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Based on feedback from students, colleges, and advocacy groups alike, the existing Social Security Number included a layout that was cumbersome to navigate and language that was confusing and overwhelming to many students who are not required to provide a social security number or taxpayer identification number.

With approval from the Chancellor’s Office legal office, the new layout is clean, simple and easy to navigate, and the language has been greatly simplified to all users.

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User Interface Enhancements

In the new design, users will first be asked a simple yes or no question: “Do you have a social security number or taxpayer identification number?”.

If the user selects , “Yes, I have a social security number or taxpayer identification number” - then the current “Enter your SSN” and “Confirm your SSN” text input fields appear. At that point, the user must enter their SSN or TIN/iTIN else receive an error message.

If the user selects “No, I do not have a social security number or taxpayer identification number, or I decline to provide one at this time” - then a new text box displays, “Just Remember….”, with a reminder to the applicant that providing a social security number or taxpayer identification number is not required at this and the applicant may “decline to provide one at this time”. However, the SSN or TIN/iTIN must be provided to the college unless the student is one of the approved exceptions, including:

• non-U.S. resident students (whether documented or undocumented),

• students taking noncredit courses, or

• students whose qualified tuition and related expenses are waived or paid with scholarships or paid by an institutional third party including an employer or government agency.

The user is still allowed to decline to provide their social security number or taxpayer identification number at this point, even if they are not one of the approved exceptions, and proceed to the next page by clicking Continue.

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Legal Information

Much of the legal language required by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has been simplified and can be accessed by clicking on a new hyperlink, “Why am I being asked for my social security number?”. This language appears in the Help information panel that opens on the right side of the screen.

“Why am I being asked for my social security number?”

The new required legal information displayed to users when they click on the hyperlink now reads:

"A Social Security Number (SSN) or Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN/iTIN) is needed to allow California Community Colleges to report tax-related information to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). However, this reporting is not required with respect to non-U.S. resident students (whether documented or undocumented), students taking non-credit courses, students whose qualified tuition and related expenses are waived or paid with scholarships or paid by an institutional third party including an employer or government agency. (26 C.F.R. § 1.6050S-1.) A SSN or TIN/iTIN is not required when IRS reporting is not required."

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New “Highest Grade Completed” Question & Data Field

The updates introduced with CCCApply 6.7.0 include a new question and data field asking high school students the Highest Grade Completed.  This new question will replace the existing question, "Have you Completed Eleventh Grade?".  The Highest Grade Completed question will enable the collection of high school transcript information from applicants who have completed at least the 9th grade, and will no longer be limited to only applicants who have completed the 11th grade. 

Who will see the new Highest Grade Completed question?

The new Highest Grade Completed question only displays to Special Admit students who are enrolling in high school (or lower grade) and college at the same time. Otherwise, this new question does not appear in the High School Transcript Information section.

Read more about the new Highest Grade Completed question and data field here.

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What are the response options for the new question, and how does it work?

As stated above, the new Highest Grade Completed question only pertains to concurrently enrolled students - and this is determined by the applicant’s responses to the Enrollment Status and High School Education Level questions at the top of the page. If the question is displayed, the response options are: 12th Grade, 11th Grade, 10th Grade, 9th Grade, and “Currently enrolled in 9th grade or lower grade”. If the student selects any response other than “Currently enrolled in 9th grade or lower grade”, the remaining questions in that section are displayed and require a response.

However, if the student selects, “Currently enrolled in 9th grade or lower grade” then the other questions are not displayed and the applicant proceeds to the next required question on the Education page.

What else is changing in the High School Transcript Information section?

The other change being implemented in the High School Transcript Information section is a slight revision to the conditions for which the High School Transcript Information questions display. The revised conditions are:

• U.S. high school graduates or equivalent

• U.S. high school students (or lower grade) who are also enrolling in college

Updated High School Transcript Information and Multiple Measures Placement Service Enhancements

In conjunction with the CCCApply 6.7.0 release, the Multiple Measures Placement Service (MMPS) will release a new version of its software to take advantage of new data field being collected within the High School Transcript Information of the Standard Application. 

As a result of the updates to CCCApply, the new version of MMPS will expand the student population for which it provides recommendations to include applicants who have completed at least the 9th grade.  Prior to the updates, MMPS provided recommendations only to applicants who have completed the 11th grade.  Additionally, MMPS will include the Highest Grade Completed field in the records delivered to colleges.  The combined updates will expand the ability to support high school applicants applying to a California Community College.  

Language & Text Changes

Changes to Residency Logic

Update Residency Logic for California Homeless Applicants

Colleges have reported a number of homeless applicants who are California residents; in other words they were born and raised in California and maintain ongoing residency but are being flagged as a “2 - Possible Resident - Documentation Required” because they aren’t providing an address where California is listed as the “state”. This barrier is creating an unnecessary hardship for these students.

According to the General Counsel at the CCC Chancellor’s Office, an applicant’s address alone cannot be the sole factor in determining residency for tuition purposes. If an applicant indicates they are currently homeless, residency determination will be based on all other steps in the residency logic other than address alone, such as citizenship, education, California residence questions, and special residency responses.

In the table below you can see a breakdown of the logic changes shown in RED.

From the AREA B: STAY & INTENT

If the applicant’s current mailing address indicates that their “state” is NOT California, normally they would be flagged with “Class B2” which means they are a “Possible resident, but documentation/proof is required”. However, based on the change made to the logic (shown in red above) - if the applicant has checked the box(es) indicating they are homeless in the Permanent Address (OpenCCC) or in the Current Mailing Address (Account Mailing page in CCCApply) - the logic will NOT flag them with the Class B2 in these two steps.

Note: There is still a chance that these homeless applicants are determined to be “Possible residents” or “Non-residents” based on other responses used in the residency determination calculation. This change simply removes the possibility that an applicant’s residency will be determined by address alone.

Changes to Data Fields

For colleges using the CCCApply Download Client, there is one new data field to add to your Standard Application Format Definition XML and run the 6.7.0 Jar file in order to download the data in Pilot and Production. See the data specs in the CCCApply Standard & Noncredit Application Data Dictionary v.2020.1 (see below).

Data Changes for the CCCApply Download Client

The following data fields have been added or changed in the CCCApply applications.  The section below pertains specifically to the CCCApply Download Client; see further below for information related to data fields being added to SuperGlue. For data specification documents, please see the CCCApply Data Dictionaries and User Guides space.

Data Changes for

SuperGlue for Apply

SuperGlue release 3.7.0 supports the student application data changes in CCCApply 6.7.0. Colleges using the SuperGlue College Adapter to stream student application data directly to their student information system (SIS) will need to upgrade to SuperGlue release 3.7.0. The SuperGlue 3.7.0 College Adapter will be available in advance of the CCCApply 6.7.0 pilot and production releases to allow college IT staff time to upgrade.

need to upgrade to SuperGlue release 3.7.0. The SuperGlue 3.7.0 College Adapter will be available in advance of the CCCApply 6.7.0 pilot and production releases to allow college IT staff time to upgrade.

Description

Glue for Apply Field Name

Download Client Field Name

Application

Section / Page

New Data Field

HighestGradeCompleted

<highest_grade_completed>

CCCApply Standard Application

High School Transcript Information section (Education Page)

Deprecated Data Field

completedEleventhgrade

<completed_eleventh_grade>

CCCApply Standard Application

Maintenance & Support

Bug Fixes & Other Changes

For information, contact CCCApply College Support staffsupportccctc@openccc.zendesk.com

California College Promise Grant Application 2020-2021

The 2020-2021 CC Promise Grant Application is now available and deployed on January 1, 2020.

Data Documentation