FAQ
General
WHAT ARE YOUR ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS?
Applicants must be at least 17 years old by the time the program starts, high school diploma or equivalent, pass our entrance assessment, class 3 student medical certificate
HOW DO I APPLY AND WHAT IS REQUIRED?
- Step 1 – Initial meeting with a member of our admissions team.
That can be done on campus or online through a web meeting. - Step 2 – Meet with financial services for an estimate of what you qualify for in terms of financial aid and for a cost breakdown by academic year – done online or in person
- Step 3 – Complete an Application for Admission
- Step 4 – Complete entrance assessment and submit necessary documentation
- Step 5 – Complete an acceptance meeting
- Step 6 – Complete Program-Specific Admission paperwork, if accepted
- Step 7 – Complete an Enrollment Agreement
ARE THERE TUITION REDUCTION PRODGRAMS AVAILABLE AND HOW DO I APPLY FOR THEM?
Yes, California Aeronautical University offers tuition reduction programs to eligible students, including for recent high school graduates and for those who have a family member in law enforcement or other public safety fields. Each student is reviewed for tuition reduction automatically based on everything submitted during the application process.
HOW DO I APPLY FOR FINANCIAL AID?
Financial aid is available to those who qualify, including grants and loans. All students will meet with a member of our financial services team for an estimate before enrolling.
HOW DO I APPLY TO THE UNIVERSITY AS A TRANSFER STUDENT?
The admissions process is the same except you will need to provide official copies of your college transcripts.
WILL MY CREDITS FROM ANOTHER INSTITUTION TRANSFER?
Yes, CAU accepts credits and degrees earned from approved institutions provided certain conditions are met. See the CAU Catalog for current requirements.
WHAT ARE YOUR ADMISSIONS DEADLINES?
CAU has multiple starts throughout the year on a 10-week cycle. Contact a member of our admissions team at (661)490-9372 for specific start dates and deadlines.
HOW CAN I GET MORE INFORMATION SENT TO ME?
Contact a member of our admissions team at (661) 490-9372, or email [email protected].
DOES CAU ACCEPT INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS?
CAU is unable to enroll international students at this time.
Student Housing
WHEN SHOULD I START LOOKING INTO HOUSING OPTIONS?
You may begin looking into on-campus housing options the moment you think you want to attend CAU’s main campus in Bakersfield.
DO I HAVE TO BE ACCEPTED FOR ADMISSION BEFORE I APPLY FOR HOUSING?
Yes. You will complete your housing agreement at the time of enrollment.
IS THERE AN APPLICATION FEE?
No, the student housing application process is free.
WILL I BE REQUIRED TO PAY A DEPOSIT?
Yes. You will be prompted to submit a $250.00 deposit after you’ve completed the housing agreement before or on move-in day.
IS IT MANDATORY TO STAY ON CAMPUS FOR THE FIRST YEAR?
Yes. It is mandatory for professional pilot students enrolled on the main campus to live on campus during their first year at CAU. There are exceptions for this, however. Contact a member of the admissions team for a list of exceptions and requirements.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO LIVE IN CAU’S STUDENT HOUSING?
A room in the residence hall is $2400 per 10-week quarter for a double occupancy room with bathroom. This cost includes meals (19 meals a week), utilities, cable, and internet, parking, access to laundry and recreational facilities.
DO I HAVE TO PAY THE HOUSING FEES ALL AT ONCE? IS AN INSTALLMENT PLAN AVAILABLE?
You may pay all at once, or you can pay term-to-term.
HOW DO I MAKE MY HOUSING PAYMENT?
Payments are made in the financial services department or on the student portal.
WHEN WILL I FIND OUT WHICH ROOM I'M IN?
Rooms will be assigned on move-in day.
WHEN DO I MOVE IN?
Move-in day is the Saturday before the first day of classes.
CAN I HAVE OVERNIGHT GUESTS?
Yes, guests are allowed. They are to be escorted at all times by their student host, and must be signed in to the hall while hall staff is on duty. A resident may have no more than two overnight guests stay in their residence hall room at any time and guests are permitted to stay for a duration of two nights at a time. All overnight guests must be registered with the Department of Residence Life with a Guest Permission Form. The responsibility of registering a guest falls solely on the host student and must be done at least 24 hours in advance. Guest permission forms are available from the Campus Director.
IS ALCOHOL ALLOWED IN THE RESIDENCE HALLS?
No, alcohol is not allowed on campus.
IS SMOKING ALLOWED?
Smoking is not allowed inside the student rooms, student lounge, study areas, kitchen or hallways. Students can utilize one of the outdoor smoking areas.
CAN I HAVE A PET?
No pets may be brought into the residence halls by students to visit or live.
WHO CLEANS THE ROOMS?
Students are responsible for cleaning their own room. All public areas are cleaned by university staff. Cleaning equipment such as vacuum cleaners, brooms and mops are available at the Front Desk and can be checked out with each student’s student ID card (keycard).
WHO TAKES CARE OF MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS?
All maintenance and repairs in residence halls, apartments, and public areas are completed by our housing maintenance staff. You should report all problems on a Maintenance Work Order Request Form available online. Most requests are handled within 48 hours of receipt of the request by our maintenance staff. If the problem cannot be fixed immediately, you will be notified as to the status of the repair. In case of an emergency such as a significant water pipe leak, contact the RA on duty or the Housing Office for immediate attention.
IS THERE A MEAL PLAN?
Yes, a meal plan is included for every student that stays in student housing. The meal plan includes 19 meals a week.
WHAT IS THE MAILING ADDRESS FOR MY BUILDING?
PLEASE USE THIS MAILING FORMAT SO ENSURE TIMELY DISTRIBUTION OF YOUR MAIL AND PARCELS:
Your name
Residence Hall, Your Room #
1450 Boughton Drive
Bakersfield, CA 93309
WHAT CAU DEGREES ARE APPROVED BY THE FAA TO REDUCE THE ATP?
Bachelor of Science in Aeronautics
Associate of Science in Aviation Studies
HOW DOES AN R-ATP AFFECT ME IN GETTING A JOB IN AVIATION AFTER I GRADUATE?
If you graduate from a CAU FAA-approved degree program, you will be eligible to receive your ATP-R at 1,000 or 1,250 hours versus an unrestricted ATP at 1,500 hours.
IF I DID MY INSTRUMENT TRAINING SOMEWHERE OTHER THAN CAU, DO I STILL QUALIFY?
No, both Instrument and Commercial ground schools and flight must be completed at CAU.
DO YOU HAVE TO DO YOUR FLIGHT TRAINING IN A FOUR-YEAR UNIVERSITY TO QUALIFY FOR THE NEW ATP REGULATION?
Yes, the university would have to have an FAA-approved degree program for an Associate or Bachelor’s degree to qualify.
HOW MUCH FLIGHT TIME IS REQUIRED FOR AN R-ATP?
If you graduate with a degree in a CAU approved program with at least 60 credit hours from our FAA approved course list, you will need a minimum of 1000 hours total time to meet the requirements of FAR 61.160.
WILL I HAVE TO GET MY ATP BEFORE BEING HIRED BY AN AIRLINE?
No, you do not have to have your ATP certificate (either a regular ATP or a restricted ATP [R-ATP]) prior to being hired by an airline. However, prior to being hired, most airlines will require that you have obtained the necessary flight time to get your (R)-ATP. In addition, most students at CAU are continuing to build time while completing their upper division courses and or as flight instructors typically after year two of the three year program.