Admissions & Records

Anyone may attend MiraCosta College who is:

• 18 years of age or older or
• The holder of a high school diploma or equivalent or
• Currently attending high school as a freshman, sophomore, junior or senior. High school students are required to obtain a Concurrent/Dual Registration Permit signed by their high school principal and a parent.  International students wishing to attend MiraCosta College on a F1/M1 visa must apply for admission through the Institute for International Perspectives.

The residency rules as established by Title V of the California Code of Regulations require a one-year physical presence in the state of California prior to the first day of the semester, combined with one year of evidence of intent and ability to establish residency in California. Students may be required to present evidence regarding their residency. Some exceptions and limitations to the residency requirement exist; please call the Admissions and Records Office, 760.795.6620 or 760.634.7870 if you have questions about residency requirements.

How: All students registering using our online system called SURF. Once your application is processed you will be sent an email that has your SURF ID number. We have several helpful tutorials on using SURF on our Tutorial page so check it out!

When: Continuing students are assigned a specific registration date and time based on the number of units completed (not including current semester) at MiraCosta College for continuing students. State regulations require that high school students have a lower priority than regularly admitted students.

Once a class is filled, you have the option to be placed on a wait list. While registering in SURF, you may select the wait list option for a closed class. Prior to the start of the class, a nightly process will attempt to auto register students into any available seats. Information regarding success, payment required and problems will be communicated to students via e-mail.

A permission number allows you to register in/add classes that require instructor permission such as full classes that you have wait-listed or classes that require an audition by logging into your SURF Account.  Full payment is required at the time of registration to complete the process of adding the class.

• How to Add Class(es) with Permission Numbers

Permission numbers do not:

• override prerequisites
• override holds, debts,
• override class conflicts, repeats
• override add deadlines or other registration restrictions

Permission numbers do:

• expire (use them as soon as you get them)
• apply only to the student they were assigned to (i.e. they are attached to your ID#)

Some classes have a prerequisite and students not meeting the prerequisite will not be able to register in the class (SURF will prevent registration). Students may clear their prerequisites by taking the prerequisite course at MiraCosta. If you have already taken the course at another school you can use the Prerequisite form to upload your transcript (unofficial is fine) and send it to us for clearance. Prerequisites can take up to 5 business days to be processed so plan ahead!

In order to ensure than an individual's name reflects their identity, MiraCosta College makes it easy for students to change their preferred name. There are two ways to change your preferred name:

• Students are now able to change their preferred name through their SURF account.

If students wish to change their primary (Legal) name documentation is required. For more information about legally changing your name and gender in the State of California, check out this informative page from the California Courts.

Troubleshooting: here are the most common reason students are unable to register for a class and how to check:

1. Have you cleared all of your ‘To Do’ list items and Holds?
2. Does the course have an unmet prerequisite?
3. Is it a linked course?
4. Is the course reserved for a specific group? (ie: Athletes, Puente, etc.)
5. Are you maxed out on your units for the semester? (waitlisted courses count!)
6. Is there a time conflict somewhere in your schedule?
7. Has the course been taken previously?
8. Are you a High School Student? We need your Concurrent Registration permit! 

All student records of MiraCosta College are kept in accordance with the provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.

A student may request access to those campus records which personally identify the student; the student may challenge the accuracy of the record or the appropriateness of its retention in the college records. Regardless of age, student consent is needed for the release of records covered by the act to outside parties (e.g., parents, spouses, military, law enforcement, prospective employers, and federal investigators) except for those agencies entitled to access under the provisions of the act (e.g., college officials; other schools; federal, educational and auditing officers; requestors in connection with the application or receipt of financial aid).

Amendments to the act permit the college to release what is called “directory information,” provided that the student or former student has not specifically asked the college to refrain from releasing such information. For more detailed information see the US Department of Education’s FERPA site.

Education Code section 68075.6 grants an immediate nonresident tuition fee exemption to eligible Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holders and refugee students who settled in California upon entering the United States. This exemption is granted for one year from the date the student settled in California upon entering the United States.

This exemption applies to the following:

• Iraqi citizens or nationals (and their spouses and children) who were employed by or on behalf of the United States Government in Iraq (Pub.L. No. 110-181, §1244)
• Afghan and Iraqi translators (and their spouses and children) who worked directly with the United States Armed Forces (Pub.L. No. 109-163, § 1059)
• Afghanistan nationals who were employed by or on behalf of the U.S. Government or in the International Security Assistance Force {ISAF} in Afghanistan (Pub.L. No. 111-8, § 602)
• Refugee students admitted to the United States under Section 1157 of Title 8 of the United States Code