Frequently Asked Questions

Planning your future can raise a lot of questions. It also doesn’t have to be complicated. Browse through the questions below, carefully organized by category, to help you easily find exactly what you are looking for.

Admissions

Students wishing to be admitted to Central Arizona College may do so by completing our online application

or by visiting any of our campuses to obtain a Admissions Application.

New students should follow the steps to enrollment “Whats My Next Step

Transfer students will need to complete the Admissions Application.

Transfer students will also need to submit Official Transcripts for evaluation. Unofficial Transcripts will be accepted only for the students first semester at CAC.

GED graduates will not need to complete an Admissions Application. Students may schedule advising appointment to pursue further educational goals.

Visit Information on Advising.

Central Arizona College offers Veteran Benefits for Veterans, Dependants, Vocational Rehabilitation, Reservists, etc.

More information

Academic Advising is available through scheduling an appointment via the CAC Academic Advising Website

Prepare for your Advising Appointment:
♦Apply to CAC  and obtain a Student ID number.   APPLY NOW!
♦Review Placement Options tab above. Bring a unofficial HIGH SCHOOL TRANSCRIPTS  if graduated or attended in the last 3 years, all college transcripts and any other tests scores to your advising appointment.
♦Review the Areas of Interest to discuss your top-choice with your  Academic Advisor.
♦Complete skills-assessments BEFORE first appointment: MATH and ENGLISH/READING


Types of  Advising Appointments:
♦Face to Face Advising: Meet with an advisor on campus. Be sure to select the advisor who works at the campus where you wish to have the appointment.
♦Virtual Advising: Schedule an appointment with an advisor via video conferencing platform BlackBoard Ultra Collaborate. A link to join the appointment is provided in an email after appointment is scheduled.
♦Phone Advising: Meet with advisor via phone. The advisor will call you at the scheduled meeting time on the phone number you provide at scheduling.
♦ Virtual Drop-In Quick Question Advising: No appointment needed. An advisor will be available from 8:30-1:00 to assist you with quick advising questions.

If you are new to Central Arizona College or returning to school after being away for a time, attending a New Student Orientation (NSO) program is critical to your success! NSO an opportunity to connect with other students, faculty, and staff. Topics include using technology such as Blackboard and email, academic support resources, and faculty expectations in the classroom.

New Student Orientation is mandatory for all first-time degree-seeking students.
Register Now

For online-only students, please complete our online student orientation.

Questions? orientation@centralaz.edu

The Central Help Desk is the place to go with questions regarding CAC.  As the main information desk for CAC, the Central Help Desk can help you with event information, locating a class room, resetting Online Services password, using My CAC, and much more.

The Central Help Desk can be reached a number of different ways:

Student Portal

Login: Enter Username & Password

Username: firstname_lastname@stu.centralaz.edu
Password: Same as Student Email and Blackboard
The initial password is based on your birthdate: MMDDYYYY, 8-numbers are required

If you are unable to access your Student Portal, please contact ITHelp at 520-494-5111.

Central’s Student E-mail is located at http://portal.office.com

Your Domain/User Name is your e-mail address. (firstname_lastname@stu.centralaz.edu)
Your initial password is based on your birthdate in MMDDYYYY format- 8 numbers are required.

For example, a person born September 10, 1987 would have an initial e-mail password of 09101987.

For email password reset, contact the IT Help Desk at 520-494-5111.

Students taking an online or hybrid class at CAC access their class through Blackboard.

Your Blackboard username is firstname_lastname@stu.centralaz.edu

Your Blackboard username is based on your legal firstname and your legal lastname exactly as written on your schedule.

Your Blackboard password is your birthdate in MMDDYYYY format – 8 numbers are required.  It is very important that you change your password once you have logged into Blackboard the first time.

For password reset, contact the IT Help Desk at 520-494-5111.

Central Arizona College is an open admission institution; that is, students may be admitted without a high school diploma or a GED certificate. We ask that you demonstrate your level of skill in reading, writing, and mathematics by completing Placement Testing

A high school diploma or GED is required to qualify for financial aid; for this reason GED classes and Testing are available at CAC.

Paying for College

Students are responsible for making payment arrangements of tuition and fees at the time of registration.

You must complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to apply for federal student aid.

Here are your options for applying:

In the process of filling out FAFSA form you will be asked to enter a school code, Central’s school code is 007283.

·         The quickest way to apply is online using FAFSA.

·         Call 1-800-4-FED-AID and request a paper application.

If you have questions please contact, the Financial Aid Department at 520-494-5425 or by email at finaid@centralaz.edu.

Central Arizona College offers a variety of scholarship programs to recognize students for their academic performance as well as for participation in athletics and other activities.

Cash, check, Visa, MasterCard, Discover or American Express, enrollment in the HigherOne/Cashnet payment plan, third-party authorization, or financial aid are forms accepted for paying for college.

Residency Guidelines

Students are classified for tuition purposes under one of the
following resident classifications:
Resident, in-state
Non-resident (includes out-of-state, F-1 nonimmigrant

students and students without legal immigration status)
Residency regulations are published in their entirety under
Official Residency Guidelines.

You can find more information in the College Catalog

Academics

Degrees

Associate degrees are normally earned with 60-64 college credits, including general education courses, electives and courses required for a specific college major. The recipient of an associate’s degree can then transfer the credits toward a four year, bachelor’s degree program at a university.

Certificates

A certificate is earned by a student after taking a series of courses in a particular subject. Students often earn certificates to get a step ahead in the professional field of their interest, and certificates may be offered in similar programs leading to degrees.

List of Degrees & Certificates.

College Catalog includes everything you need to know about CAC in a convenient virtual book format.

Finding the course you want has never been easier. Search the class schedule by course subject, class times, campus location, and more.

All candidates for graduation must file an Application for Graduation with the Records Office by the deadline indicated in the Academic Calendar for that semester. Any application received after the deadline will be considered for the following cycle. Graduation cycles are May, August and December of each year.

Information on graduation.

Student Portal

Login: Enter Username & Password

Username: firstname_lastname@stu.centralaz.edu
Password: Same as Student Email and Blackboard
The initial password is based on your birthdate: MMDDYYYY, 8-numbers are required

If you are unable to access your Student Portal, please contact ITHelp at 520-494-5111.

To better meet the needs of Central Arizona College students, grades, transcripts, and enrollment verifications are now available online.

Request Official Transcripts 

Access your Unofficial Transcripts

Access your grades 

Request Enrollment Verification

Please note: Requests are not accepted by telephone or email. In compliance with federal law, records are released only with written consent of the student.  No other person (including parent or spouse) may authorize the release of student records.

To have Official Transcripts evaluated by Central Arizona College,

Have your Official Transcripts mailed to:

Central Arizona College
Transcript Evaluation Office
805 S Idaho Road
Apache Junction, AZ 85119

If you can’t answer the question: “What specific classes do I need to do accomplish my goal?” whether it is a degree, certificate, or transfer then seeing an advisor would be a good idea.

Think of your academic advisor as a direct connection to student resources at Central.  Your academic advisor will help you define your long-term goals and discuss how you can meet them most effectively.  They can help you learn about different academic programs and the career paths they are associated with.  They can explain program requirements and help you learn to use the tools to track your own progress toward completion of your academic program.  This is just a brief list of the reasons you might want to visit with an advisor.

Please contact Advising for more information.

Planning to transfer to a four-year institution?

If you are planning to transfer to a four-year institution after your time at CAC,  seeing an Advisor and speaking with CAC’s Transfer Specialist will help you make the transition a smooth one.  The Arizona Course Applicability System (AzCAS), makes transfer to one of the state’s universities fairly straightforward.  Students who complete the Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC) will transfer a 35-credit block of coursework which is guaranteed to meet the universities’ lower-division general education requirements.

Students who complete an Associate of Arts, Associate of Business, or Associate of Science degree can transfer 64 credits toward the completion of a baccalaureate degree.  (Some courses may not apply to your particular program. Be sure to contact the institution you are transferring to for credit transfer.)

Become familiar with the curriculum requirements

If you are planning to transfer, it is vital that you become familiar with the curriculum requirements of the university you plan to transfer to as soon as possible.  It is also very important that you contact the university early and start communicating with them about your plans.  You need to learn about admission to the institution and to your chosen program, paying particular attention to the admissions packet and application deadlines.  You need to understand their program requirements and you will need to determine how the courses you complete at CAC will fit in your transfer program.

Please Contact the Advising and Testing center for more information.

  • Signal Peak Campus                      520-494-5410
  • Aravaipa Campus                          520-357-2813
  • Superstition Mountain Campus       480-677-7731

Many students prefer to take some time to explore their academic options at Central before selecting a specific program of study.    However, to make the best use of your time, you should select courses that will help you make this decision and that will work in several different programs such Math and English and other “core” classes.   But, keep in mind students receiving some form of financial aid may be required to identify a program of study for eligibility.

Eventually, you will need to decide on a program of study, so devote some time and effort to learning about your interests and abilities, perhaps by working through the Discover program, which helps students see what types of careers may interest them and is available through the Student Employment Office.

If Central does not offer the specialized program you are interested in, we can help you get started with prerequisite coursework prior to admission to your program. An Advisor can help you plan your course of study to accomplish many of the prerequisites.

Please Contact the Advising and Testing center for more information.

  • Signal Peak Campus                      520-494-5410
  • Aravaipa Campus                          520-357-2813
  • Superstition Mountain Campus       480-677-7731

The purge is the process that withdraws students from classes for non-payment. Payment is due at the time of registration. Failure to pay by the purge date will result in the loss of registration. Other financial options may be available to students, such as a financial aid, scholarship and a payment plan. Please contact our Cashier’s Office for additional information.

The Cashiers Office can reached at 520-494-5225 or 520-494-5241

Life at CAC

Information before applying.

In order to live on campus, you must be registered in at least 6 credits (3 credits must be fully face-to-face instruction), pay a $150 room deposit, and complete the online application.

Only the Signal Peak Campus offers residence life.

Students living on campus enjoy dining in the cafeteria seven days a week as part of the on-campus living meal plan. All residents are required to purchase the meal plan as part of the room and board fee. Students are offered an “All You Can Eat” meal cafeteria which includes “to-order” options, soup, deli station, and exhibition stations. For more information about dining on campus, visit the campus dining website.

Many student activities are available at each Central Arizona College campus.  Student activities are sponsored by college departments, clubs and organizations, and the Student Government Association.

List of Clubs & Organizations

The Central Arizona College Police Department is a full service public law enforcement agency, established by the Pinal County Community College District Board of Governors, in and by the authority vested in them by the legislature of the State of Arizona, for the purpose of providing law enforcement, security and safety services on property owned or controlled by the College.  All Campus Police Officers are fully certified as police officers by the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board.

Department Mission

The Central Arizona College Police Department supports the educational mission of Central Arizona College by providing professional, community-oriented services to ensure safe and secure campuses and centers for our students, faculty, staff and visitors.

A police officer is on duty on the Signal Peak Campus 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.  If you should need help with something, or have a question, please don’t hesitate to contact us at 520-836-9655.

No transportation is not available to and from campuses.

Students may use the CART bus system that provides regional route services to neighboring communities only. Students must pay a one-way fee or daily and monthly fee.

For more information visit, City of Coolidge  or call 520-723-7195

Yes. The Career and Student Employment Services (CSES) at Central Arizona College is a division of Student Services that are committed to assisting students and alumni in reaching their desired goals.

Find a Job/Post a Job.

Central Arizona College is located in Pinal County, Arizona. Central has five campuses located throughout Pinal County to service the needs of the county’s diverse population. Our district offices are located at the Signal Peak Campus between the cities of Coolidge, AZ and Casa Grande, AZ.

For maps and information regarding each location, please visit a campus.

Signal Peak
Superstition Mountain
San Tan
Maricopa
Aravaipa

Didn’t Find What You Were Looking For?

Contact the District Office:

8470 North Overfield Road
Coolidge, AZ 85128

800.237.9814