Spring 2021 Enrollment Begins November 4th
Thursday, October 29, 2020
ENROLLMENT BEGINS NOVEMBER 4TH FOR BAKERSFIELD COLLEGE'S SPRING SEMESTER
CLASSES TO BEGIN THE WEEK OF JANUARY 16, 2021
Now is the time to register and enroll for the spring semester at Bakersfield College. A full lineup of courses are available to help students advance in their educational journey towards degree completion and/or to transfer.
Returning students will need to complete an update form by logging in to their InsideBC account to obtain a registration date and time. First-time students can enroll by visiting InsideBC.
Flexible Course Offerings
The semester will officially begin the week of January 16, 2021. In alignment with the Kern Community College Districts announcement on September 30, 2020 that the “majority of instruction and support operations will continue in the current online and remote environments,” most courses will not take place on a physical campus location. Instead, almost all course offerings will be either face-to-face via Zoom or in an online flexible format that does not require live meetings.
Financial Aid is Available
Financial assistance is available. The 2021-2022 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the Kern Community College District (KCCD) Scholarship Application is also now open for BC students, offering nearly 300 unique opportunities through one easy online application. The KCCD scholarship application will remain open until February 1, 2021.
Students enrolled in a minimum of 12 units can receive, on average up to $6,345 in Federal Pell Grant. Aid is available for students also enrolled in 6-11 units. Actual award amounts vary per student based on individual eligibility as determined by the FAFSA application. Students are welcome to receive personalized assistance using the virtual lobby on the Bakersfield College website. Hours are Monday through Thursday from 8am to 4pm.
Online Student Support Services
BC's Student Information Desk (SID) is a fully staffed Zoom lobby available Monday through Thursday from 9:00am to 6:00pm, creating a digital “face-to-face” portal for a variety of college-wide support needs. Questions involving enrollment, academics, financial aid, changing classes, and educational plans are just a few of the regular inquiries that the SID is ready to help students navigate in an online, yet still friendly environment.
When students connect to the SID waiting room, they are greeted by a host and co-host who evaluates the needs and determines the best expert available to assist. The student is then transferred to a private breakout room for further personalized service.
Laptop Loaner Program
Students' responses to a survey in March revealed that about one in 10 students did not have adequate off-campus internet access while nearly a quarter of students use their cell phones as their primary device to access online course materials. In response, BC launched the Laptop Loaner to Learn Program to distribute and make Chromebooks available to students affected by the online transition. The program, based out of the college's Financial Aid Department accepts applications for the Chromebooks and/or internet hotspots (while supply lasts). Additionally, BC's Financial Aid has been able to secure low cost internet access for qualifying students and BC's IT Department is actively working to provide wifi for students in the southwest parking lot on campus.
Student Emergency Fund
This past fall, the BC Foundation launched a new fund to augment the support already available through existing college programs. The Student Emergency Fund has helped students in a variety of critical ways, including short-term housing, electronic equipment and internet access for virtual learning. Grants are offered on a one-time basis to students who are nominated or identified through a staff or faculty member. Students are then invited to submit an application through Financial Aid, where the college can verify how the BC Student Emergency Fund can best augment the federal financial aid already available to the student. To bolster available funds, the BC Foundation Board of Directors committed to matching donations up to a total of $39,000.
Student Employment
Bakersfield College employs students in part-time positions available in many college departments while attending college. Job types vary and an effort is made to locate work related to a students major or occupational goal. Employment is not guaranteed, and students must apply online and be interviewed by the department to be offered a student employee position.
Registration Begins November 4th and will remain open until the beginning of the semester. Classes begin the week of January 16, 2021.
