FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Have some questions? We're here to help. We've got you covered!

Enrollment

Calbright is open to all California residents aged 18 years or older who have a high school diploma or GED equivalent.

All Californians — regardless of immigration status or financial status  — are welcome to enroll.

First, our education and job skills training programs help you gain in-demand skills and earn industry-recognized certificates that prepare you for California’s growing industries, such as IT, data analysis, and customer relationship management. You’ll be prepared to earn job industry-recognized certifications that are done via exams offered by third-party providers like CompTIA and Salesforce. This provides you proof for employers that you’re ready to succeed in a new career on day one of employment.

Second, every student that completes an education and job skills training program also gets a dedicated team of career and support services professional experts that will coach you to be the best version of yourself during your job preparation and search.

All of our courses are flexibly paced and 100% online — designed around your own unique life circumstances so school never gets in the way of other work, family, and life priorities.

Once you enroll, you’ll receive a recommended timeline for your program—based on your prior experience, personal responsibilities such as caregiving, and the number of hours you plan to dedicate each week. If your circumstances change, just let us know and we’ll be happy to adjust your timeline to keep you on track.

Starting an application is easy! If you’re ready to begin your journey with us, click here. If you still have questions or would like to get in contact another way, you’ve got plenty of options.

You can always reach out to success@calbright.org and someone from our team will get back with you via email ASAP.

You can also use the webchat function on our homepage, call us at 1-833-956-0225, or text us at (510) 330-1817.

Coursework begins as soon as you meet with your support counselor to set the flexibly-paced timeline that works for you.

Once you’ve completed an education and job skills training program, you’ll receive a Certificate of Competency from Calbright College along with a noncredit transcript for your coursework. Your Calbright-issued certificate signals that you’re ready to sit for an industry certification exam, such as the CompTIA A+, Security+, or Salesforce Certified Administrator assessment. Calbright covers the cost of these exams for you.

During your Calbright program, you’ll also be working with our Career Services team, receiving support from counselors and coaches to prepare for jobs and polish your professional profile so employers take notice of you and your new skills when you’re applying to jobs.

Calbright students earn certificates at the completion of their education and job skills training programs. Certificates show employers students have the skills and knowledge to do a job on day of employment. 

Calbright does not offer degrees at this time. Though obtaining a degree is a valuable achievement, students can increase their career opportunities by taking advantage of our certificate programs.

If pursuing a degree and/or earning college credits would be a better fit for you, Calbright’s support services teams can refer you to your local California community college or to any public institution of higher learning in California.

Calbright programs are noncredit at this time, and your coursework completed with us does not transfer outside of Calbright to other colleges/universities either during or after your program.

Our courses are designed around job skills-based training, so for the moment what we offer is specific to the Calbright education and job skills training programs.

If you’re interested in pursuing a degree and/or earning college credits, we can support you and refer you to your local California community college / other public California institution of higher learning.

Programs

We have seven online, flexibly-paced education and job skills training programs: IT Support, Cybersecurity, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Platform Administration, Data Analysis, Project Management, Network Technology, HR Learning and Development, and Medical Coding*.


New programs are always under development at Calbright based on student feedback and labor market research. Each program comes with wraparound support services designed to prepare you for success in the job market.

*Please note that we are currently not accepting new applications into the Medical Coding program.

All of our courses are flexibly-paced and 100% online — designed around your own unique life circumstances so school never gets in the way of other work, family, and life priorities.

Once you enroll, you’ll receive a recommended timeline for your program—based on your prior experience, personal responsibilities such as caregiving, and the number of hours you plan to dedicate each week. If your circumstances change, just let us know and we’ll be happy to adjust your timeline to keep you on track.

Starting an application is easy! If you’re ready to begin your journey with us, click here. If you still have questions or would like to get in contact another way, you’ve got plenty of options.

You can always reach out to success@calbright.org and someone from our team will get back with you via email ASAP.

You can also use the chat function on our homepage, call us at 1-833-956-0225, or text us at (510) 330-1817.

Coursework begins as soon as you meet with your support counselor to set the flexibly-paced timeline that works for you.

All of our courses are flexibly-paced — designed around your own unique life circumstances so school never gets in the way of other work, family, and life priorities.

Our student support team will work with you when you begin the program to create a realistic timeline to guide you. Timelines are three months, six months, ten months, or 14 months, providing flexibility as well as structure and gentle accountability to help stay on track.

Tuition

Yes! All of our programs are currently free thanks to public funding from the State of California. That includes program tuition, testing costs, and technology resources like Chromebooks and WiFi devices from our lending library.

Because our programs are free to Californians over age 18, we don’t need to offer financial aid.

Calbright comes at no out-of-pocket cost to you. Even the cost of the exams to receive industry-recognized certifications, such as the CompTIA A+, Security+, and Salesforce Certified Administrator exams in your program of choice, are covered by Calbright. 

We also offer resources that include – but are not limited to – technology support through our Chromebook and WiFi hotspot lending library; career counseling; and mental health services. All this and more make Calbright a great choice if you’re looking to level up your education and job skills set without taking on debt.

Student Experience

All of our programs are truly flexibly paced — designed around the unique life circumstances of each student. Many students are parents or caregivers, many work one or two jobs, and many adult learners are managing a lot in their daily lives.

Calbright’s model is built around the needs of its adult learners. This means students can make progress when it works in their own schedule, whether that’s after your kids have gone to bed, over the weekend, or between shifts at work. Our student support team will work with you when you begin the program to create a realistic timeline to guide you. Timelines are three months, six months, ten months, or 14 months, providing flexibility as well as structure and gentle accountability to help stay on track.

Accreditation and Affiliation

Calbright was granted accreditation by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission, a nationally recognized accrediting agency, in July 2023.

Calbright received accreditation more than a year ahead of the deadline provided in the College’s founding legislation in 2018 by the California Legislature. 

Accreditation is an important consumer protection that validates the integrity and quality of the College’s academic programs and operations.

Calbright College is a part of the California Community Colleges system. With 2.1 million students at 116 colleges, the California Community Colleges is the largest system of higher education in the country.

Accessibility

Calbright’s flexibly paced design removes barriers that often deter adults with disabilities from pursuing education or careers.

We offer all students who may have previously assumed education or training programs weren’t for them a fresh start, and especially those with disabilities, whether physical, cognitive, or mental health-related. Our free, flexible, online programs can be a great fit for Californians looking to upskill or make a  career change, including those with undiagnosed or invisible conditions like dyslexia, ADHD, or mental health like depression and anxiety.

Our Accessibility Services team ensures every student receives tailored support, starting with an interactive intake interview to determine an Academic Accommodation Plan (AAP) custom to each student.

Our Accessibility Services counselors work with students to determine accommodations and needs on a case-by-case basis — we’re here to help. Reach out to success@calbright.org and we will be in touch ASAP.

Our specific services and accommodations available include but are not limited to:

  • Specialized counseling
  • Interpreter services for hearing-impaired or deaf students
  • Reader Services
  • Alternate media
  • Loan of specialized equipment
  • Registration assistance
  • Use of calculator
  • Speech recognition program
  • Specialized instruction
  • Additional attempts and/or time on all time-constrained,  single-setting quizzes and exams for courses

Job Training

We have seven online, flexibly-paced education and job skills training programs: IT Support, Cybersecurity, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Platform Administration, Data Analysis, Project Management, Network Technology, HR Learning and Development, and Medical Coding*.


New programs are always under development at Calbright based on student feedback and labor market research. Each program comes with wraparound support services designed to prepare you for success in the job market.

*Please note that we are currently not accepting new applications into the Medical Coding program.

Calbright provides career support services to all students, and our counselors and coaches are here for job prep and polish your professional profile so employers take notice of you and your new skills when you’re applying to jobs.


Due to legal and practical constraints we can’t guarantee anyone a job. While we do provide career services that will help you put your best and most professional self out there — we aren’t a placement agency. 

We do offer students many opportunities to take advantage of paid apprenticeships and micro-internships that can boost employment prospects and employer connections.

Media and Conference Inquiries

Please email pr@calbright.org for any media inquiries.

Our Brand, Media and Conference Kit page provides reports and resources reporters may find useful.

Yes, Calbright College is a part of the California Community Colleges system. 

Calbright College is accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission, a nationally recognized accrediting agency.

You can find approved logos for use in event and media materials on our Brand, Media and Conference Kit page.

Detailed instructions on proper logo usage, color schemes, and typography in our Brand Guidelines. 

Contact Information

If you have an immediate question, are a student, or would like to apply for enrollment please reach out to us via email at success@calbright.org.

For business and corporate matters our physical address is:

California Online Community College District
Calbright College
1102 Q St. Suite 4800
Sacramento, CA 95811