Admissions Information

  1. Must be a citizen or a permanent resident alien of the United States or be admitted on an immigrant visa to the United States.
  2. Must have resided in Pennsylvania for at least 12 months prior to the first day of one's first semester at Community College of Philadelphia.
  3. Must have resided in Philadelphia for at least three months prior to the first day of one's first semester at Community College of Philadelphia.

The following documentation may be used to provide evidence toward meeting the residency policy requirements:

Important Note: Name and Philadelphia address must be present on all documents and all documents must be dated at least three months prior to the first day of one's first semester at the College.

  1. Current apartment lease or mortgage from the permanent independent residence.
  2. Copy of a city/state tax bill. Special attention shall be given to payment of Commonwealth taxes on income earned during periods of temporary absence from this Commonwealth.
  3. Copies of bank statements, automobile registration, or other registered Philadelphia property dated at least three months prior to the first day of one's first semester at the College.
  4. Current Pennsylvania driver's license or state ID.
  5. High school transcript showing a Philadelphia home address.
  6. Pay stubs with Philadelphia home address showing payment of Philadelphia wage taxes.

Cases shall be decided on the basis of documentation submitted, with qualitative rather than quantitative emphasis. The determination of residency in each case is one of the subjective intentions of the student to reside indefinitely in this Commonwealth and in Philadelphia.

International Students

International students holding an F-1 or J-1 visa cannot be classified as legal residents of Philadelphia or Pennsylvania.

Tuition Rates for United States Veterans, United States Military and Civilian Personnel, and Their Dependents

United States Veterans

All eligible veterans of the United States Armed Forces and their spouses and dependents will receive the in-county, Philadelphia residency rate for tuition.

Active Military and Civilian Personnel assigned to active duty station or Department of Defense Facility in Pennsylvania

All active United States military personnel, including their spouses and dependents, who are assigned to an active duty station in Pennsylvania and reside in Pennsylvania will receive the in-county, Philadelphia residency rate for tuition. This provision remains in effect for each member, spouse or dependent while continuously enrolled at the College, even if there is a subsequent change in the permanent duty station of the member to a location outside of Pennsylvania.

All active United States civilian personnel, including their spouses and dependents, who reside in Pennsylvania or who are employed or transferred to a United States Department of Defense facility in Pennsylvania and reside in Pennsylvania will receive the in-county, Philadelphia residency rate for tuition. This provision remains in effect for each member, spouse or dependent while continuously enrolled at the College, even if there is a subsequent change in the assigned employment of the member to a location outside of Pennsylvania.

All Active Military Personnel-Distance Learning

All active military personnel, including the spouses and dependents will receive the in-county, Philadelphia residency rate for tuition for distance (on-line) courses.

Eligibility and Verification

For veterans to be eligible, they must have served in the United States Armed Forces, including reserve component or National Guard, and must have been discharged or released from service under conditions other than dishonorable.

Veterans and active military and civilian personnel must verify their affiliation with the United States Armed Services. Spouses and dependents must verify the veteran, military or civilian member's status with the United States Armed Services and provide proof of dependent status.

Change of Residency

Change of residency for tuition and mailing purposes is the sole responsibility of the student. Any changes made to residency after the last day of the term's refund period (15-week during fall/spring, 7-week during summer) will be reflected in the following semester. For refund dates see the Enrollment Guide or the College Catalog.

Students attending the College for the first time may challenge their permanent residency classification by completing and submitting a Residency Statement and Documentation form to the Office of Records and Registration prior to beginning classes.

Continuing students may challenge their permanent residency classification by completing and submitting a Residency Statement and Documentation form at any enrollment counter before the last day of the term's refund period (15-week during fall/spring, 7-week during summer).

College Placement Requirement

Placement levels — in writing, reading and math — are used to determine if students will be placed into college-level courses or if they first need to enroll in developmental classes.

Placement is satisfied by one of the following ways:

  • A minimum SAT score of 560 in English and 510 in mathematics, or a minimum ACT score of 21 in English and 17 in mathematics, taken within the last five years
  • A score of 4 or 5 on the AP English/ Lit/Comp Exam, or a score of 4 or 5 on the Calculus AB or Calculus BC exam, taken within the last five years
  • A minimum IBT (internet-based TOEFL) score of 77 overall and a 20 in writing, taken within the past two years
  • A minimum IELTS score of 6.0 overall and a 6.0 in writing, taken within the past two years
  • An official college transcript indicating you earned a U.S. college degree or have passed college-level English or math with a grade of "C" or higher at an accredited U.S. college or university
  • An official high school transcript with an unweighted GPA of 3.2 or greater will satisfy placement into English 101.
  • An official high school transcript with a minimum grade of "C" in Algebra II or a higher math course and an unweighted GPA of 3.0 or greater will satisfy placement into Foundational Math 118 or another College Level Math course.
  • Taking a free ACCUPLACER placement test at the College's Main Campus, one of our Regional Centers, or virtually through an online proctoring service.

Students must satisfy the placement test requirement if they do not meet one of the criteria above.

Learn more about the placement test.

All documents (transcripts and test scores) submitted for placement should be directed to:

Community College of Philadelphia 
1700 Spring Garden Street
Transfer Credit and Placement Office, MG-17 
Philadelphia, PA 19130

or emailed to: traneval [at] ccp.edu

STUDENTS MUST SATISFY THE PLACEMENT REQUIREMENT IF:

  • They want (or are required) to enroll in an English or mathematics course.
  • They want to enroll in a course requiring English or math placement or a course requiring English or math as a prerequisite.
  • They want to enroll in more than one course (or 4 credits) at the Main Campus or a Regional Center.

The College's placement test scores are valid for two years. Students must be retested after a two-year period unless they have successfully satisfied the placement requirement as noted above. Admissions tests for select programs and placement tests for specific courses are also administered.

Scheduling a Placement Test

If you need to request accommodations due to a documented disability, contact the Center on Disability before you schedule your placement tests. You can schedule and/or change your placement test through MyCCP after submitting your application for admission.

To take a placement test, visit our English and Math Placement webpage for times and locations at the Main Campus and Regional Centers.

If you cannot keep your test appointment, you may reschedule it through MyCCP or by calling the Admissions Information Center at 215-751-8010. You can find a complete description of the placement test here.

Advanced Placement

Students entering the College may take waiver examinations in some courses. Success in such tests will permit students to enroll in more advanced courses. Students should contact the appropriate department head for further information.

Prior Learning Assessment

Community College of Philadelphia helps students succeed by awarding college credit for their learning achieved outside the traditional college classroom. Credit is awarded for learning that matches a particular course in your program of study. Course credit based on prior learning is given at the discretion of the department offering the course. Not all departments offer these options.

Ways to Earn College Credit for Prior Learning

Credit By Exam

Students may receive credit for some courses by taking a standardized exam, such as CLEP, or a departmental challenge exam. Learn more about the credit by exam options.

Evaluation of Noncredit or Alternative Learning

Professional training programs such as the police academy, military training, noncredit courses, and other career and technical programs may be eligible for college credit. Refer to PLA for Veterans or Evaluation of Noncredit Learning for more information. Students may also develop a portfolio for individual assessment of college-level learning for some courses. Visit our Credit for What You Know webpage to learn more.

Individualized Studies Program

The Individualized Studies program recognizes valuable training and/or work experience by giving students the opportunity to receive college credits for their experiences and to apply that experience and knowledge to an associate's degree. College credit may be earned from industry certifications, work experience, non-credit to credit program articulations, and evidence of other demonstrated competencies. Refer to the Individualized Studies page for more information.

Business Leadership Program

The Business Leadership program requires students to study a complementary discipline course sequence in a separate (pre-approved) academic area. To complete the complementary discipline course requirements: Students may enroll in a proficiency certificate offered at the college, apply a set of pre-approved courses, or apply prior learning assessment credits to complete the minimum 15 credits in a complementary discipline. Refer to the Business Leadership page for more information.

Act 48 - Continuing Professional Education for Certified Educators

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, on November 23, 1999, passed into law Act 48. This law addresses requirements for professional education planning and requires all certified educators (teachers, principals and superintendents), every five years, to earn six college credits, six continuing professional education credits, or 180 clock hours of continuing professional education, or any combination of collegiate studies, continuing professional education courses, or learning experiences equivalent to 180 hours.

Act 48 regulations recognize collegiate credits from accredited institutions of higher education as appropriate for professional education purposes. Community College of Philadelphia is considered an approved higher educational institution by the Department of Education for providing continuing professional education credits or hours.

Individuals requiring Act 48 certification should complete an electronic form by logging into the MyCCP portal. Under the "Student" tab, locate "Electronic Forms" and click "Records and Registration Forms." Select the "Act 48 Certification Form," complete and submit. If you no longer have access to the MyCCP portal and would like to submit an electronic form, email records [at] ccp.edu (records[at]ccp[dot]edu) for assistance.

Veterans Education Benefits

Veterans must be certified to receive VA benefits. To be certified, the Application for VA Benefits (VA Form 1990) must be completed and students must be registered for classes. Alternatively, students may file the veterans application (VONAPP) online. Veterans should apply early each semester to allow the College and the Veterans Administration time to process benefits. To apply, submit your Community College of Philadelphia Veterans Benefits Registration form along with a Notice of Basic Eligibility, Certificate of Eligibility or form DD-214 to the School Certifying Official located on the Main Campus at Enrollment Central on the ground level of the Bonnell Building.

Veterans must also report any changes in registration by completing a Community College of Philadelphia Veterans Benefits Registration form and submitting it to the School Certifying Official in Enrollment Central on the ground level of the Bonnell Building. Changes include selecting additional courses, dropping a course, changing to a different course or withdrawing from school.

All students except those receiving benefits under Chapters 31, 33 and 35 must report attendance on a monthly basis to the VA. Attendance should be reported the last day of each month by calling 1-888-442-4551 or by going online and selecting "Verify Attendance."

Chapter 31 - Veteran Readiness and Employment

All Chapter 31 Veterans need to be certified for their program of study by the local Veterans Administration Office. The local VA office address is:

Veterans Administration
5000 Wissahickon Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19101
1-800-827-1000

For more information about veterans education benefits, see the Veterans Education Benefits section and the VA website. You can also contact the Veterans Resource Center, located on the ground level of the Bonnell Building, Room BG-43, for more information and services to help you achieve your goals at the College. For more information, //vets [at] ccp.edu (email Veterans Resource Center).

To receive assistance completing the veteran's certification and veteran's scholarship forms, students may visit Enrollment Central, located on the ground level of the Bonnell Building or send an inquiry via vets [at] ccp.edu (email).