Substance Abuse Resources

Last updated on Dec 15, 2022

The illegal or abusive use of alcohol or other drugs, or both, by members of the CCA community adversely affects CCA’s commitment to provide an environment of excellence in educating students to shape culture through the practice and critical study of the arts.

Fostering Good Health

As members of the CCA community, we all share in the responsibility for creating and maintaining a healthful and productive environment for work and study alike.

With this responsibility comes the obligation to be involved in preventing problems caused by the abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.

Health Risks of Abusing Alcohol/Drugs

Many well-documented risks exist associated with the abuse of alcohol and other drugs, affecting not only the individual user but also his or her family, friends, and roommates.

Alcohol abuse is frequently implicated in cases of sexual assault on campus, for example, and the misuse of drugs is sometimes a factor in violence on campus.

Other problems associated with alcohol and other drug abuse include:

poor academic or job performance
relationship difficulties, including sexual dysfunction
a tendency to verbal and physical violence
financial stress
injuries or accidents
violations of the law such as driving under the influence and willfully destroying property

Notice of Financial Aid Penalties for Drug Law Violations / CCA's Drug-Free School & Workplace Act Information

It is one of the goals at California College of the Arts to maintain a safe and healthful environment where the arts can flourish and grow. The college strives to provide this environment for all students, faculty, and staff.

The college, as an employer and educator, is concerned about the use and effects of alcohol and illicit drugs. In compliance with the Drug Free Schools and Communities Act (DFSCA) Amendment of 1989, the college is required to:

establish a drug-free campus policy and awareness program
publish and distribute information about the dangers of alcohol and drug (substance) abuse
promote available counseling, rehabilitation, and assistance
make known the penalties associated with substance abuse

Additional information regarding CCA's Drug-Free School & Workplace Program is available online at: https://portal.cca.edu/thriving/student-handbook/drug-free-school-and-workplace-program.

Information related to Substance Abuse Resources is available online at: https://portal.cca.edu/thriving/health-wellness/substance-abuse-resources/.

Federal regulations require that we provide the following information to all students who enroll at California College of the Arts. While only those students who are receiving Federal Title IV student financial aid (e.g. Pell Grant, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, federal student loans) are subject to the specific penalties listed below, we are required to provide this information to all students.

All CCA students, regardless of their financial aid status, are expected to understand and abide by CCA's student code of conduct and CCA's Drug-Free School & Workplace and Standards of Conduct policies.

Please take a moment to read and understand this information below.

Students convicted of possession or sale of drugs:

A federal or state drug conviction can disqualify a student from receiving financial aid.
Convictions only count if they were for an offense that occurred during a period of enrollment for which the student was receiving Federal Title IV aid -- they do not count if the offense was not during such a period.
Also, a conviction that was reversed, set aside, or removed from the student's record does not count, nor does one received when they were a juvenile, unless they were tried as an adult.
The chart below illustrates the period of ineligibility for financial aid, depending on whether the conviction was for sale or possession and whether the student had previous offenses. (A conviction for sale of drugs includes convictions for conspiring to sell drugs.)

1st offense

Possession of illegal drugs: 1 year from the date of conviction
Sale of illegal drugs: 2 years from the date of conviction

2nd offense

Possession of illegal drugs: 2 years from the date of conviction
Sale of illegal drugs: Indefinite period

3+ offenses

Possession and/or sale of illegal drugs: Indefinite period

If the student was convicted of both possessing and selling illegal drugs, and the periods of ineligibility are different, the student will be ineligible for the longer period.

Please direct any questions regarding this notice to the Financial Aid Office: 415.703.9528 or finaid@cca.edu.