Terra State Community College (TSCC, Terra Community College, Terra Technical College) Introduction and History

Introduction

For students seeking to train for a new career or start their college experience at an affordable and inclusive institution, Terra State Community College has a lot to offer.

Terra State had its start as a technical school, and its commitment to preparing adults for new and better careers remains strong. However, the school can also provide an excellent academic foundation for students who want to transfer to a four-year college after earning an associate degree.

Students considering a career in information technology will definitely want to give Terra State a look, as it has a well-regarded computer programming area of study. As the troubled U.S. economy continues to take its toll among workers and students, more and more people are turning to community colleges like Terra State Community College as an inexpensive college solution and to help retrain for a more competitive workplace.

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Information Summary

Ranks 140th in Ohio and 3367th overall. See the entire top 2,000 colleges and universities list
Overall Score (about)	45.1
Total Cost On-Campus Attendance	$19,576
Admission Success rate	N/A
Student Ratio Students-to-Faculty	16 : 1
Retention (full-time / part-time)	51% / 36%
Enrollment Total (all students)	2,228

History

Terra State Community College had its start as a night school. The first incarnation of Terra State Community College, Vanguard Technical Institute, was established in the late 1960s as the Vanguard Vocational Center. By 1969, Ohio’s Board of Regents had decided to make VTI an two-year college authorized to grant associate’s degrees.

By the early 1970s, the college had been renamed Terra Technical College and had moved to a new campus near Fremont. The college continued to grow, adding students and degree programs, and by the early 1990s had been renamed again, becoming Terra State Community College.

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Academics

Terra State Community College offers a balance of academic and career programs to meet the needs of its traditional and non-traditional students. The college offers associate’s degrees and career certificates in more than 60 areas of study. Terra State has a heavy emphasis on programs that can prepare students quickly for new careers, including real estate, HVAC, manufacturing, health and police science courses.

Popular Majors

The most popular majors at Terra State include:

Engineering
Mechanical Engineering and Technology
Business
Social Sciences and Liberal Arts

Distance Learning

Like many community colleges, Terra State has ventured into offering distance learning to make attending college more convenient for its students, many of whom have work and family responsibilities. The college offers distance learning courses in English, math, psychology, introduction to plastics, introduction to criminal justice and business management classes.

High School Academics and Internships

The college’s PSEO program allows high school students to take TSCC classes for high school and college credit and affords students an excellent way to get a jump start on their college career. The college also runs a co-op program that gives students practical experience in their field of study by placing them in apprenticeship/internship jobs.

The college recently opened a $6.6 million, 53,603 square foot Arts and Health Technologies Center.

Accreditation

The college is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, which accredits schools in Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. The association also accredits schools for the Navajo Nation.

Most Popular Fields of Study

Admissions

Terra State Community College has an open admissions policy. Any student with a high school diploma or GED will be accepted. Terra State has a rolling admissions deadline, but first-year students are encouraged to apply by Dec. 31. The financial aid priority deadline is May 31. Students will need to submit high school transcripts and SAT or ACT scores. Students may be asked to take a COMPASS placement test to determine whether they will need to take remedial courses. As of Sept. 2011, the college has no application fee.

Financial Aid

Students applying to Terra State Community College are eligible for federal grants and student loans. There are also a number of grants and scholarships offered by the state of Ohio, the college itself, and other outside organizations that students may be eligible for.

For example, some Terra students are eligible for the Choose Ohio first scholarship, which awards funds to students intending to teach math or science in the state of Ohio after graduation. Award amounts increase for scholarship holders each year.

The college’s website has a comprehensive list of scholarships and other programs, such as short-term loans, that students can use to attend class at Terra. The college’s office of financial aid stands ready to help students find other grants and scholarships they may be eligible for.

About 67 percent of all Terra State Community College students receive financial aid of some sort, including loans, scholarships, and grants.

Student Financial Aid Details

Ranks 6768th for the average student loan amount.
Secrets to getting the best scholarships and financial aid in Ohio.

Students

The average age at TSCC is 26 and 45 percent of TSCC students are older than 26. The college has a handful of student clubs and organizations, including professional, academic, religious and recreational groups. The college’s student center provides students with fitness training equipment and a place to organize and socialize.

TSCC’s continuing education center provides lifelong learning opportunities for local residents, sponsoring several classes in career and recreational activities each year. Continuing ed activities are hosted in the college’s Kern Center. The center’s KidsCollege program provides enrichment activities for students in grades K-8.

The college has a security service which regularly patrols the campus.

Student Enrollment Demographics

Athletics

Terra State is a member of the NJCAA and offers intramural sports for its students to participate in, but no intercollegiate teams. Intramural sports include men’s non-tackle football, bowling, basketball, softball, table tennis, tennis and volleyball; and women’s bowling, basketball, softball, table tennis, tennis and volleyball.

Terra State Community College teams are called the Thundercats.

Local Community

Terra State Community College has more than 3,000 students at its 103-acre campus in Fremont, Ohio. Fremont is a small town in North Central Ohio known for being the temporary home of former U.S. president Rutherford B. Hayes and the site of a Heinz ketchup factory.

Bibliography

“Terra Community College.” Terra Community College. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Sept. 2011. <http://www.terra.edu/>.

The College Board College Handbook, 2010 . 47th ed. New York: College Board, 2009. Print.

McGrath, Anne. Ultimate college guide 2010 . 7th ed. Naperville, Ill.: Sourcebooks Inc., 2009. Print.

Terra State Community College