Sign-Up Requirements

Pirates' Promise Cohorts

New cohorts of students are admitted each new academic year, starting in the fall semester. Most Pirates' Promise cohorts start off in the fall semester, but students who plan to start in the spring semester, should contact the Pirates' Promise team for cohort availability.

Eligibility Criteria

Students interested in being part of the Pirates' Promise cohort must meet the eligibility and follow the required steps.

First-Time College Student: A first-time college student is defined as a new college student who has neither attempted nor taken any college courses following their graduation from high school. Students don't need to be recent high school graduates. If students took college courses while they were still in high school, that is okay and will NOT impact eligibility.
CA Resident or AB 540: Students must be a California resident or qualify for AB-540 residency status.

Sign-Up Process

Students who meet the eligibility criteria need to complete the sign-up process to be considered for the Pirates' Promise cohort. Remember, students need to complete the sign-up process to be considered part of the cohort.

1) Apply to OCC

The first step you step must complete is to apply to OCC. You will need to create an OpenCCC account to access and complete the application. Pro tip #1: use your personal email when setting up your account (not your high school or your parent's email).

If you need help applying to the college, the Future Pirate team is here to help. Visit the workshop page to join an application workshop.

Apply to OCC

2) Apply for FAFSA or Dream Act

After you apply to OCC, complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the CA Dream Act (whichever one you qualify for). Pro tip #2: the FAFSA or CA Dream Act can take time to complete and process - get started early. Need help, check out the FAFSA or CA Dream Act resources available.

FAFSA CA Dream Act

3) Pirates' Promise Interest Form

A short form that let's us know you're interested in the program! Our team then reviews your information to determine eligibility. Program eligibility review begins once financial aid data becomes available and registration windows open for incoming students. Students will begin to receive updates about their eligibility for OCC Pirates Promise after May/early June.

Fall 2026 Promise Interest Form

4) The Final Step: Enrolling for Fall 2026

Get Your Student Education Plan (SEP)

Before you register for classes, we strongly encourage you to meet with a counselor to create your First Semester Student Education Plan (SEP). Your SEP is a personalized roadmap of courses aligned with your academic and career goals — and it's for every student, even if you haven't decided on a major yet!

Time-sensitive: Counseling appointments fill up fast. Try to schedule between March and May — availability gets limited during the summer (June–August). Click the link below to book your appointment with the General Counseling office.

Make a Counseling Appointment
Accessibility Resource Center (ARC) & Reduced Course Load

Need academic accommodations? You've got support here too.

Students who require accommodations at OCC must apply through the Accessibility Resource Center (ARC). Visit the ARC Application Process page to complete the online application, or check out the Prospective Students FAQs page to learn more about accommodations at OCC.

Once you complete the intake process with an ARC counselor, you'll receive an Accommodation Letter outlining your approved accommodations. Good news: your ARC counselor will also work with you to create your First Semester Student Education Plan (SEP) during that same appointment — so there's no need to schedule a separate meeting with the General Counseling office!

If your Accommodation Letter includes a reduced course load accommodation, please provide it to Pirates' Promise by using the link below:

Upload You Accommodation Letter

Students with an approved reduced course load accommodation will meet the full-time enrollment requirement for the Pirates' Promise Program.
Register for Classes
To secure your spot in the Pirates' Promise Program, you'll need to enroll in and maintain full-time enrollment — that's a minimum of 12 units (or equivalent if you have an ARC accommodation).

Fall 2026 Registration opens in May!

To find out when your registration window opens, log in to your MyCoast Portal, find the "Registration Tools" card, and click "When Can I Register?" (First-time users may need to complete a few action items before proceeding.)

Did you know?

You may be eligible for Priority Registration in just 3 steps! Visit the Priority Registration website to find out how.

Need help registering? We've got you covered!

All registration is done online via your MyCoast portal. Check out these videos and tools to help you with the registration process:
You can also join the Future Pirates Center — virtually or in person — at one of their Registration Support events, where they walk you through the registration process and answer your registration questions. Contact the Future Pirates Center for more information by calling (714) 432-5059, emailing fpr@occ.cccd.edu, or visiting them in the Student Union RM 102.

A few important things to keep in mind for Pirates' Promise:
- Waitlisted courses don't count toward your 12-unit minimum until you are officially enrolled and off the waitlist. Your eligibility status will show as "Pending" until all 12 units are confirmed.
- Planning on taking classes at Golden West College or Coastline College? Although those units count toward your Pirates' Promise enrollment requirement, the OCC Pirates' Promise tuition waiver applies to OCC courses only.

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