Oakland Community College is requiring new students to apply for admission by August 15.
Like many other community colleges, OCC has had a rolling admissions policy since its inception, meaning there was no cut-off date to apply.
But research has shown that late registration correlates with lower grades, lower completion rates and lower re-enrollment in the following term. OCC administrators have taken note and are instituting the new admissions deadline as part of a push to boost student success, increase retention and completion.
“This is an effort to help students and improve retention,” OCC Registrar Stephen Linden said. “When students apply at the last minute, they create impediments to their academic success.”
The new admissions policy starts this fall, with the August 15 fall deadline. December 15 is the application deadline for winter semester. Students who do not meet the fall application deadline can apply for admission for late-starting fall classes or for winter semester after the add/drop period, which ends September 4.
Fall classes begin August 28. Late-starting fall class dates vary and are available online. Exceptions to the application deadline will be approved under special circumstances.
The application deadline applies to new students and students whose records have become inactive (no registration activity for three years). It does not apply to college guest applications or to applications for high school guest or dual enrollment students.
The admissions deadline will require students to address important matters that impact their success such as processing financial aid, speaking with counselors, attending required orientations for students who test into developmental level classes and registering for required classes before they close. The push is one of several initiatives instituted at OCC to boost student success. Other efforts include:
OCC is eliminating a $25 student graduation application fee starting this fall. Many OCC students who qualify to graduate do not apply because of the fee. This has a detrimental effect on students who do not benefit from a degree despite having the required credits. It also impacts the College’s completion rates.
The Board of Trustees has moved Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) students out of the “out-of-state” tuition category. DACA students are children of undocumented people who attended and graduated from local high schools and want to attend local community colleges. By default, they were placed in the out-of-state international student category. DACA students will now pay in-district or out-of-district tuition rates. The move will help add to the local work force and eliminate the significant cost difference for these students who, unlike others, do not qualify for financial aid.
The changes were the result of recommendations by an International Taskforce OCC created to look into the issue.
“This extraordinary community advocacy effort brought about positive change for all involved,” said Sharon Miller, Vice Chancellor of External Affairs and a member of the committee.
The following tuition rates were also established for 2014-2015:
In-district: $ 82.00 per Semester Credit Hour
Out-of-district: $154.00 per Semester Credit Hour
Out-of-state: $216.00 per Semester Credit Hour
Source: OCC
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