CalWORKs Counseling

CalWORKs academic counseling is proactive, holistic, and compliance-focused, ensuring students stay academically on track, meet county requirements, and progress toward long-term self-sufficiency through education.

Students are responsible for meeting with a CalWORKs Counselor every semester to review and/or update their Educational Plan.

1. Comprehensive Education Planning

  • Development of a Student Educational Plan (SEP/CSEP) aligned with:
    • Academic and career goals
    • County GAIN requirements
    • Program time limits and participation hours
  • Review of degree, certificate, or transfer requirements.

2. Course Selection & Enrollment Guidance

  • Assistance with selecting appropriate courses each term.
  • Ensuring unit load complies with:
    • CalWORKs and GAIN participation requirements
    • Academic readiness and life responsibilities
  • Guidance on prerequisites, repeats, withdrawals, and academic policies.

3. Academic Progress Monitoring

  • Academic standing  
  • Identification of early alerts or barriers affecting performance.
  • Intervention planning when students are at risk of probation or dismissal.

4. Compliance with CalWORKs & County Requirements

  • Verification of:
    • Enrollment status
    • Unit load
    • Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
  • Coordination with county eligibility workers and GAIN staff.
  • Assistance with required forms (VOB, GAIN, participation updates).

5. Resource Referrals

  • Connection to campus and community resources, such as:
    • Tutoring and academic support.
    • EOPS/CARE, SAS, and financial aid.
    • Mental health, childcare, and transportation resources.

6. Problem-Solving & Advocacy

  • Support during extenuating circumstances (illness, housing instability, family emergencies).
  • Assistance with petitions (e.g., probation appeals, unit limit petitions, extenuating circumstance petitions).
  • Advocacy on behalf of students when appropriate.

7. Career & Transfer Guidance

  • Exploration of career pathways aligned with labor market demand.
  • Guidance on transfer options.
  • Support for transition to CSU/UC or private universities.

8. Holistic, Student-Centered Support

  • Recognition of students’ roles as parents, caregivers, and workers.
  • Flexible, empathetic counseling.
  • Goal setting, motivation, and accountability support.

How to Find Your Educational Plan Online?

  1. Log in to your MyCerritos Account
  2. Click on “View My Academics”
  3. Click on “View Ed Plan”
  4. View your information

Please note: If any information displayed is incorrect, please make an appointment to meet with your CalWORKs counselor to correct the information on your Ed Plan.

If you DO NOT have an Ed Plan, please make an appointment with a CalWORKs counselor to create an Educational Plan. All students are required to have an up-to-date Educational Plan every semester.

To transfer smoothly to a university, there are a few simple steps:

  1. Schedule an appointment to talk to your CalWORKs counselor to ensure you have the required units to transfer.
  2. Visit or research different campuses and BE AWARE of their application deadlines.
  3. To transfer to a California State University (CSU) campus.
  4. To transfer to a University of California (UC) campus.
  5. For private campuses, visit the campus website for more information.

 

To discuss CalWORKs counseling services or schedule an appointment, please call (562) 860-2451, ext. 2593, or email CalWORKs.

You can also schedule your own appointment: 

To schedule an appointment, go to your Student Portal,

select the “Navigate” tile, and click “Schedule An Appointment.” 

For help, review the Step-by-Step Instructions.

Ready to book an appointment? Click

on the Navigate Appointment Center

Running late for your appointment?

You will be asked to reschedule your appointment if you are 7 minutes late.