How to Enroll: Visiting Student
You are a visiting student if you are:
- Currently attending a university or community college other than UC Santa Cruz.
- A working professional or community member.
All visiting students must register annually to enroll in courses. There are no audits or OLLI over the summer.
First steps:
- Register – Open April 1
- Enroll (will include tuition and campus fee)
- Review the Visiting Student Guide and Checklist (be sure to calculate your costs). International on campus students have additional steps.
Next steps:
- Understand our policies and deadlines on adding, dropping, and requesting a W grade
- Learn when and how to pay
- If you attend another UC campus, see additional details below
Important policies
- UCSC Summer Session policies differ from other campuses. Please read carefully through our policies regarding waitlists, adding, dropping, refunds, and Medical or Emergency course withdrawal.
- Unlike other colleges and universities, UCSC does NOT drop for non-payment.
- After you enroll, if you change your mind, you must officially drop your course by the deadline to avoid receiving an F or NP (No Pass) and being responsible for tuition and fees.
Costs & financial aid
- Visit our tuition and fee page to calculate your costs based on how many credits you enroll in.
- Verified California Community College Students are eligible for a 50% off per-credit tuition discount.
- Non-UC students are not eligible for Pay for Only 10 program.
- UCSC does not offer any Financial Aid to visiting students. If you attend a college or university, you can ask the school you are visiting from if you have remaining aid for this summer to use here at UCSC.
- If you would like to use your Cal Vet waiver, submit your current year waiver to vets_benefits@ucsc.edu. If you meet all requirements, they can post the waiver to summer term.
Attending from another UC
- UC students can be Financial Aid eligible across campuses. Ask your home campus about their Intercampus Summer Financial Aid Application. UC students are eligible for the Pay for Only 10 program.
- All courses completed, and grades and units earned at a UC campus during summer terms are transferable to another UC campus. Grades earned at UC Santa Cruz will count towards your UC GPA.
- Transcripts for other UC students attending UCSC for the summer will be sent automatically to your home UC campus, as long as all fees are paid and you do not have any disciplinary holds on your records. Transcripts are typically mailed the third week of September.
Transferring credits
- The University of California, Santa Cruz, is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), an institutional accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education and the U.S. Department of Education.
- Credits from UCSC are generally transferrable, but you need to work with your individual institution to learn exactly how they will articulate. Contact your home institution’s Registrar’s Office or contact your academic advisor. They can help you determine how credits will transfer and what documentation you will need to provide.
Summer accommodations
- If you need testing or other accommodations, you must first become affiliated with our Disability Resource Center (DRC). Email them at drc@ucsc.edu for an appointment.
If you chose not to attend
- No action is required if you registered and paid your $50 non-refundable fee but never enrolled in classes.
- If you cannot attend a course you’re enrolled in; you MUST DROP yourself. Instructors do not drop students for not attending or not paying. If you do not drop yourself from a course, you will be responsible for paying the tuition for it.
English proficiency
- If you are taking online/remote courses and will not be visiting the campus, you do not need to apply for a visa or provide proof of English proficiency if you are outside of the U.S.
- If you plan to come to the U.S. for your course, consult the International Students page to see if you need a UCSC I-20 or DS-2019.
Registration
Registration Open April 1
The registration process is not immediate and involves multiple offices – we estimate it will take 1-2 business days to complete. Visiting students must register annually to enroll.
To ensure you make the add deadline:
- Session 1 add deadline is June 26 – you should register by Friday, June 20
- Session 2 add deadline is July 31 – you should register by Friday, July 25
- 8-week classes add deadline is June 26 – you should register by Friday, June 20
- 10-week classes add deadline is July 3 – you should register by Friday, June 27
Registration closes on July 29 at 11:59 p.m. PST.
When processing is complete, you will receive an email to the address you registered with. The email includes your UCSC ID number, your CruzID, and access to set up your passwords, so you’re able to log into your MyUCSC portal and add classes.
Next Step (after processing is complete):
- Set up your UC Santa Cruz specific email account. Instructors will only contact you at your UCSC email.
- Add classes. Visit navigating MyUCSC for assistance with adding classes, changing passwords, etc.
- Continue to reference our Visiting Student Guide and Checklist for answers to common questions.
Course enrollment
Guidance on selecting courses:
- Browse the courses by department.
- Some prerequisites and restrictions are lifted for visiting students.
- Be sure to check the “Class Notes” section of each class for summer-specific details.
- Explore previous years’ syllabi to see the pace and course load of specific classes.
Transferability:
- Use https://assist.org/, the official transfer and articulation system for California’s public colleges and universities.
- Ask your registrar’s office or your academic department which classes transfer back into your degree program. They often have a list of pre-approved courses to transfer.
Course days/times
- Starting March 15, visit Class Search for course dates & times (set term to “2025 Summer Quarter”)
- If a course is listed as “Online” and days/times are listed, students are expected to attend remotely during those days/times. All times are scheduled in Pacific Standard Time (PST).
- If a course is listed as “Online” and Day/Time is blank, it means students can often complete the remote portions of the course (readings, lectures, and quizzes) at any time. Online classes do have weekly deadlines for assignments. Occasionally, exams are scheduled when students have more flexibility (e.g., early in the morning, late at night, or on weekends).
- There is no additional “finals week.” Instructors schedule the final on the last meeting block of the session.
Course credits
- Most courses are 5 credits. That relates to a student’s workload and the 35 hours of class meeting time.
Steps to enroll
- Enroll via My Student Center on your MyUCSC portal.
- This enrollment tutorial document and corresponding video show you how to add a summer class.
If you want to take courses with prerequisites and have completed them, you may need to show proof to the instructor for their approval. If it’s unclear in the class notes, email summer@ucsc.edu for guidance. Include the course number and name in your message.
Remember: Instructors use your UCSC Gmail. All instructor communication is sent to your @ucsc.edu address. If you are not checking it, you will miss the course information.
CA community college discount
New! 50% Per-Credit Tuition Discount for current visiting California Community College Students in Summer Session
- Current CCC students attending Summer Session will receive an exclusive 50% per-credit tuition discount
- List of eligible colleges
- This new discount is only for non-matriculated, summer-only visiting CCC students. Once transfers are admitted to UCSC, they can benefit from Transfer Edge (and the Edge Promise Award, if eligible).
Summer Session is the only time that anyone can take a UC Santa Cruz course, and we hope this tuition discount will expand access and increase affordability for CCC students seeking to earn UC credits and preparing to transfer to a UC campus.
Eligibility:
- You must have a current spring unofficial transcript from a CA community college
- You must be on a path to four-year graduation (those who already have a four-year degree are not eligible).
CCC Student: One 5-Credit Course
These estimates are for a 5-week, 5-credit program and do not include the non-refundable $50 registration fee.
| Type of Expense | Cost |
|---|---|
| Tuition for 5 Credits | $697.50 ($139.50 per credit with 50% off per-credit tuition discount reflected) |
| Campus Fee | $344.90 |
| Total | $1,042.40 |
CCC School Student: Two 5-Credit Courses
These estimates are for a 10-credit program and do not include the non-refundable $50 registration fee.
| Type of Expense | Cost |
|---|---|
| Tuition for 10 Credits | $1,395 ($139.50 per credit with 50% off per-credit tuition discount reflected) |
| Campus Fee | $344.90 |
| Total | $1,739.90 |
To calculate your tuition for more than 10 credits, multiply the total number of credits x $279 and then add the campus fee.
Summer dates and deadlines
Stay on top of key academic dates.
Course FAQs
Got questions? Be sure to check out our handy FAQs with answers about Summer session courses.
Add, drop, or withdraw
Get answers to your questions about adding, dropping, refunds, and deadline exceptions.