Noncredit courses are available to members of the community, free of charge, and do not count toward the completion of a certificate or Associate degree. However, they follow the same curriculum approval process used for credit courses.
Many people refer to Community Services as noncredit (because the courses are not applicable toward a certificate or degree), but the State Chancellor's office does not. Community Service classes do not need the state application, and the college does not receive apportionment for them.
Noncredit courses can refer to several categories per the Education Code, Section 84757
(a) For purposes of this chapter, the following noncredit courses and classes shall
be eligible for funding:
(1) Parenting, including parent cooperative preschools, classes in child growth and
development and parent-child relationships.
(2) Elementary and secondary basic skills and other courses and classes such as remedial
academic courses or classes in reading, mathematics, and language arts.
(3) English as a second language.
(4) Classes and courses for immigrants eligible for educational services in citizenship,
English as a second language, and work force preparation classes in the basic skills
of speaking, listening, reading, writing, mathematics, decision making and problem
solving skills, and other classes required for preparation to participate in job-specific
technical training.
(5) Education programs for persons with substantial disabilities.
(6) Short-term vocational programs with high employment potential.
(7) Education programs for older adults.
(8) Education programs for home economics.
(9) Health and safety education.
(b) No state apportionment shall be made for any course or class that is not set forth
in subdivision (a) and for which no credit is given.