Page Contents

Skip to main content

General Overview

CCCApply is part of the California Community Colleges Technology Center’s (CCCTC) Student Success Suite - a collection of student-facing technology solutions that includes the CCCApply admission applications, the California Colleges Promise Grant (CCPG) online application, the CCC MyPath student onboarding portal, and the OpenCCC student account system (OpenCCC).

Document Purpose

This document describes general information, technical specifications, and data elements for the CCCApply Standard Application, as well as the Noncredit Application workflow information incorporated within the standard domestic application. The content includes application user interface design and logic, and database table information underlying the application.

Document Audience

This document is intended for two audiences:

• California Community Colleges staff working with IT implementation, configuration, usage, and delivery of data from the CCCApply Standard and Noncredit applications;

• California Community Colleges Tech Center (CCCTC) staff, including software designers, developers, QA technicians, technical writers, and project managers for the CCCApply applications;

Standard Application

The CCCApply Standard Application is the official online application for admission for the California Community Colleges. The application questions, data, and workflow format align with the laws and regulations of the California Department of Education (Ed Code) and Title V, the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, and the guidelines for admission and California residency as prescribed in the Student Accounting and Admissions Manual (SAAM) for the California Community Colleges Chancellors Office.

Who should use the Standard Application?

United States citizens who plan to attend one or more of the California Community Colleges should use the CCCApply Standard Application to apply for admission.

Noncredit Application

For the purposes of supporting students who plan to enroll exclusively in noncredit coursework at your college, a separate application workflow path is available within the Standard Application that allows noncredit students to apply for admission without having to answer California residency-related questions. Where applicable, information that applies strictly to the Noncredit Application is provided in the data element tables within this data dictionary.

The Noncredit Application was implemented in 2018 to comply with Assembly Bill 3101 (AB3101).  This bill allows students who enroll exclusively for the following reasons to be exempt from community college residency classification requirements:

• Career development;

• College preparation courses; and

• Other courses for which no credit is given.
  
  

Who should use the Noncredit Application?

Students who are enrolling exclusively in noncredit courses should use the Noncredit Application workflow. If a student is enrolling in any for-credit courses, then they should be directed to use the CCCApply Standard Application. If a student submits a Noncredit Application to a college for a specific term and then ends up enrolling in one or more credit courses for that same term, they may submit a CCCApply Standard Application for the same term. The responses provided on the applicant’s submitted Noncredit application will auto-fill the Standard Application and, once submitted, they will then be processed for a residency status.

Differences Between the Standard and Noncredit Application Workflows

The Noncredit Application has fewer fields and requirements than the CCCApply Standard Application (specifically, no residency questions are asked) and has less field validation. Every CCCApply Standard Application field that is hidden on the Noncredit Application now allows null, and null or blank will appear for these hidden fields in Noncredit Application reporting.

The table below outlines the differences between the CCCApply Standard and Noncredit application workflows.

OpenCCC Account System

OpenCCC is the California Community Colleges federated identity initiative and systemwide student account system that assigns each student user a unique California Community Colleges ID number (CCCID) and allows access to systemwide online technology applications via a single-sign-on account.

OpenCCC Federated Identity and The CCCID

When a new OpenCCC account is created, the system collects and stores the minimum required personal information data as well as the user's validated account credentials in an Identity Center, thus generating a unique identifier for the student known as the CCCID (California Community Colleges ID). The CCCID is the primary link between the Identity Center, CCC admission applications, and other systemwide technology services.

When a user is authenticated (signs in) to use a CCC systemwide application or service such as CCCApply or CCC MyPath, the CCCID is passed to that service to identify the unique individual. In this way, services and applications can maintain personal accounts for the user anonymously, thus ensuring the privacy and security of the user’s data.

Custom College Configurations

The CCCApply application system is designed to integrate with your college based on your college MIS code and other elements configured by your college and managed by authorized college administrators. These custom components include:

• College Application URL using your college MIS code

• College-branding (logo) displayed as a page header

• Configurable college-specific terms and majors/programs of study

• Configurable college-specific email rules and messages

• Optional display of a Supplemental Questions page

• Opt-out display of Needs and Interests page

CCCApply Administrator

The functions available in the CCCApply Administrator include:

• Terms configuration management for the Standard, Noncredit or both

• Majors/Programs of Study configuration management for the Standard, Noncredit or both

• Supplemental Questions (optional) management

• Email Rules and Messages configuration management (apply to both applications)

• Reset Downloads

• Utility to manage fraudulent applications (spam) before they reach your college

• Management of authorized college and district Admin users

Supplemental Questions

Supplemental questions are additional, configurable questions that colleges can choose to implement (opt-in) for each CCCApply application. Using supplemental questions is optional for each college. Supplemental Questions will display on their own page within the designated CCCApply application.

Supplemental questions are configured by the college in HTML format generating supplemental question and response data. Setup of the Supplemental Questions page requires configuration of two XML files (a format definition XML and a job XML). These files must be imported and activated in the Supplemental Questions module in the CCCApply Administrator.

For details on the different types of data elements and response options supported, see the Working with Supplemental Questions User Guide and the CCCApply Administrator User Guide available on the CCCApply Public Documentation website.

English/Spanish Text Translation

CCCApply applications are available in both English and Spanish language - including onscreen question text, response options, buttons, links, accessibility features (alt text, etc.), Help information and error messaging.

By clicking the Cambiar A Espanol button in the header of any page students can toggle to a full Spanish translation, giving ESL/Spanish-speaking students the ability to complete the entire application for admission completely in Spanish. Additionally, if a student has their web browser (Chrome or Safari) default language set to Spanish, the applications will display in Spanish automatically. 

While the application language is set to Spanish, the Cambiar a Espanol button text changes to “Switch To English” and can be set back to English language at any time.

Accessibility

The CCC Technology Center (CCCTC) is committed to making the CCCApply online applications accessible to individuals of all abilities. CCCTC is developed to be in compliance with California Government Code 11135, which requires such technologies to meet the accessibility requirements of Section 508 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. Sec. 794d). Our goal is to make all CCCTC systemwide technology applications accessible to everyone, including individuals with disabilities.

Web platforms and services are evolving constantly as is the support for assistive computer technologies. We welcome your feedback for improving the usability and accessibility of web applications and services. Please share your feedback or concerns with accessibility@ccctechcenter.org so we may improve the service for all participants.

For more information, please visit the CCC Accessibility Center at http://www.cccaccessibility.org

Application Workflows

All new and returning students applying for admission to one or more California Community Colleges will begin the admission application process by signing in to the OpenCCC Federated ID system before, or immediately after, navigating to CCCApply. An application gateway page is displayed, prompting the user to Sign In or create an account.

Application Gateway Page

Each CCCApply application is fronted by an application gateway page – or Sign In page – which identifies the application title to the applicant, and serves as a single point of entry to your college’s configured and branded application.  The URL for your college’s application gateway page includes your college ID (MIS code) and captures the activities of the applicant and the processing of the application to that college MIS code.

The application gateway page also includes a main menu header containing the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office logo and a Cambiar A Espanol link which allows the applicant to display and toggle the onscreen text between English and Spanish.

Sign In/Out

Multiple paths can lead students to your custom CCCApply application(s); however, every applicant must sign in to the OpenCCC system (verify their account credentials) before starting, resuming, or submitting a CCCApply application to your college. If the student is a first-time applicant to any California Community College they must first create and validate an OpenCCC account (CCCID). If the applicant is a returning student but cannot remember their account credentials, a link to recover their account credentials is provided on the Sign In page.

Account Creation and Recovery

The application gateway page – along with multiple other places throughout the CCCApply application interface – includes links for Create Account and Recover Account for new and existing applicants. These systems are not unique to each college. Rather, these links pertain to the OpenCCC systemwide student account system that allows for the California Community Colleges system to track and support their students regardless of which college they attend or apply to. New and existing applicants are required to have a current OpenCCC account in order to access the CCCApply system. For more information about the OpenCCC Account system for new and existing users, please visit the http://CCCApply.org website.

My Applications Page

The My Applications page provides returning applicants with a central application storage place for their CCCApply applications, regardless of which CCC college they have applied to or plan to apply to. After signing in to CCCApply, returning students can start a new application, resume an in-progress application, and view previously submitted applications, as well as view and update their OpenCCC Account Profile information.

In-progress and submitted applications are associated to the authenticated applicant using their CCC systemwide student account ID (CCCID). Applications that have been started, but not yet submitted (in-progress applications), can be resumed or deleted.

Actions on the My Applications page include:

• Starting a new application

• Resuming and deleting an in-progress application

• Viewing and editing current account information

• Viewing previously submitted application(s)

• Switching the language of the onscreen text between English and Spanish

• Accessing the applicant’s OpenCCC Account from Settings menu

• Signing out of the My Applications page or any CCCApply application page

My Applications Page Header

After signing in to CCCApply, applicants see a different version of the main header on the My Applications page, including:

• CCC Chancellor’s Office logo/My Applications page home link

• Applicant’s full name and CCCID

• Sign Out link

• Settings menu link

  • Switch to Spanish toggle

  • OpenCCC Account

  • Auto-fill from Previously Submitted Application

Getting to the My Applications Page

Applicants will land on their My Applications page the second time they sign in to CCCApply from their college’s application gateway page or CCC MyPath page. First-time applicants who create their OpenCCC accounts for the first time as part of the CCCApply Standard or Noncredit application workflows will not land on the My Applications page by default; however, they can reach the My Applications page if they exit an in-progress application or click on the My Applications page link in the main navigational header.

Auto-login for First-Time Applicants

Following the creation of their OpenCCC Account, first-time applicants are automatically logged in and land on the first page of the CCCApply application in which they intended to submit.  Autologin is a benefit of the “first-time applicant” workflow only and is not part of the “returning applicant” process.  First-time applicants do not begin the application process from the My Applications page when starting their very first CCCApply application.

Starting A New Application (Returning Applicants)

Returning applicants with an existing OpenCCC account may start a new CCCApply application by clicking on the “Start A New Application” button that appears at the top of their My Applications page.

Resuming an In-Progress Application

Applicants that have an existing OpenCCC account and have started but not submitted one or more applications will appear in the In-Progress Applications table on the My Applications page.  The applicant must sign in to CCCApply from a college’s application gateway page in order to land on their personal My Applications page.  All of the applicant’s in-progress applications will appear in the In-Progress Applications table.

To resume an in-progress application, the applicant must click on the “resume” icon (displayed as a pen in the table row) to display and resume that specific in-progress application.

Deleting an In-Progress Application

To delete an in-progress application, the applicant should click the trash can icon in the Trash column of the In-Progress Applications table row to remove the unsubmitted application from the system.

Reviewing and Submitting an Application

For security purposes, and to protect the privacy of the applicant’s personal information and responses, once an application has been signed and electronically submitted to a college on behalf of the applicant it becomes part of the records of the college to which it was submitted. Changes cannot be made to the application once it is submitted. If it is believed that an error has been submitted on the application, the applicant must contact the college to which it was submitted to make the correction.

For this reason, the applicant is provided notification of this restriction on the Submission page, as well as the opportunity to review and edit their responses prior to submission.  Prior to clicking the Submit button, the following notification is presented to the applicant:

You are about to submit your application to <college name>.
NO CHANGES can be made to your application once it is submitted.

California state law* allows you to submit your application and residency information online with an electronic signature verification. Your completion of this page will provide the necessary verification for electronic submission. The security and privacy of the information in your submitted application are protected as described in the CCCApply Privacy Policy.

Section 54300 of subchapter 4.5 of chapter 5 of division 6 of title 5 of the California Code of Regulations.

Review Application Responses and Edit Navigation

To ensure the applicant feels confident they have provided complete and accurate responses, the Review Your Responses section allows the applicant to review each section and update responses as needed. Edit navigational links allow the applicant to quickly jump to various sections as needed and return to the submission page where the submission button will display at the bottom of the screen.

The Account Information Section

After signing in, returning applicants will see an Account Information section on the My Applications page, directly below the “Start A New Application” button or, if displayed, below their “In-Progress Applications” table. The data is populated from the user’s most current account data stored in the OpenCCC system.

The Edit My Account Link

Applicants can update their Account Information data by clicking on the “Edit My Account” button in the Account Information section on the My Applications page. Once clicked, the Edit Profile page of their OpenCCC Account is displayed in a new browser tab.

Viewing A Submitted Application

Authenticated applicants can view their previously submitted applications from the Submitted Applications table on the My Applications page. Individual submitted applications are displayed in rows with the following details:

• Application ID

• College Name

• Application Type (Standard or Noncredit)

• Submit Date

• View Application icon

• View Links icon

The applicant must sign in to CCCApply from their college’s application gateway page to land on their personal My Applications page.

Signing Out

Applicants can exit the My Applications page or end an application session at any time by clicking the “Sign Out” link in the Settings menu in the header of every page.

Application Data

CCCApply application data is made available to colleges for automated data delivery via SuperGlue for Apply.  Real-time data is also available in the CCCApply Report Center. Data download will continue to be supported through June 30, 2023.

Submitted Application Data

Submitted applications are stored in two normalized databases. The database tables used for automated delivery, downloading, and reporting are the submitted_application and submitted_question_response tables.

When a CCCApply application is submitted, the applicant’s current OpenCCC Account data is copied to the CCCApply application and used for data delivery, download, and reporting.

The submitted_application table consists of all of the application data in a single flat row. The submitted_question_response table represents a flat version of the answers to the supplemental questions (if available). The content of both of these tables is used for automated data delivery via SuperGlue, as well as downloading and reporting.

In-Progress Application Data

Applications that have been started or resumed, but not yet submitted, are referred to as in-progress applications.  In-Progress applications, including the applicant’s current OpenCCC Account data, is stored in a normalized database. The tables in this document represent the data as it is stored in this database. When an in-progress application is submitted, the data is copied to the <submitted applications> database and used for SuperGlue data delivery, downloads, and reporting.

Restricted Data

For security reasons, some fields are restricted from download or reporting, such as the AB620 data fields (sexual orientation, transgender identification, etc.) and other sensitive system fields. In some cases fields are encrypted and only available, anonymously and with no connection to any other application data, for reporting at the California Community College Chancellor’s Office (CCCO). These storage and usage notes are specified in the data element tables, as well as the Table of Application Data Fields at the end of this specification which provides a matrix showing which data is or is not available by SuperGlue, download, email rules, and reporting.

OpenCCC Account Data

The applicant’s current OpenCCC account information, gathered during the account creation process, or updated/edited at any time following account creation, is stored and passed to the college as part of the full submitted application. Most of the fields captured during the account creation process are stored in the user’s account Profile and may be used for Account Recovery, while a few other system-generated fields may be stored in the database but not passed to the college via the integrated application.

Field Population

There are two ways that data fields auto-populate (auto-fill) to the CCCApply Standard and/or Noncredit applications. These are:

Auto-fill Account Profile Information:  OpenCCC Account data that auto-populates every CCCApply Standard and/or Noncredit application submitted by the applicant

Auto-fill Previous Submitted Application Data: Conditional field population of a second or a subsequent submitted application (the applicant opts-in to copy previously submitted application data into a new application)

Auto-Fill of Account Profile Information

At the time of application submission, the following OpenCCC Account data fields will always auto-fill to the CCCApply application and will be included in the complete submitted application:

• CCCID

• First Name

• Middle Name

• Last Name

• Preferred Name

• Email Address

• Birthdate

• Phone Number (Mainphone)

• No Permanent Address: Homeless

• Permanent Address: Country

• Permanent Address: Street Address 1 and 2

• Permanent Address:  City

• Permanent Address: State/Province

• Permanent Address: Postal code/Zip Code

Auto-Fill of Previously Submitted Application Data

When an applicant has previously completed and submitted one or more CCCApply Standard and/or Noncredit applications, he/she can have their previous responses auto filled into the new application of the same type if the application is submitted within two years of the current date.

Previously submitted application data cannot be used for auto-population in the following cases:

• the last most recent application is over two years old from the current date

• the last and only application was left in-progress and was never submitted

By default, the system will auto-fill select application data from the most recent submitted application. However, the user can opt-out of field autofill at any time by selecting “Autofill” from the header menu in their My Applications page.

Auto-population of previously submitted application data provides the following functionality:

• The applicant can choose to change/edit any of the auto-filled fields even if they selected Yes for auto-fill.

• Auto-filled fields in the new application will display the most recent previous application responses, and will appear in blue highlighting.

• The following types of fields will not auto-fill at any time, even if the applicant elects auto-population:

  • Residency determination-related fields

  • Supplemental questions fields

  • AB620 data (Gender section)

• When the applicant either tabs past the auto-filled field or edits or clicks the Save or Continue button within an application, the auto-filled values are treated as "verified" by the system and the blue highlighting no longer displays.

Auto-Fill by Application Section

The following list of fields by tab (or page) indicate which fields do or do not auto-fill when the applicant opts-in (chooses Yes) to field auto population (auto-fill).

The Account data fields listed below are no longer collected in the OpenCCC Account system for new accounts and will no longer auto-fill in the new Account Information section on the My Applications page or for previously submitted applications. These fields are now collected within the CCCApply Standard and Noncredit Application during completion of the application.