Student Support Services

You will find information about the following College centers, labs, resources and student services on this page:

Academic Advising

Academic Advising is an integral part of the student experience at Community College of Philadelphia. Advisors work closely with students to develop educational plans, review program requirements, and select appropriate courses for the purpose of integrating program of study with personal, academic and career goals. Students are strongly encouraged to be an active part of the advising relationship by engaging with their Advisor throughout their time at the College.

In addition, students work with Advisors to plan for the transfer process by understanding of policies and procedures, and referrals to college resources. While the ultimate responsibility for making decisions about personal goals and educational plans rests with each student, Advisors support and assist by helping to identify and assess options.

For more information about Academic Advising, please visit us at any college location (Room BG-12 Main Campus or regional centers). For contact and location information, please visit the Office of Academic Advising website.

Assessment Center

In the College Assessment Center, new students can complete placement tests prior to orientation and registration in order that they may demonstrate their skill level in the areas of reading, writing and math. Students returning to the College will be tested if they have not previously and successfully completed an English or mathematics course.

Testing may be waived for students with qualifying high school GPAs and transcripts or qualifying SAT or ACT scores. For complete information on the placement test waivers available, please click here. 
The guidelines for applicants who must take the Accuplacer placement test are:

  • Applicants with a HS GPA of 2.74 and below
  • GED students
  • Students who cannot obtain a high school transcript
  • English as a Second Language (ESL) students will take their ACCUPLACER placement and be placed in Pre-ESL or ESL courses

The Assessment Center administers admissions tests for select programs and placement for specific courses. For additional information, please email us at assessmentcenter [at] ccp.edu.

Career Connections

The Career Connections Department is excited to Prepare, Empower and Connect our students to the world of work through our comprehensive career services and online platforms to help students prepare for their career and experiential learning opportunities. Career Connections offers one-on-one appointments, empowerment workshops on résumé and cover letter guidance, interview preparation, job search strategies and so much more! The department assists students and graduates in developing successful strategies to identify on-campus and off-campus work-study opportunities; part-time, full-time and summer employment; and experiential learning opportunities.

Students can access three career-readiness software platforms through MyCCP:

  • Handshake—connect with employers who are looking to hire Community College of Philadelphia students and alumni for full-time and part-time jobs, internships, and other experiential learning opportunities. Login to MyCCP to setup your account.
  • Big Interview is an interview prep service that provides you with a personalized opportunity to improve your job interviewing skills. Through a step-by-step system, you'll receive expert training and unlimited interview practice. Build your confidence; avoid job interview surprises with mock interview practice directly related to your specific industry and experience.
  • Pathful Explore is a video-based career planning service. It offers engaging, real life job shadowing insight from real people across multiple professions and industries. Students can explore career opportunities and plan their success path through interactive tools that align educational and career goals.

Over 100 plus employers engage with the College annually via the Career Connections department with the goal of engaging with students in our credit and noncredit programs. Our department's goal is to ensure that our students and alumni are prepared to apply, interview and land the jobs that align with their career and current job needs. Our employer partners frequently participate in our career-readiness activities which include, but are not limited to participating in our job fairs, facilitating career empowerment workshops and actively recruiting our students through our campus recruitment events, and partnering with the College to hire students for their experiential learning opportunities and collaborating with the College to develop internships and externships.

Our partnerships with employers throughout the City and region have resulted in more than 200 students reporting hiring outcomes over the past two years. As a result, employers continue to partner with Career Connections to meet their talent pipeline needs.

Contact the Career Connections department to learn about the nine ways that we support our employer partners and how we prepare students for these opportunities. If you know of any employer looking to partner with the College for their recruitment and/or experiential learning needs, they can register for an employer account via the Handshake platform in MyCCP.

Career Connections is located in C1-34 of the Center for Business and Industry and BG-24 of the Bonnell Building’s lobby. For further information, please call 215-496-6176 or email at careerconnections [at] ccp.edu (careerconnections[at]ccp[dot]edu).

Center for Male Engagement

The Center for Male Engagement (CME) is designed to increase the retention and graduation rates of male students of color at the College through academic support, mentoring, career and personal growth initiatives, leadership activities, civic and social engagement, and cultural enhancement. 

College can be a challenging experience without proper support, particularly for male students of color who are attending college for the first time. Our mission is to support members of CME through culturally responsive programming that addresses the whole person and meets them where they are.

Those students looking to join should contact cme [at] ccp.edu to find out how to become a part of CME.

Summer Enrichment Program

The Summer Enrichment Program is a free, four-week program for first-time incoming male students of color designed to provide an enhanced orientation to the College and its resources, as well as promote academic, career, financial and personal preparedness, and success at the College.

Program features include:

  • Refresher courses in writing and math with an opportunity to retake the placement test
  • Workshops to help students discover career and professional goals
  • Introductions to the various College programs geared toward student success
  • Weekly SEPTA TransPass for transportation to and from the College
  • Leadership retreat (off campus and overnight for three days)
  • Stipend based on meeting program expectations

The Center for Male Engagement is located in the Winnet Student Life Building in Room S1-05, S2-21, and S3-09. For more information, call 215-751-8817 or email the Center for Male Engagement (cme [at] ccp.edu).

Center on Disability

The Center on Disability reviews and approves student requests for academic accommodations related to disability. To request academic accommodations, students must submit informative and relevant documentation from a qualified professional stating the nature and impact of their disability. Additionally, students must attend a meeting with the Center on Disability for an individualized review of accommodation requests. To ensure timely service provision, we urge students requiring accommodations to apply to the College and complete the Center on Disability registration process at least six (6) weeks before the start of the semester. We encourage students with disabilities to call the Center on Disability at 215-751-8050 or visit us online.

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Counseling Center

The College offers free, comprehensive counseling to all its students. The Counseling Center is staffed by professional counselors. Educational, career and personal counseling are available to individuals and groups. Counselors also assist students and graduates who wish to continue their education at other institutions. Information discussed in counseling is kept strictly confidential.

The Counseling Center is located in BG-7 and can be reached by calling 215-751-8169. Counselors are also available at each of the Regional Centers. Please visit the Counseling Center online for more information on counseling services.

I Am More Reentry Engagement Program

The I Am More Reentry Engagement Program is a College-wide initiative designed to holistically address the academic, career, and social needs of justice-involved students as they actively pursue a certificate or associate degree at the College. The College values the diversity of our student’s lived experiences and is committed to creating programming that meets students where they are, and providing the best means of support in attaining their academic and career goals.

I Am More participants receive:

  • Case Management—An assigned Support Coach who will help balance the competing demands of a college student, both on and off campus
  • Program Support—Workshops and training regarding academic success, including tutoring by Learning Specialists in writing, math and CIS courses, career development, leadership development, life skills, and mentorship
  • Social Support—Identification of and assistance with basic needs and health and wellness resources

Eligibility

To be eligible, prospective students must be currently enrolled in a certificate or degree program at the College and justice-involved, including being sentenced and serving time in a county, state, or federal correctional facility for non-sexual offenses. All participants are required to sign an agreement of participation that outlines program expectations.

Connect with us:
Luis Gonzalez
Support Coach, I Am More Program | 215.496.6090 or 215.778.6024 | lgonzalez [at] ccp.edu or iammore [at] ccp.edu

Learning Labs

The Learning Labs provide supplementary instructional assistance by faculty and peer tutors to students registered in a variety of college courses. Peer tutors are accomplished students who have been trained to assist other students. The Lab's faculty members include specialists in reading, study skills, English as a Second Language, writing, mathematics, science and learning disabilities. Together, peer tutors and faculty reinforce and supplement material taught in class.

Our in-person academic support services are available in the newly renovated Learning Commons space at the Main Campus, as well as at the Regional Centers in the Northeast Learning Commons and Northwest Learning Lab.

Scheduling an appointment has never been easier now that students may schedule appointments at your own convenience! You may access the Learning Lab's tutoring site online through the MyCCP portal. For more information and a complete list of day, evening, and Saturday hours, visit us online.

Library

The Main Campus Library is located on the first floor of the Bonnell Building and resides in the Library and Learning Commons. An online catalog and integrated network provide access to the College Library collection and numerous electronic databases. Classes taught by the Library faculty provide students with the knowledge and skills to locate, evaluate and use a wide range of resources to support their college coursework. The hours for the Main Campus Library are available from the Library webpage and posted at the main entrance to the Library. Students can reserve a group study room in the Library and Learning Commons.

The Northeast Regional Center, located at 12901 Townsend Road, and the Career and Advanced Technology Center/West Regional Center, located at 4700 Market Street, have library facilities. The hours for each Regional Center Library are available from the Library webpage and posted at each location. Your College ID card, with current validation, is required to enter the Library and to borrow materials.

For more information, visit the Library online.

MarcDavid LGBTQ Center

The MarcDavid LGBTQ Center offers support services, programming activities, and educational opportunities to members of the LGBTQ community and to the entire College community. Student outreach and support efforts consist of working with LGBTQ and ally student groups, working with other student groups on inclusion and support initiatives, and connecting students with City and College resources.

Contact the MarcDavid LGBTQ Center at (215) 972-6232 or visit S1-10C.

New Student Online Orientation

The New Student Online Orientation (NSOO) portal provides strong visual reinforcement and a clear linear process for new, first-time students to follow while navigating through the enrollment process. It clearly defines the steps to enrollment with easily identified check marks for items completed and those not, and it mirrors a checklist-type of system that is responsive to a variety of student-initiated activities. This platform serves as an introduction and transition to the College. To access the NSOO portal:

  • Log-in to the MyCCP portal.
  • Click on New Student Online Orientation Portal (located under the "New Student Resources" channel).
  • Students need to review the content in each individual module before moving on to the next module; complete all modules prior to attending a New Student Registration Event (NSRE) and New Student Orientation (NSO).

New Student Orientation

Upon completing the Online Orientation (NSOO) portal, all new, first-time students are invited to attend a New Student Orientation (NSO) session on campus – offered prior to the start of the Fall and Spring semesters. Students will receive important information about academic and student resources, student processes and initiatives that will help them navigate their new environment and achieve their goals. Orientation will familiarize students with policies and procedures, and highlight services offered at the College. Students will meet our faculty, staff, and other students; participate in discussions about their responsibilities as a college student; and learn strategies that will help them successfully transition to being a college student. Orientation programs are offered at each Regional Center, in addition to the Main Campus.

Office of Collegiate Recovery

The Office of Collegiate Recovery is a resource for information, friendship and socialization for students at Community College of Philadelphia who are in recovery by providing an on-campus collegiate experience that integrates off-campus therapeutic and wellness support. It also is an outreach program to engage the recovery community in the benefits of a college experience to strengthen and support an individual's recovery plan.

Our Collegiate Recovery network of services range from student support coaches, peer membership, structured activities, study groups and coordination among residential programs supported by the City of Philadelphia's Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbilities.

The Office of Collegiate Recovery is dedicated to reaffirming the reality of long-term recovery by celebrating and enhancing the variety, availability and quality of local and regional recovery support.

For more information, email deanofstudents [at] ccp.edu.

Single Stop

Community College of Philadelphia connects students with state and federal financial resources, as well as local community services. Its aim is to help students overcome economic barriers so that they can continue with their education and move towards economic mobility.

At Single Stop, staff will meet with students to help them determine and apply for those potential resources and benefits that ultimately enable them to achieve their educational goals.

Single Stop services include:

  • Benefits screening – determine eligibility and receive assistance with application process for state benefits
  • Financial counseling – financial services to help establish and achieve financial goals
  • Healthcare enrollment assistance – students receive guidance assessing different options to obtain health insurance coverage
  • Immigration consultations – students receive free legal advice about status adjustment and naturalization process
  • Legal assistance – access to attorneys and off-campus referrals to assist with and answer legal issues related to housing, benefits, utilities, and expungements
  • Referral services – connections to other community resources (food, mental health, etc.)
  • Tax preparation and filing – tax preparers assist students with filing tax returns and/or amendments

All Single Stop services are free to currently enrolled students. For additional information or to make an appointment, contact Single Stop:

Main Campus: Room M1-21, phone 215-516-3710, singlestop [at] ccp.edu
Northeast Regional Center: 215-972-6367, singlestopRC [at] ccp.edu
West/CATC: 215-972-6367, singlestopRC [at] ccp.edu

Student Academic Computer Centers (SACC)

The Student Academic Computer Centers (SACC) offer students access to computer workstations with various software applications required in all disciplines at the College, including email, the Web and laser printing. Student computer access is available at the Main Campus in the Mint Building in the Library and Learning Commons on the first floor and in the CBI Building, room C3-17. Services are also available at the Northwest (NW-120) and Northeast Learning Commons (NE-123). For more information and a complete list of day, evening, and Saturday hours, visit our website.

Student Success Initiatives

Student Success Initiatives offers programs and services designed to support students with the goal of increasing rates of academic success at the College. Services include oversight of Starfish Connect, the College's Academic Early Alert system, and Complete with 15, a degree completion scholarship. For additional information about services offered by the Office of Student Success Initiatives, please call 215-751-8202, email studentsuccess [at] ccp.edu or visit L1-08K or L1-08E.

Starfish Connect

Starfish Connect, the College's academic early alert system, is a communication tool for students, faculty and staff at the College, designed to provide students with feedback about academic performance with the purpose of helping students successfully complete their courses and connecting them with important campus resources.

Goals:

  • Assist students in being academically successful
  • Help students achieve their educational goals
  • Provide individually tailored assistance to students
  • Engage students in their academic success

Using Starfish Connect, faculty members can raise academic alert flags (concerns), give kudos (acknowledge good performance) and refer students to campus resources for extra support. The Starfish Connect system allows faculty to easily communicate their concerns to students while at the same time communicating these concerns to student support staff on campus. The office of Student Success Initiatives monitors Starfish Connect and offers outreach and support to students receiving alerts to increase their likelihood of academic success.

Complete with 15 Scholarship

The Complete with 15 Scholarship can offer students a faster path to completing a degree. This scholarship is appropriate for students who have earned at least 24 credits, have a 2.5 GPA and meet additional requirements. If you meet the additional requirements, click here to apply electronically. Complete with 15 provides eligible students, who enroll in four courses (minimum 12 credits) each semester, with a scholarship that will fund an additional 3-credit course. By enrolling in five courses per semester for a minimum of 15 credits, students can complete an associate degree in less time while saving money. The office of Student Success Initiatives processes Complete with 15 applications. Once determined eligible, students work with an advisor to create an academic plan outlining all courses from the start of receiving the scholarship through to earning all credits needed for graduation. Depending on the number of earned credits at the time of application, students may take advantage of the Complete with 15 Scholarship for up to three semesters.

For additional information about services offered by the Office of Student Success Initiatives, please call 215-751-8202, email studentsuccess [at] ccp.edu or visit L1-08K or L1-08E.

Veterans Resource Center

Community College of Philadelphia is the largest public institution of higher education in Philadelphia and currently serves a number of students attending the College under the GI Bill®. The Veterans Resource Center (VRC) offers specialized services for our veteran students and their families.

The VRC, located on the ground level of the Bonnell Building, Room BG-43, is dedicated to serving students who are veterans and dependents of veterans. A Veterans Resource coordinator is available to answer questions and provide resources and referrals to assist veterans and qualifying dependents in understanding and accessing all services and options available to them on the Main Campus and at the Regional Centers. Services include:

  • Access to resources, periodicals, and other academic material for veterans
  • Information regarding VA laws and regulations and College policy
  • An online community for student veterans
  • Peer group discussions
  • Guest speakers on topics relevant to veterans
  • Transition workshops during the new student orientation program

For more information about the resources, visit the VRC, Room BG-43 or //vets [at] ccp.edu (email Veterans Resource Center). For more information about Veterans Education Benefits, visit the G.I. Bill®  website at https://benefits.va.gov/gibill/.

Note: To receive assistance in completing the veteran's certification and veteran's scholarship forms, students may visit the Veterans Resource Center located on the ground level of the Bonnell Building, Room BG-43, or send an inquiry via //vets [at] ccp.edu (email).

"GI Bill®" is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website.

Women's Outreach and Advocacy Center

The Women's Outreach and Advocacy Center is dedicated to issues of gender equity on campus. Its mission is to foster a community where women can exist, learn and work in an environment that promotes dignity, understanding, equality and mutual respect. Its vision is to serve the College Community as an advocate for gender equality and mutual respect.
The Center provides a focal point where women can convene as a community for advocacy, collaboration, healing and learning. The Center oversees the College’s lactation lounges and support programs for student parents. The Center is located in Room S1-19 in the Winnet Student Life Building. The hours of operation during the academic year are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Please stop by, call 215-751-8828, or //womencenter [at] ccp.edu (email Women's Outreach and Advocacy Center) for additional information.