Alameda, CA – November xx, 2022 — All qualified College of Alameda (CoA) students can enroll in Spring Semester 2023 classes free of charge. In addition to free classes, CoA majors enrolled in six or more units also will receive a $500 cash grant that they can spend on books, supplies, or other expenses. CoA is one of the few California community colleges to offer a combination of free classes and cash grants for qualified students for the Spring 2023 Semester. (Some restrictions do apply.)

“This is an extraordinary opportunity for our students and their families to save significantly on the cost of their college education,” said Acting CoA President Dr. Diana Bajrami. “Whether they are planning to transfer to four-year universities, earn a degree/certificate or focus on skill building, students and our community members will find a broad selection of high-quality courses free of charge at College of Alameda this spring.”

To qualify for Spring is Free, students must first submit a financial aid application for verification purposes but they do not need to qualify for financial aid to have their fees waived. Those who are disqualified from participating include out-of-state students and international students.

To receive the additional CoA $500 On Us grant, students must take and enroll in at least six units at CoA, submit their FAFSA or California Dream Act Application by March 30, 2023 (CoA school code: 006720), and declare a major or course of study at CoA.

“This is a great value for our students this spring,” said CoA Dean of Enrollment Services Dr. Amy Lee. “For example, CoA majors enrolling full-time in 15 units can save $750 in enrollment, health, and other fees; and also receive a $500 grant to spend on additional expenses; a total of $1250 in savings.”

Open enrollment for Spring Semester starts November 21, 2022. Classes start January 23, 2023, and will be in-person, in Hybrid format (online and in person), and online. Spring 2023 Class Schedules are available online at: https://tinyurl.com/COAspring2023classes. Prospective students are encouraged to apply early to ensure their first choice of classes.

To help students navigate the enrollment process, College of Alameda will hold a special series of ROCK ENROLL events on campus, designed to help new students with registration assistance and financial aid applications. The first ROCK ENROLL event will take place on Tuesday, December 6, 2022, at 555 Ralph Appezzato Memorial Pkwy, Alameda, California. Additional ROCK ENROLL events will be held December 13, 2022, Tuesday, January 10 and 17, 2023, and the first day of school, Monday, January 23, 2023

For more information about Spring is Free and $500 on Us grants, students can learn more at https://alameda.edu/FreeSpringPlus500OnUs/, call (510) 295-073, email COA500@peralta.edu, or visit the Virtual Welcome Center Mondays from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and Tuesdays through Fridays, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Zoom https://us06web.zoom.us/my/coa500.

For more information about Spring is Free and $500 on Us please contact Dr. Amy Lee, Dean of Enrollment Services, (510) 748-2288, ahlee@peralta.edu.