New Student Enrollment and Parent Orientation

Available to students enrolling in: Fall semester only

Congratulations on deciding to enroll in one of the best two-year colleges in the nation! We look forward to welcoming you and your family to our community during New Student Enrollment & Parent Orientation this summer. These concurrent events are a great way for both new students and parents to prepare for the first semester at SBCC. New Student Enrollment & Parent Orientation takes place on Thursdays and Fridays throughout the summer and allows students to complete their enrollment from assessment to registration in one trip to SBCC.

We are in the process of finalizing our reservation database. On this website you will find the following information:

Session Dates
New Student Enrollment Information
Parent Orientation Information
Reservations
Information Packet
FAQs
Contact Orientation

Session Dates

June 11-12 Reservations for this session will not be accepted after 4:00 p.m. on Friday, May 29.
(UCSB Commencement is June 12-14. Many rooms are still available for Wednesday and Thursday night; but many hotels are already sold out for the remainder of this weekend.)
June 18-19 Session Full
June 25-26 Session Full
July 9-10
July 16-17
July 23-24
July 30-31

New Student Enrollment Information
At New Student Enrollment, you will complete assessment, orientation, advising and class registration. In order to register for classes on Friday afternoon, you must attend all activities. Reserving a space for New Student Enrollment & Parent Orientation signs you up for all components of program. You do not need to contact the Assessment Office or Academic Counseling to arrange testing or new student advising on a different date.

You must reserve your space at least two weeks before the first day of a New Student Enrollment & Parent Orientation session, but please submit your reservation early in order to secure a spot in your preferred session. Reservations are handled on a first-come, first-served basis. Please do not make non-refundable travel arrangements before receiving a reservation confirmation. Due to logistics and seating at the event, drop-ins are not allowed to participate in either the student or parent program. We do not keep waitlists for any of sessions. Before submitting a reservation, read all the reservation policies and procedures. When you submit a reservation, you are agreeing to abide by these policies and procedures. There is no fee for students to attend New Student Enrollment.

Parent Orientation Information
Parent Orientation runs concurrently with New Student Enrollment. At Parent Orientation, parents/guests will learn about a variety of SBCC programs and services, including Academic Counseling, Financial Aid, the Transfer Center, Student Life, and much more. We strongly encourage all parents, especially those of first-time college students to attend. Parent Orientation is optional; students may reserve a space in New Student Enrollment without signing up a parent/guest for Parent Orientation.

Due to space limitations, students are limited to a maximum of 2 parents/guests. Each parent/guest is charged a $20 non-refundable fee to help pay for our events. In the Reservations section below is a detailed description of all policies and procedures related to program fees. Payment information is as follows:

Parent Orientation Payment Information

We regret that Parent Orientation payment cannot be attached to students' accounts or included in the online payment of student fees.
Make checks for the total amount of Parent Orientation ($20 per parent/guest) payable to Santa Barbara City College. In the memo line, write Parent Orientation and the name of your student.
- Mail checks to:
  Santa Barbara City College
  ATTN: Orientation Program
  721 Cliff Drive
  Santa Barbara, CA 93109
Mail checks within two (2) weeks of making your initial reservation. Do not mail cash.
Once payment is received, both the student and parent/guest are emailed a final confirmation.
If the Orientation Program does not receive payment two (2) weeks after the initial reservation, we email a courtesy reminder. If we do not receive any further communication from you within five (5) days, your reservation for Parent Orientation will be cancelled.
Parents/guests of students who are receiving the California Board of Governor's Fee Wavier (BOGW) may request that the Parent Orientation fee be waived. Student eligibility for the BOGW is determined through the FAFSA or a BOGW application. Once we verify a student's BOGW eligibility, we waive the parent fee and email the final confirmation.
Reservations for Parent Orientation are not fully confirmed until we receive complete payment or verify BOGW eligibility.
If you wish to add or change a reservation for Parent Orientation after your student has reserved a space for New Student Enrollment, contact the Orientation Program for procedures. Remember that the Parent Orientation fee is non-refundable.

Reservations
Reservations are only accepted through the online reservation form. Read the information below before completing your reservation. It is especially important that you read and understand the policies outlined below regarding Reservations & Program Fees, Changes, and Cancellations & Refunds. You must submit an application to SBCC before you and your parents/guests can reserve a space for New Student Enrollment & Parent Orientation.

Click here to submit your New Student Enrollment & Parent Orientation reservation.

Reservations & Program Fees
All reservations are processed in the order they are received. If your first choice is not available, you will be assigned your second choice. Reservations are processed within one (1) business day of submission. At that time, an email confirmation for New Student Enrollment is sent and a postcard confirmation is placed in the mail. If parents/guests are included in the reservation, the email will also serve as a preliminary confirmtion for Parent Orientation.

There is no fee for students to register or participate in New Student Enrollment, but reservations are required. Reservations need to be submitted at least two (2) weeks before the first day of the New Student Enrollment & Parent Orientation session you wish to attend. We do not keep waitlists for any sessions. We hope this policy makes it easier for you to make travel arrangements. We already take cancellations and no-shows into account when determining the amount of reservations to accept per session.

There is a $20 per person fee for parents/guests who wish to attend Parent Orientation. Reservations are required. Due to space limitations, a maximum of two (2) guests per student may attend Parent Orientation.

Parent Orientation Payment Information

We regret that Parent Orientation payment cannot be attached to students' accounts or included in the online payment of student fees.
Make checks for the total amount of Parent Orientation ($20 per parent/guest) payable to Santa Barbara City College. In the memo line, write Parent Orientation and the name of your student.
- Mail checks to:
  Santa Barbara City College
  ATTN: Orientation Program
  721 Cliff Drive
  Santa Barbara, CA 93109
Mail checks within two (2) weeks of making your initial reservation. Do not mail cash.
Once payment is received, both the student and parent/guest will be emailed a final confirmation.
If the Orientation Program does not receive payment two (2) weeks after the initial reservation, we will email a courtesy reminder. If we do not receive any further communication from you within five (5) days, your reservation for Parent Orientation will be cancelled.
Parents/guests of students who are receiving the California Board of Governor's Fee Wavier (BOGW) may request that the Parent Orientation fee be waived. Student eligibility for the BOGW is determined through the FAFSA or the BOGW application. Once we verify a student's BOGW eligibility, we will waive the parent fee and email the final confirmation.
Reservations for Parent Orientation are not fully confirmed until we receive complete payment or verify BOGW eligibility.
If you wish to add or change a reservation for Parent Orientation after your student has reserved a space for New Student Enrollment, contact the Orientation Program for procedures.

Changes
Due to the high demand for our New Student Enrollment & Parent Orientation program, we strongly encourage you not to change your reservation date once you are confirmed. Requests for changes are subject to space available. We understand that sometimes circumstances out of your control may require you to request a change. In these cases, contact the Orientation Program directly as soon as possible to discuss your options.

Please do not make non-refundable travel arrangements until you have received an email confirmation for New Student Enrollment & Parent Orientation.

Cancellations & Refunds
The Parent Orientation fee is non-refundable. Due to high demand and limited space we ask that cancellations for New Student Enrollment be made at least two weeks in advance of your session date.

Information Packet

Download, print and thoroughly read the following packet. It contains important information about preparing for New Student Enrollment & Parent Orientation and forms that you will need in order to participate in New Student Enrollment. Bring this packet with you to New Student Enrollment & Parent Orientation. (Requires Acrobat Reader)

Click here to download the New Student Enrollment & Parent Orientation Information Packet.

If you are unable to download the packet, contact the Orientation Program for assistance and alternate delivery options.

Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to many of the questions we receive can be found by reading the New Student Enrollment & Parent Orientation Information Packet and this webpage. Below are some additional commonly-asked questions.

What happens after I've submitted my online reservation form?
You receive an email confirmation within one business day from orientation@sbcc.edu. If the email is not in your inbox or spam/junk mail, contact the Orientation Program right away. You also receive a postcard in the mail. If you have parents/guests attending, they need to submit the $20 per person fee to the Orientation Program. Please do not make non-refundable travel arrangements prior to receiving an email confirmation.

The session I want to attend is full. Can I sign up on a waiting list?
There are no waiting lists. We hope this makes it easier for you to make travel arrangements. We make every attempt to keep the reservation form updated, but if your first choice session fills up while we are processing the reservations received before yours, you are assigned your second choice.

Does my parent or guardian need to attend Parent Orientation?
Parent Orientation is optional, but we strongly encourage parents or guardians to attend. All parents/guests must pay the non-refundable fee for Parent Orientation. Each student may only bring two guests.

Can I bring other guests with me?
Due to seating, you are limited to a maximum of two guests, regardless of if they are parents, other family members or friends. All guests must pay the Parent Orientation fee and attend Parent Orientation. Siblings or friends may not attend New Student Enrollment with you.

Do I have to attend all events at New Student Enrollment & Parent Orientation?
All events for students are mandatory. The only exception is if you have AP/IB/SAT scores or previous college-level course work that would exempt you from the assessment test on Friday morning, but you must make sure that this information is submitted to the Assessment Office prior to the start of your New Student Enrollment session. Parent Orientation events are not mandatory, but all activities are full of valuable information.

What if I need disability services for testing, registration and/or advising?
You need to contact Disabled Students Programs & Services as soon as possible with documentation of your disability to make arrangements. Your course planning and registration may be better served by meeting with DSPS service providers and counselors. Please discuss your options with DSPS.

Will I register for my fall classes while at New Student Enrollment?
Yes, we strive to ensure that all attendees leave with a schedule that is appropriate for their first semester and works toward their educational goal. However, we encourage you to be flexible when considering class dates and times. If your first choice classes are not available, academic counselors will help you plan other options. English and math are recommended during the first semester, but not required.

Will I have a better chance of getting my preferred classes if I attend an earlier session?
We encourage you to attend the earliest session that is reasonable for you and your family to attend without interfering with your final exams, senior year activities or graduation ceremonies. There are many course options that remain open throughout the registration period. For example, one week before the spring 2009 semester began there were over 100 open courses that were UC transferable and part of the UC General Education pattern.

Should I wait to attend New Student Enrollment until my pending AP/IB scores are in?
No, you do not need to wait for your senior year exams scores in order to attend New Student Enrollment. Academic counselors can advise you on classes to take that do not depend on pending score results. If you took English and/or math AP/IB exams and do not have your results by the time you attend New Student Enrollment, it is advised that you take the assessments at that time. With your assessment results, you can enroll in English and math courses, and then drop the courses later if your AP/IB scores place you out of those classes.

Will I get to meet with an academic counselor at New Student Enrollment?
Yes! Advising and class registration sessions are conducted in a small group setting, typically with fewer than 20 students in a group. During class registration, a counselor will meet with you to review your first semester plan and answer questions. Each small group is lead by an Orientation Leader, a current SBCC student who is an invaluable resource to you throughout the entire enrollment process.

As a parent, will I be able to help my student register for classes?
We understand your concern for and investment in your student's education. We believe that as they transition to college, it is an important step for students to select and register for their first semester classes by themselves with the help of an academic counselor as needed. Prior to coming to SBCC, we encourage you to talk with your student about his or her education goal and possible major. Academic advising is conducted on Thursday and registration is on Friday, so you will have time to meet and discuss classes with your student between these activities. Class registration is done online through Pipeline and you and your student can revisit his or her schedule and make any changes from home after New Student Enrollment & Parent Orientation.

Contact Orientation

The SBCC Orientation Program coordinates all aspects of New Student Enrollment & Parent Orientation. Contact the Orientation Program with any questions related to both of these programs, with the exception of assessment testing.

E-mail: orientation@sbcc.edu
Phone: (805) 892-3643

Hours: 8:00 am – 4:30 pm, Monday – Friday

For questions about assessment testing procedures, contact the SBCC Assessment Office.

Phone: (805) 730-4149
Hours: 9:00 am – 4:15 pm, Monday, Tuesday, Tuesday
9:00 am – 6:45 pm, Wednesday
9:00 am – 1:00 pm, Friday