The California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office is working with the ed-tech vendor Liaison to make the CCCApply system more user-friendly, automated and secure. The digital application system for California’s 116 community colleges is getting an overhaul next year, thanks to a new partnership with ed-tech vendor Liaison.
A recent news release said the CCCApply system will see a new interface with improved accessibility and security. The redesign, part of the chancellor’s office’s Reimagine Apply initiative, comes after two decades of reliance on the previous platform, which processed 20 million applications in its time, according to the program’s website.
The current CCCApply system, while functional, has an outdated interface, cumbersome administrative tools, limited self-service options and security vulnerabilities, according to a request for vendor proposals issued in October 2024. The RFP says the platform is difficult to navigate and lacks language support. These challenges prompted the community college system to seek a new system capable of handling the needs of 2.1 million students.
“Leveraging on our enterprise-grade Centralized Application Services (CAS) platform, we will help deliver a simpler, more accessible experience for prospective and returning students — while giving colleges the integrity, resilience, and insight they need,” Liaison founder and CEO George Haddad said in a public statement.
The redesign process has included input from students, faculty, admissions officers, IT staff and other educational partners, according to the Reimagine Apply website. Since 2022, more than 200 have participated in interviews, surveys and usability tests to inform system requirements.
The program website said the project is being rolled out in phases. Wave 1, scheduled for deployment in spring 2026, will include 12 districts selected to represent diverse campus settings and technical readiness. Subsequent waves are planned for mid- and late-2026, each adapting to lessons learned from previous rollouts’ testing and staff training experiences.
“Through this partnership, we’re developing a secure, accessible solution that streamlines key processes,” Jory Hadsell, executive in residence for technology initiatives at the Chancellor’s Office, said in a public statement. “This effort supports our strategic plan, Vision 2030, which aims to make our colleges more inclusive and efficient for all.”
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