Online Programs from River Parishes Community College
River Parishes Community College appears in our ranking of the Top 10 Associate’s in General Studies Online.
River Parishes Community College is a community college that offers associate degree programs for students from Louisiana and those who live in other states. The college offers adult education online classes for adult learners who want to get a college degree but worry that they can’t take time away from work and their other obligations. Prior to signing up for an online program, students must take at least 12 credits on the college’s campus. They’ll work directly with their professors and show that they are capable of doing college work before they can take any online classes. The college requires that all students complete a minimum of 12 credit hours of classes on its campus before signing up for online courses and programs.
A Louisiana Transfer Associate Degree refers to a two-year degree that a student can get before studying on a four-year college or university in the state. River Parishes Community College offers one of these programs with emphasis areas in business, criminal justice, humanities, and social sciences. Each program prepares students for finishing a bachelor’s degree and doing more advanced work. The business program can help a student open a new business or run an existing organization, while the criminal justice program can help students prepare for the police academy.
Associate of Applied Science (AAS) programs are also available from the college. The business office administration program helps students become office managers. They learn how to use software such as Excel and Windows to complete their daily tasks. Students in the drafting and design technology program learn how to draft plans for new buildings. It includes many computer science and engineering classes.
River Parishes Community College gives students the chance to work on their degrees through its online system and finish their courses over the computer. Students must first take classes to show that they have strong computer skills, but they’ll also need to take placement tests to see where they fit into the courses they need to take. Some of its programs help students find work in the medical field. It offers a nursing program with two start dates for those who want to begin in the fall or spring. Medical code specialist and medical assisting are other medical programs available from the college.
About River Parishes Community College
Louisiana established a number of new community colleges in the 1990s to meet the demands of students living in the state. One of the campuses that opened during that time period was River Parishes Community College. Built in the late 1990s, it opened as a community college that offered both technical and vocational programs for students. Also known as RPCC, it had one campus in Sorrento but built a second campus as enrollment grew. That new campus is in Gonzales. The old RPCC campus is still in use and became the new home for students in neighboring parishes after flooding damaged their schools.
RPCC offers various programs and opportunities for students. It serves as a testing location for students taking their standardized tests before they graduate high school. The campus has a transfer program designed for those who want to earn a bachelor’s degree. After finishing two years of school at RPCC and earning an associate degree, they can transfer to a four-year program in Louisiana. They can finish their bachelor’s degrees in just two more years of study. Several thousand students now attend River Parishes Community College, including adult learners and high school students.
River Parishes Community College Accreditation Details
Many of the technology and management programs offered by the college have full accreditation. The college also has accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). As a type of regional accreditation, it lets students know that they can transfer to another school and use the credits they earned at RPCC. All online programs have accreditation from this same organization.
River Parishes Community College Application Requirements
RPCC has an open admissions policy because it wants any student to feel comfortable applying. It does not base application decisions on race, gender or any other factors. The only thing students need to do before they apply is pick which campus they want to attend. In addition to the Gonzales campus, the college has a Reserve campus in another area of the city and a Westside campus in Plaquemine. An information request form, which is available online, lets students get more information before they apply.
The online application offered by RPCC allows students to apply for the next semester. Once they select their usernames and passwords and verify their email addresses, they can fill out and submit the application. Before awarding scholarships and other types of financial aid, the college requires that students submit their high school/college transcripts and a standardized test score. Those who want to take any classes on the RPCC campus must also provide medical documents that show they have up to date vaccines. The college also asks students to take placement tests. They may have the chance to skip over some general education courses due to their scores on these tests.
Tuition and Financial Aid
RPCC accepts both Louisiana residents and students from other states. Residents pay a rate that starts at $170 per credit hour. Students who take 12 or more credit hours pay $2,024 per semester. The college does not charge additional fees for taking classes beyond this limit. Nonresidents pay more in fees, which will bring their cost up a little more. If they take 12 or more credits in a semester, they’ll pay $4,061 each term.
Students seeking both degrees and diplomas through RPCC can apply for financial aid. Pell grants and direct loans come from the federal government and are only available to those who complete the FAFSA. The Go Grant provides students with $1,00 a year that they can use to attend a college in Louisiana. Some tuition waivers are also available and go to students who are members of student government associations, military groups and those who work for the college. The college also accepts external scholarships, including those that students get from fraternal organizations and nonprofit groups. Any student who wants to earn an online associate degree from River Parishes Community College should apply for aid.
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