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CVC Exchange FAQs for Students

What is the CVC?

The California Virtual Campus (CVC) is a collaborative effort among California Community Colleges (CCCs) to ensure that more students can complete their educational goals by increasing access to and success in high-quality online courses. CVC is a digital resource that provides easy access for students to enroll in online courses across all 115 brick-and-mortar California Community Colleges. It includes a comprehensive catalog of online programs and courses to help students achieve their educational goals.

What is the CVC Exchange?

The CVC Exchange Instant Enrollment system enables students to easily find and register for fully accredited online classes offered by any participating community college throughout California, while also enrolled at their local (“Home”) college.


    1. In the CVC Exchange course finder, begin by selecting either “I don’t have a home California college” or I have a home California College. If you are a student at College of the Canyons, select “I have a home California college”, and in the drop down, select “College of the Canyons” - see example in image below.

    screenshot of exchange course finder

    1. Next, choose an option to narrow down your search. You can search for courses by keyword, course name, or by general education transfer requirements. Then, click “Find Classes.”
    2. Once your search results are returned, you can filter by term, live seat counts, start date, teaching college, and transferability. If you selected College of the Canyons as your “home college”, College of the Canyons courses will appear at the top of the list. 
  • When you find a course you want to take in the CVC Exchange Course Finder, check if it’s labeled with “Add Class” or “Apply Now”. 

    • If you see a class section listing with “Add Class” next to it, you can instantly enroll. You will be prompted to sign in. (If you are a student at College of the Canyons, from the “Home College” drop down menu, select “College of the Canyons”, and click the ‘Sign in with OpenCCC” button. You may be prompted to log in with your CanyonsID, which will then redirect you to sign-in to your CCCApply Account. Next, you will be brought to a Course Summary page, where you can confirm the course information and agree to the Student Consent Form. Click “Continue” to complete your course enrollment. 
    • If you see a class section listing with “Apply Now”next to it, you will be prompted to fill out an application via CCC Apply before you can enroll in the course.
  • All participating colleges have signed a Federal Financial Aid Consortium Agreement, so students enrolled in two different colleges may be able to receive federal and state financial aid funds based on combined units taken at both colleges. To check your status, please contact College of the Canyons Financial Aid Office.

  • Refunds are processed by the college offering the course, and are subject to the policies and procedures of that college. If you are taking a class offered by College of the Canyons, visit College of the Canyons Student Business Office for information on drop and refund deadlines, and how to receive a refund

  • Online courses through CVC Exchange are the same cost as College of the Canyons courses.  There are no additional costs to use this service.

  • Upon completing a course at any California community college, a student transcript with grades from the student's courses will be generated. Depending on how you registered and completed the course, the process for transferring course credit back to College of the Canyons will differ.

    • If you applied directly to the college, registered for the class via their college website/portal, and used their college login to Canvas to complete the course, then it is your responsibility to contact the Admissions and Records office from the college where you have completed additional coursework to determine the process for having student transcripts sent to College of the Canyons. 
    • If you used the Instant Enrollment to apply to the college and register for the course and selected “College of the Canyons” as your home college login to Canvas to complete the course, then your grade will automatically be transferred to College of the Canyons.
  • To be eligible to participate in cross-enrollment, students must be enrolled in at least one credit course at participating colleges, and:

    • Have at least a 2.0 GPA or not yet established a GPA at the Home College
    • Have no outstanding fees at the Home College
    • No out of state address on file at Home College

For help with registering for classes at College of the Canyons or accessing your transcripts, please contact Admissions & Records.

Last updated July, 2023