In order to study in the United States as an international student you must document that you have sufficient financial resources to complete your course of study. You must prove that you have enough funds to cover all the costs associated with your first year of full-time study. Each college determines the typical costs for international students. This budget includes registration fees as well as the costs for housing, books, and certain other living expenses. You can find the amount for most colleges in the Campus Facts section on CaliforniaColleges.edu or click through Campus Facts to the college's specific website.

As an international student you will need to have your financial institution provide a certification that you have at least the amount required available, or that funds are available from a reliable source. International students should not expect to work to cover the cost of their education in the United States.

As an international student you should also not expect to receive financial assistance from the college. Only a few community colleges provide scholarships, and even those are very limited.