English as a Second Language (ESL) or basic skills courses or special classes for Disabled Students.

The District shall notify students who are placed on academic or progress probation of the potential of loss of enrollment priority. The District shall notify the student that a second consecutive term on academic or progress probation will result in loss of enrollment priority as long as the student remains on probation.  The District shall notify students who have earned 75 percent or more of the unit limit that enrollment priority will be lost when the student reaches the unit limit. 

  1. Petition Process:

If a student loses enrollment priority status as listed in Section II, an appeal may be filed based on one of the following circumstances. The appeal petition will be available at the Admissions Office.

  1. Extenuating circumstances: Extenuating circumstances are verified cases of accidents, illnesses or other circumstances beyond the control of the student.
  2. Student with a disability who applied for, but did not receive reasonable accommodation in a timely manner.
  3. Student with a disability, authorized for priority enrollment as a DSS authorized academic accommodation, and making progress towards academic goals.
  4. Student who has demonstrated significant academic improvement, defined as achieving no less than the minimum grade point average and progress standards.
  5. Student who is enrolled in High-Unit ajors or has accumulated units from Advanced Placement or Credit by Examination.
  6. Student is within his/her final semester of degree, certificate, and/or transfer completion.
  7. Honors Students who have no other available opportunity for honor addendums, based on their academic goal.
  1. Other requirements

Students will not be required to participate in any preregistration activity not uniformly required; nor shall the College or District allow anyone to place or enforce nonacademic requisites that are not expressly authorized as barriers to enrollment or the successful completion of a class.

With respect to accessibility to off-campus sites and facilities, no student is to be required to make any special effort not required of all students to register in any class or course section. Once enrolled in the class, all students must have equal access to the site.

  1. Definitions
  • Associated Student Organization (ASO)–Executive Board and Senators Currently elected or appointed members serving the students of SWC. Students must meet all ASO requirements.
  • CalWORKs - Students must be enrolled in the CalWORKs program at SWC.
  • Continuing Student - Students who enrolled in the previous academic term or semester at SWC. Students who do not attend summer sessions will not lose continuing student status.
  • Disability Support Services (DSS) - Students must be enrolled in the DSS program at SWC.
  • District Identified Learning Communities - Students who are currently enrolled and/or successfully complete the requirements for a District-Identified Learning Community such as Puente Project, Bayan, UMOJA, CHEL, FYE, Athletics, and Fast Track Pathway. 
  • Early Admission Program - Offered to Sweetwater Union High School District and any other high school district graduate who completes the  EAP steps in the Spring semester of their senior year. 
  • Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS) - Students must be enrolled in the EOPS program at SWC.
  • Foster Youth or Former Foster Youth - Student whose dependency was established or continued by the court on or after their 16th birthday and who are no older than 25 years of age at the commencement of the academic year. Student must provide court documents or other forms of County or State Health and Human Services documents as proof of Foster Youth status.
  • Homeless Youth - Student under the age of 25 who has been verified as a homeless youth at any time during the 24 months immediately preceding the receipt of application for admission. A homeless service provider, financial aid administrator, or director of a federal TRIO or GEAR-UP program must make this verification.  
  • Honors Program - Honors students will be eligible to receive enrollment priority for all class sections in their class schedule, if they meet the following criteria:
    • Honors students will receive enrollment priority in fall and spring semesters only.
    • Honors students must successfully complete an honors addendum or course with a satisfactory grade before being granted priority enrollment  in the next available semester. (i.e. final grades for the fall semester are available after registration for spring semester, an Honors student will receive priority registration in the following fall semester. Students completing the Honors addendum in spring will receive priority registration in the following fall semester). Honors students must continue to enroll and successfully complete at least one honors addendum or course in each subsequent semester in order to maintain their enrollment priority.
  • Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) Program–Former and current MESA program members at SWC.
  • New Student–Student who is enrolling at SWC for the first semester.
  • Returning Student–Student who has completed at least one unit of credit at the SWC and is returning after a break of one or more semesters, excluding summer session.
  • Student Athletes– A student athlete is a student who has been identified as an eligible athlete by the SWC Athletics Department and is listed on the California Community College Athletic Association 3C2A eligibility form.  All student athletes must earn and maintain an overall 2.5 GPA, and complete 9 transferable or degree applicable units each semester in order to remain eligible for priority enrollment.  All student athletes are required to undergo weekly monitoring by the Athletic Director to ensure they are enrolled in 9 units and are maintaining satisfactory grades. In addition, all student athletes are required to have a Comprehensive Student Education Plan and are required to see a the athletic counselor twice a semester to review academic progress, completed units and GPA.
  • Tribal TANF-The Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, formerly Aid to Families with Dependent Children program, provides a variety of benefits and services to Federally recognized tribes, American Indian, and Alaskan Native families.
  • University Links–Students with signed contracts to transfer to UCSD.
  • Veteran or member of the Armed Forces–Students must provide a Leave Earning Statement (LES) for Active Duty or DD214 – discharge papers, as proof.  

Enrollment Priority BP 

References:   Title 5 Sections 51006, 58106, and 58108

According to Title 5 and based on local priorities as set forth in College District Procedure No. 5055 AP, “Enrollment Priorities,” all courses of the College District shall be open to enrollment. Student enrollment priority is subject to the priority system that has been established. Enrollment may be limited to students who meet properly validated prerequisites and co-requisites and/or other limitations on enrollment.

Office of Primary Responsibility: Admissions & Records/Student Services