Contra Costa Community College District (4CD) is invested in your success! The "First Time + Full Time = Free Tuition" (FT3) program offers free tuition for eligible students. Students who qualify may receive free tuition for their first two academic years of college (fall and spring terms only).

Here's how it works:

Your award will be applied to your account after the end of each academic term (fall and spring terms only).

Once you have successfully completed your first term as an FT3 student, we will automatically enroll you in the program again for following term. As long as you meet the above requirements each term, you will remain an FT3 student and receive free tuition through the end of your second academic year of college (four consecutive terms for students who start in the fall term, and three consecutive terms for spring start students).

Whether seeking an AA degree, pursuing transfer opportunities for a higher degree or retooling their education and skills with a short-term career or technical education certificate, students participating in the FT3 Promise will receive:

The Contra Costa Community College District's FT3 Promise includes attendance at any or all of the Colleges and Education Centers.

4CD students who are California residents as well as those exempt from paying non-resident fees.

In addition, 4CD students who meet the eligibility criteria for an AB540 fee exemption and are eligible to file a California Dream Act application are also eligible to apply for the FT3 Promise Program.

Students who would like to be included in the FT3 Promise must:

Yes! We recommend that all first time college students review the FT3 program requirements and complete the pledge.

FT3 is a two-year program, so you may be eligible to receive free tuition through the end of your second academic year of college. An "academic year" is defined as a fall term followed by a spring term. So, students who begin taking classes in the fall term may be eligible to receive funding for up to four consecutive terms, while students who start in the spring may be eligible for up to three consecutive terms. As long as you meet the FT3 requirements each term, 4CD will automatically enroll you in FT3 through the end of your second academic year of college. Your award will be applied to your account after the end of each term.

Students receiving an FT3 Promise must do the following to maintain eligibility.

If you experienced extenuating circumstances that resulted in you not meeting the FT3 requirements, you may appeal your status by submitting an appeal form to your campus financial aid office. Use the links below to access the appropriate form:

Unfortunately, no. You must meet the requirements for FT3 each semester in order to remain eligible. Since you do not meet the requirements this semester, you will not be eligible for subsequent semesters.

You will be notified when your application has been reviewed and you have been approved.

You must complete 12 or more units per primary term (fall and spring). Completing a class means receiving a final grade in the course (including A, B, C, D, F, P, NP, but not including W, FW, I, MW).

If you are part of a program such as DSPS or CalWORKs, and have an approved exception from the program manager, your eligibility for FT3 will be based on a full-time status of 9 units instead of 12 units. As long as you meet the other eligibility requirements, you do not need to take any additional action.

The FT3 Promise will cover the $46 per unit enrollment/tuition fee at all 4CD colleges. FT3 students are responsible for any books, supplies and materials fees that a class requires, as well as other non-tuition fees.

Your award will be applied to your account after the end of each term.

Yes, if you have not already done so, you need to add one of the Contra Costa Community College District colleges to your FAFSA application to verify that you meet the FAFSA application eligibility requirement. Alternatively, if you filled out the California Dream Act Application (CADA), you will need to add a 4CD college to verify eligibility.

Yes! You are still eligible to apply for FT3. Students who take college classes while in high school are still considered first-time college students, as are those who take summer classes immediately prior to their first fall term at a 4CD college.

No. The FT3 Promise only covers tuition in fall and spring terms. Tuition for classes taken during the summer will not be covered.

No. As a non-primary term, summer is independent from the full-time (12 or more unit) requirement that is placed on the fall and spring terms.

Yes, a student must enroll in consecutive terms. A student can be eligible for FT3 for up to two academic years, which is the equivalent of four consecutive terms (fall and spring only). If they choose to leave a term and return, their eligibility will not be extended.

If students do no submit the FT3 pledge by the deadline of their first semester and/or fail to meet other FT3 eligibility requirements or deadlines then they may file an FT3 Extenuating Circumstances Appeal to be reconsidered for program eligibility. The deadline to appeal for fall eligibility is February 15th and the deadline for spring eligibility is July 15th of each year. If a student’s appeal is approved, they will be reimbursed the cost of their tuition for the semester for which they appealed and will be considered eligible in future semesters if all FT3 program requirements are met.

Yes, your tuition will be reimbursed after the end of term if you qualify for the FT3 program.

The FT3 Promise Grant is an initiative designed to cover up to two academic years of enrollment fees for full-time students through various funding streams. If you receive a Community College Promise Grant (formerly known as the BOG Fee Waiver), your enrollment fees will be paid through that grant. In the event that you are not eligible for the Community College Promise Grant, and you are eligible for the FT3 Promise Grant, you will receive the FT3 Promise Grant to pay for enrollment fees.

Private scholarships awarded to students outside of federal or state financial aid will not affect receipt of the FT3 Promise Grant unless the cost of attendance has been reached.

No. However, please take note that if state or financial aid does not fully cover the cost of tuition, students who meet all other eligibility requirements for the FT3 Promise Grant will have the remaining tuitions costs covered by the FT3.