California Virtual Campus (CVC) Exchange

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The Student-Centered CVC Exchange

The California Virtual Campus (CVC) Exchange is an innovative tool that allows students currently enrolled in a California Community College to instantly enroll in online courses offered at eligible colleges without filling out a separate application.

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Home College

College from which students enter the CVC Exchange to take courses through other colleges.

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Teaching College

College that offers courses via the CVC Exchange to students from other participating colleges.

Why Use the CVC Exchange

  • Enroll in online courses not offered at your Home College.
  • Find late-start or short-term classes rather than wait for the start of the next term.
  • Graduate and/or transfer faster.
  • No additional cost.
  • Financial Aid and academic transcripts are automatically transferred between schools.

Online Class Inventory

Search for online classes at West Valley College or Mission College.
Search for online classes through the CVC Exchange.
As an instructor at West Valley College, your fully online course will automatically be made available through the CVC Exchange for cross-enrollment (enrollment between two colleges). Your course can be asynchronous or synchronous as long as it is fully online.  It cannot be partially online (hybrid). 

There is the potential for higher enrollment into your courses, meaning fewer chances that courses are cancelled. Students should also be able to earn certificates and degrees faster. 

West Valley College's unique scheduling (winter intersession, two primary summer dates, and plethora of late-start classes) may enable us to pick up students who need to start classes outside the usual enrollment dates. 

Upon signing into cvc.edu, students identify their Home College and search for classes sorted by category (CSU, IGETC, or topic). Available courses are displayed to them in the following order: 
  1. Available Home College courses first
    • Any Home College courses that are Quality Reviewed/Aligned to the CVC Rubric appear at the top of this list.
  2. Available Teaching College courses second
    • Any Teaching College courses that are Quality Reviewed/Aligned to the CVC Rubric appear at the top of this list.
  3. Any other available courses offered through other CCCs participating in the Course Finder. 

The student selects the desired course for enrollment. 
  1. Classes marked Add Class are eligible for instant enrollment.
  2. Classes marked Apply Now are not eligible for instant enrollment, but students may still enroll by filling out an application via CCC Apply.
  3. Whether a course is eligible for instant enrollment depends on whether the student is enrolled in a Home College and is registering for a course in a Teaching College.

In general, you should not need to change how you teach your fully online course. CVC Exchange students will have access to the same information and online resources within your course as West Valley College students. You will submit your grades at the end of the term into the West Valley College portal as usual. 

You should recognize that students will not have access to on-campus resources, such as the computer lab or lending programs.  However, this is no different from other semesters when students could sign up remotely for classes. And students will still have access to resources from their Home College since they will be enrolled in Home College courses. 

No. Any classes students take via the CVC Exchange will all appear in a combined Canvas dashboard. Students will log into Canvas using their Home College credentials and all of their CVC Exchange courses will be there. 

When completed, your course will automatically show up on the student transcript. West Valley College earns the FTEs, but the course can be counted towards a certificate or degree that the student earns through their Home College. 

They are.  All students will receive a @mywvm.wvm.edu email, but you can communicate with them more easily through Canvas Inbox. 
Possibly. CVC Exchange students receive the lowest registration priority. Instant enrollment is only available during the Teaching College’s open registration period.  If your course fills, however, late add West Valley College students may have restricted access. 
No. Students must identify a Home College before they can use Instant Enrollment.  Each semester, they must be enrolled in at least one course in their Home College, and cannot enroll in more than two courses through other Teaching Colleges. 
Any student has been eligible to enroll and attend online classes anywhere up to this point via cvc.edu.  As a Home College, WVC students have had the opportunity to use the CVC Exchange since its inception.  West Valley College is now a Teaching College so we have the advantage in picking up enrollments. 
    1. In the CVC Exchange course finder, begin by selecting either “I don’t have a home California college” or "I have a home California College." If you are a student at West Valley College, select “I have a home California college.” In the dropdown menu, select “West Valley College.” See example in the image below.
      california virtual campus course finder
    2. Next, choose an option to narrow down your search. You can search for courses by keyword, course name, or by general education transfer requirements. Then, click “Find Classes.”
    3. Once your search results are returned, you can filter by term, live seat counts, start date, teaching college, and transferability. If you selected West Valley College as your Home College, West Valley College courses will appear at the top of the list.  

When you find a course you want to take in the CVC Exchange Course Finder, check if it’s labeled with “Add Class” or “Apply Now”.  

  • If you see a class section listing with “Add Class” next to it, you can instantly enroll. You will be prompted to sign in. (If you are a student at West Valley College, from the Home College dropdown menu, select “West Valley College”, and click the "Sign in with OpenCCC” button. You may be prompted to log in with your WVC ID, which will then redirect you to sign-in to your CCCApply Account. Next, you will be brought to a Course Summary page, where you can confirm the course information and agree to the Student Consent Form. Click “Continue” to complete your course enrollment.  
  • If you see a class section listing with “Apply Now” next to it, you will be prompted to fill out an application via CCC Apply before you can enroll in the course. 

Only students enrolled in at least one credit course at participating colleges are eligible to cross-enroll. Students must also meet the following requirements: 

  • Have at least a 2.0 GPA or not yet established a GPA at the Home College
  • Have no outstanding fees at the Home College
  • No out of state address on file at the Home College 
All participating Teaching Colleges have signed a Federal Financial Aid agreement. As such, CVC Exchange students simultaneously enrolled at both Home and Teaching College may be able to receive federal and state financial aid funds based on combined units taken at both colleges. Eligibility will be determined by the student’s Home College. 
A student's Disability and Educational Support Program (DESP) status or accommodations determination will not automatically transfer to the Teaching College. Students using the CVC Exchange will have to apply separately at both colleges to receive DESP services and classroom accommodations.

See below for more information about DESP by clicking on West Valley College Disability and Educational Support Program.  
The Canvas for Students page has several resources to assist students with Canvas, the college learning management system.
Refunds are subject to the policies and procedures of the college offering the course (Teaching College). The Teaching College is also responsible for processing individual refunds. College-specific refund information can be found visiting the Fees and Tuition page.
Last Updated 7/22/25