Frequently Asked Questions
We currently have offer the following programs (the General Catalog has more information; each major's specific page number is listed below)
For those that want to transfer to a university to complete a Bachelor’s degree:
- Administration of Justice Associate in Science for Transfer (AS-T.1003) (page 37)
- Business Associate in Science for Transfer (AS-T.1001) (page 48)
- Communication Studies Associate in Arts for Transfer (AA-T.1001) (page 51)
- Early Childhood Education Associate in Science for Transfer (AS-T.1002)
- Health Information Technology (HIT) Associate of Science (AS.1600)
- Note: This degree serves as preparation for Shasta College’s Bachelor’s of Science in Health Information Management
- Psychology Associate in Arts for Transfer (AA-T.1006) (pages 91)
- Sociology Associate in Arts for Transfer (AA-T.1002) (pages 91-92)
- Social Sciences University Studies Associate (AA.1501) (page 91)
- Social Work Bachelors preparation: the Psychology/Sociology/Social Sciences pathway also include the pre-requisites necessary for the Bachelor's in Social Work at CSU Chico and Humboldt State
- Full range of California State University General Education (GE) classes online
For those that are NOT interested in transferring:
- Associate in Business: Marketing and Finance (program number coming soon)
- Associate in Business: Management (AS.1085) (page 47)
- Human Services Certificates (CL.3417)
- Certificate in Web Design (CL.3115) (page 53-54); Level II certifcate in the process of being approved
For details about program offerings, see the ACE Programs page: ACE | Degrees & Certificates.
We are always evaluating opportunities to expand the offerings in ACE. Please check back with us.
A cohort is a group of students that start the program together and move through the classes as a group. The advantage of a cohort is that you get to know your classmates very well and they become a support network for you. They encourage you, listen to you vent, and cheer you on towards your goals! It’s not uncommon for students who go through a program together as a cohort become friends for life.
Absolutely! In addition to the rest of your cohort, who will likely become like a second family for you, we have support programs on campus that focus on students who are first in their family to attend college and understand how new this is to you.
See the ACE Academic Advising section of the website for more details about advising and support programs.
The ACE team are all experienced in working with students who are first in their family to attend college. We are here to support you!
- Classes are primarily online. A few classes meet in person Tuesday or Thursday evening (CMST), some meet Tuesday or Thursday evening via Zoom (ECE and SOC), and a few require that you have an in-person work/internship experience (ECE and HUSV).
- Classes are primarily 8-weeks in length. A very small number of classes are full-term length.
- The program is designed for you to take 2 classes at a time. The exception is the HIT program which is designed for you to take 3 classes at a time, but you can work with the ACE Counselor to modify that.
Because EVERY class will have some online instruction, it is important to be comfortable using AND have access to a computer for email, word processing, accessing resources online (like library books or journals) and using the Shasta College Canvas system for online classes.
If you are really interested in the ACE program, but are currently not comfortable with computers, consider taking the CIS 1 – Computer Literacy class BEFORE starting the ACE program and building your computer skills.
If you don’t have a computer or internet at your house, it is technically possible to still do the program, but you would have to rely on free public computers through the Shasta College campus (there are labs on the main campus open til 7 pm Monday-Thursday during Fall and Spring and til 6 pm in Summer, but closed on the weekends) and your local public library. It is not ideal. Your best bet for success in the program is to have your own reliable computer with internet access.
We have structured the ACE program so that taking a full-time load is feasible while working full-time (evening classes combined with online instruction), but it is not any easier. You have the advantage of only focusing on two classes at a time, but those classes are accelerated. ALL of the same readings, assignments, and tests/paper/projects that are normally required in 17 weeks are now compressed into 8 weeks.
We created a visual example of what a typical week would look like (in-person classes, online instruction, homework/studying, work, and life): Weekly Schedule - ACE Program - Sample (PDF).
It is important to reflect on this time commitment and talk with the other people in your life to see if this program will work for you.
Yes, BUT you need to be aware of two things:
- ACE classes are VERY intensive. If you are already taking 2 ACE classes at a time and working full-time, we generally do not recommend taking any additional classes. If you are working part-time and you have additional hours in your day/week and are highly motivated, you could consider adding a regular length class on top of your ACE classes. Work with your ACE Counselor to identify potential classes.
- Financial Aid implications: adding extra, regular-length semester coursework to the full ACE schedule is fine (except for the time consideration stated above). If you are receiving federal financial aid funds (Pell Grant, loan), please talk to the Renee Garcia in the Financial Aid Office before making modifications to your ACE education plan.
Students have a one week mid-semester break between the two blocks of 8-week classes each Fall and Spring semester (except for the Web Design certificate).
In addition to the mid-semester break between 8-week blocks, students get a week off at Thanksgiving and a week off for the campus Spring Break.
There is a 2-week break between Spring and Summer, a 2-week break between Summer and Fall, and a 4-week break over December-January.
If you need/want to travel (family vacation, etc.), please make every effort to schedule your travel during a regularly scheduled break.
See the program schedules for details.
The courses are scheduled over 9 months for the certificate and 24 months for Associate degrees. If you have previously taken college coursework, it may take you less time to finish.
See the visual representation of the program schedules.
Your ACE Counselor will meet with you, review your previously completed coursework, and help you build an educational plan (“ed plan”) - a term by term layout of what classes you need to take to finish your graduation requirements)
If you have previously completed a class/requirement, you may have a “hole” or “break” in the schedule during the term that class/requirement is normally taught. You have some options:
- Take the break (and enjoy it).
- Look at the other ACE cohort’s class offerings during that window of time and see if those classes will fulfill one of your requirements.
- Talk to your counselor if you want to take an “extra” class from the other cohort. This is helpful if you are considering transferring to a university that accepts additional community college units.
All of the same financial aid available to “regular” Shasta College students is available to ACE students. This includes federal and state grants, the California College Promise Grant (CCPG - formerly the BOG Fee Waiver), scholarships, loans and federal work-study (an opportunity to work on campus and receive a salary). General Financial Aid information is online.
The ACE program has a designated Financial Aid staff member: Renee Garcia. If you have questions about ACE Financial Aid, she is your “go-to” person: rgarcia@shastacollege.edu or (530) 242-7708.
More information about ACE Financial Aid
Yes! The Office of Admissions and Records manages the payment plan process.
Classes have an enrollment fee of $46 per unit (e.g., a 3-unit class costs $138, a 4-unit class costs $184).
Each term (fall, spring, and summer) has a “campus fee” and students are required to have a parking permit. Those fees are slightly different for Fall, Spring and Summer terms. The Admissions Office has details about those fees.
Associate degrees require 60 units. If you have no college coursework completed, an associate degree would cost you $2,760 plus each term’s campus/health center fees, plus textbooks.
However, the majority of Shasta College students qualify for the California College Promise Grant (CCPG) through either the CCPG application, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), or the California DREAM Act Application (CADAA). If you qualify for the CCPG, the $46/unit enrollment fee will be waived, leaving you with only the cost of each term’s campus/health center fee and textbooks, and you may qualify for financial aid to assist with those fees.
Please visit our Financial Aid page for more details, and feel free to talk to our staff if you need assistance with any of these applications.
Textbooks and supplies are an additional cost. The Shasta College Financial Aid staff estimates that students will spend approximately $1,792 for a 9-month academic year. Since ACE is 24 months, a student might spend approximately $3,584 overall for textbooks for the program.
You can significantly cut down how much you spend on textbooks by buying used textbooks, downloading electronic textbooks, renting textbooks, or by planning ahead and comparing the cost of textbooks using cost comparison websites. The Campus Bookstore has new, used and rental textbooks, the advantage of convenience, and you don’t have to worry about your book getting lost in shipping.
Some of our instructors are using fully online text resources, so for some of our classes, there is no cost for books.
It is to the student's advantage to have access to their own computer (laptop/tablet) and the internet. There are computers labs on campus, but hours are limited (especially if you work during the day), closed on weekends, and not all campus computers have the software you need.
PC or Macintosh (Apple) computers? For most students, either will work. The CIS 1 class uses Microsoft Office Suite applications, which are designed for PCs. There is a version of Microsoft Office Suite for Mac computers, but the applications are slightly different, which may make following instructions for assignments take a bit longer to figure out. Also, Microsoft does not make Access (a database application) for Mac computers, which is part of the CIS 1 class. If you have a Macintosh computer, you would need to figure out how to access a PC during the week of assignments that deal with Access.
Special note for Web Design certificate students: It is advisable to have a PC. Most coding/programming software is written specifically for PC computers, and some of the software is not available for Macintosh/Apple computers.
Textbook assistance on campus:
- EOPS lending library/book voucher
- Campus Library: Instructors often put copies of their textbooks on “course reserve” in the library. These materials can be checked out for a limited time (2 hours) and must stay inside the library. Sometimes you can check the book out overnight.
- Shasta College Financial Aid has a Book Grant and Book Loan program.
- The Student Senate has a textbook lending program (requires that you purchase the $10 Student ID card).
- Check the public library. They may have a copy of the textbook you can check out for a longer period of time.
- Review the rest of the ACE website, particularly the Class Schedule and Time Commitment as well as the ACE Financial Aid sections
- Contact us if you have specific questions
- Complete the “ACE Participation Packet” and follow the instructions for applying to Shasta College (if you are a new student) and meeting with an ACE Counselor.
Our 8-week classes start in January, March, June, August, and October.
Some program pathways are structured to start specific major classes in Fall or Spring, but you can start on general education classes during any of the above months!
You will meet with an ACE Counselor to submit your ACE Participation Packet and Statement of Understanding, to review your Math and English assessments and any previously completed coursework, and to develop an educational plan. Your ACE Counselor will make a recommendation for a start date for you.
You can take classes in the summer from the ACE program and get a jump start on the program. Work with your ACE Counselor to determine what classes would make the best use of your time!
Yes! However, ACE classes are initially reserved for ACE program participants during registration. Approximately 3 weeks before the start of each term, the restrictions on ACE classes are removed and any student can enroll. Also, please be aware that these classes are intensive; all the content, reading, homework and studying expected in a 17-week class has been condensed into a 8-week class. These classes are not "watered down" in any way.
There are typically spaces in most ACE classes available to non-ACE students. The ACE classes that typically come close to filling with just ACE students are ACCT 2, ACCT 4, CHEM 10/11, and CMST 60.
You can do the ACE program part-time, but please consider the following:
- Doing the Associate degree programs full-time (2 classes at a time) will take 24 months; doing the program part-time (1 class at a time) will take 48 months.
- If you are receiving federal Pell Grant and/or federal student loans, doing the program part-time will reduce the amount of financial aid you can receive.
If the pace of the ACE program is not a good fit for you, we recommend taking regular, semester-length classes and/or taking ACE classes as they fit into your life and plans.