About the International Student Program
The San Mateo Colleges are located next to the great city of San Francisco and in the high tech capital of the world, Silicon Valley. Our beautiful campuses have gorgeous panoramic views of the San Francisco Bay Area. Our three colleges offer high quality programs with award-winning faculty and provide individual attention to our students. Our international student advisors take pride in ensuring that students successfully transfer to top colleges and universities. Our Transfer Admission Guarantee enhances opportunities for students to transfer to the seven University of California campuses. We are among the top transfer colleges for California State Universities. Our students study in world class facilities and they enjoy small class size and dedicated attention from faculty who have doctoral and masters’ degrees.
- Transfer
- Housing
- Costs
- Degrees and Programs Offered District-wide
- Medical Insurance
- International Student Scholarship
- Other Scholarships
- Minor Consent Form
- Intensive English Language School Partnerships
- Approved High School Equivalencies
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Transfer
Transfer programs are mainly available to community college students. The lower division units/courses and/or degrees completed at a community college level may be awarded to a Bachelor's at four-year universities. This provides an opportunity for students to complete lower division courses at a lower cost in a community college and transfer the earned units (almost 50% of the credits required for a Bachelor's degree) to a four-year university in California (University of California, California State University, private universities), or to a university in another state.
The four-year universities have established mutual agreements with community colleges to accommodate students with their transfer plan.
San Mateo Colleges are your bridge to attend :
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Housing
The San Mateo Colleges do not offer on-campus housing/dormitory.
International students usually rent a furnished room in a home nearby or
rent an apartment.
Option 1: Homestay
Our colleges can refer
you to agencies that help you locate private homes where you can rent a
room with or without meals. Be sure to contact the agencies below one
month ahead of your arrival. The arrangement of homestay is like the
following:
- Room only
- Room and breakfast
- Room with breakfast and dinner
International Student Placement (ISP) ISP has successfully placed thousands of international students with host families in the San Francisco Bay Area. They place each student in a living situation where they will feel comfortable and secure. ISP hosts are personally interviewed in their home, screened and selected for the program. Host homes are located within a reasonable distance to the student's school, typically within a 5-mile radius. Hosts are a variety of families and come from a variety of ethnic backgrounds that matches the interest and needs of international students. ISP provides support during the student's stay and airport pick up (for a fee).
Download and complete application form (http://isphomestays.com/college-programs/). Tel +1 650-947-8879
Universal Student Housing (USH) is a homestay provider for colleges and universities in California. Our goal is to provide the best service possible and to make sure our students are happy in their homestay. USH offers students 3 different homestay options:Students may apply using our easy online application process. For more information visit www.usaish.com/hmst.htm or call 1.866.900.4874.
Option 2: Rent an apartment
The rent of a one bedroom apartment ranges between $1100 and
$1,500 per month. Students must be prepared for additional costs of
utilities, (gas, electricity, and telephone). There is required security
deposit of the first month rent (refundable).
The International
Student Office at each college maintains a file of rooms in private
homes, and provides students with housing information upon their
arrival.
New students should plan to arrive at least two weeks before
registration. Early arrival is necessary to provide adequate time to
locate housing and become familiar with the area.
Option 3: Rent a room
The rent of a furnished
room in the San Mateo, San Bruno and Redwood City area ranges between
$900 and $1200 per month. This price usually covers all utilities and
kitchen privileges. Students are responsible for their own personal
expenses, such as cooking, laundry, telephone bill, etc.
Option 4: (In progress) Staying in the dorm of Notre Dame de Namur University
Notre
Dame de Namur University, located minutes from Cañada College, is
working on an arrangement for Cañada College's international students to
reside in the university's dormitories during their study at Cañada
College. Check with Cañada College International Education Office for
the status of this planned collaboration.
Other Resources
- Craigslist lists a wide variety of housing in and around the San Francisco Bay area.
- SFGate lists housing in the San Francisco Bay Area.
- San Mateo County Times focuses primarily on San Mateo County and is a good source for housing on the Peninsula.
- San Mateo Daily Journal provides local housing information.
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Costs
International students need at least $20,000 USD per academic year to cover school and living expenses. Excluding all travel expenses, and around $10,000 USD per semester is required. Additional funds must be available for those who plan to remain in the United States during the summer. College fees are due and payable at the time of registration.
Expenses are estimatedas follows:| Semester | Year | |
|---|---|---|
Tuition (12 units @ $217 per unit) |
$2,604 USD |
$5,208 USD |
Enrollment Fee (12 units @ $46 per unit) |
$552 USD |
$1,104 USD |
Books and Supplies |
$300 USD |
$600 USD |
Medical Insurance (Summer $224) |
$717 USD |
$1,434 USD |
Local Public Transportation |
$200 USD |
$400 USD |
Room/Food (minimum) |
$5,550 USD |
$11,100 USD |
Miscellaneous |
$250 USD |
$500 USD |
| Total | $10,173 USD |
$20,346 USD |
All costs are subject to change. Please note that the medical insurance premium is subject to change prior to August 1st renewal.
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Degrees and Programs Offered District-wide
San Mateo Colleges offer Associate degrees and Transfer Programs: Associate degree programs are two-year programs, Associate degree in Arts (AA degree) and Associate Degree in Science (AS degree) that will be awarded when the student successfully completes all necessary graduation requirements (60 degree applicable units/credits) with a required Grade Point Average (GPA).( top )
Medical Insurance
Due to the high cost of medical expenses all International students are required to have medical insurance. You can purchase medical insurance from our district for a total of $1,434 per year. You may choose to purchase by semester; each term costs $717 for Fall and Spring, and $224 for summer, if attending. This does not cover dental. Please note that the medical insurance premium is subject to change prior to August 1 renewal.
Government sponsored students are exempt from this requirement.
If you have private medical insurance, the coverage should be equivalent to our district insurance policy and you will be required to provide proof. The policy of your medical coverage will be checked and evaluated every semester.
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International Student Scholarship – Global Beca Foundation for San Mateo Colleges
There are a limited number of one time scholarships for new international students ranging from $250 to $1000 each depending on availability of funds.
To apply for the Global Beca Foundation International Student Scholarship, complete the required application form available here. Then return the completed application and all relevant documents by fax or email to:
Vice Chancellor, Educational Services and Planning
San Mateo CCCD
Cañada College, College of San Mateo, & Skyline College
Fax: 650.574.6566 or Email: luan@smccd.edu
Awards are granted based on achievement and the potential for involvement in student leadership positions at the college.
Other Scholarships
Scholarships are also available for current international students. For more information, please visit the financial aid office website of the college you are enrolled in:
Cañada College (www.canadacollege.edu/financialaid/)
College of San Mateo (www.collegeofsanmateo.edu/finaid/finaidapply.asp)
Skyline College (www.skylinecollege.edu/general/finaid/financialAidForms.html)
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Minor Consent Form
Students under the age of 18 will need to show proof of high school graduation or the equivalent and complete the Minor Consent Form. If applicable, download and fill out the Minor Consent Form.
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Intensive English Language School Partnerships
Students who apply to a San Mateo College and have met all of our admission requirements, with the exception of English proficiency requirement, may choose to enroll in one of our partner English language schools. By enrolling in one of our partner English language schools, students will receive a conditional letter of admission from the San Mateo College. When students complete the required level at our partner language school, we will issue the acceptance letter.
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Approved High School Equivalencies
San Mateo Colleges accepts these as an equivalent of a high school diploma.
Certification of High School Course Completion
Students in China who complete grade 11 may be eligible for admission under our high school equivalency option. The student applicant would need to submit a High School Equivalency Form which requires the signature of the high school administrator or a government authority. Click here to download and print the High School Equivalency Form. Students must be 16 years old.
“O” LEVELS and IGCSE
Students who wish to enter the San Mateo Colleges by completing the Cambridge O Levels or the IGCSE must be in an O Level or IGCSE CURRICULUM. They must also pass five of the IGCSE exams which must include English, Math, Social Studies, Mother Tongue (or second language), and one science class. We will not accept students who take these as independent or private candidates. We must see the examination results before we can admit students but we will accept preliminary results. Once the official results are available the student must submit those to the International Students Admissions and Services office.