Volunteer State Community College (VSCC) Academics and Unique Programs

Academics

Located in Gallatin, Tennessee, the Volunteer State Community College is a public college that operates in over twelve Tennessee counties including Clay, Jackson, and Putnam. The college offers two year programs after which students can transfer to institutions of higher learning.

Vol State, as the college is locally known, offers programs leading to associate degrees and certificates. In addition to these, students can also opt for continuing education programs, which are available through online self paced lessons and classroom teaching.

There are five academic divisions at the college:

Allied Health

Business

Humanities

Math and Science

Social Science

Dual enrollment programs at Vol State ensure that students can earn college credits while still in high school. Most dual enrollment programs are taught by the college faculty who travel to local high schools to deliver lectures.

The Honors program is designed to help students with further education at institutions where Honor programs are offered. Benefits of the program include participation in scholarship programs and a netbook computer.

Continuing education programs are available in fields of workforce development, small business development and healthcare training. Students can also enroll in evening and weekend classes for courses in fitness, home management, and music.

Most Popular Fields of Study

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Information Summary

Ranks 73rd in Tennessee and 3320th overall. See the entire top 2,000 colleges and universities list
Overall Score (about)	46.0
Total Cost On-Campus Attendance	$5,722
Admission Success rate	N/A
Student Ratio Students-to-Faculty	27 : 1
Retention (full-time / part-time)	51% / 36%
Enrollment Total (all students)	9,154

Unique Programs

At Volunteer State Community College, students need not restrict themselves to traditional classroom courses. The university has a whole range of interesting programs designed to meet the requirements of a stay at home mother or a computer professional.

From basic to advanced cake decorating to technical programs in computer troubleshooting and languages, healthcare, business management and more, Volunteer State provides the perfect learning platform for everyone.

Of special mention are programs in small business development which equip you with the skills and expertise necessary to start your own business.

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Admissions

Students can apply online after paying a nominal application fee, which applies to in state as well as international students. Here are the admission criteria:

New Students

High school transcripts or GED scores are required. Students who have not completed their high school education and do not have GED scores must have the ACE diploma (American Council on Education External Diploma). Students below the age of twenty are required to submit ACT scores as well, in the absence of which they must take a placement test held at the college before admissions.

Students seeking admission in technical certificate programs need not submit ACT scores, and non-degree seeking students are required to take the placement test before commencing classes and must be over 21 years of age at the time of admission. Dual enrollment students must have a minimum GPA of 3.2 in the subject they want to enroll in and should submit ACT scores. They will also have a personal interview before admission is provided.

Transfer Students

Transfer students must provide all available educational transcripts from schools and other institutions they have attended.

International Students

International students must send official transcripts of high school education and ACT or SAT scores. TOEFL scores are mandatory. A copy of the I-94 form, passport, and visa should be submitted at the time of application submission.

Financial Aid

Financial aid is available in the form of pell grants, grants, direct loans, work study programs and other state funded educational scholarship programs. To apply for federal financial aid, students must submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid at FAFSA.

State aid programs include:

HOPE scholarship

Helping Heroes Grant

State Employee Dependant Discounts – around 25% on the application fee

Students at Vol State who are applying for financial aid must submit two applications – one for FAFSA and the Volunteer State Scholarship Application, which is available at the college’s financial aid office.

Students are also encouraged to apply for scholarships offered by other local and civic bodies.

Student Financial Aid Details

Ranks 6480th for the average student loan amount.
Secrets to getting the best scholarships and financial aid in Tennessee.

Students

At Volunteer State Community College, students learn from their diverse surroundings, bringing in and combining a rich cultural experience. The campus has a whole lot to offer in terms of student activities and student organizations.

Greek student organizations include:

Phi Theta Kappa

Delta Psi Omega

Alpha Sigma Iota

Sigma Chi Eta

There are a host of other organizations as well to cater to all students such as the paralegal association, psychology club, Vol State cheerleaders, bowling club, collegiate ministry and many more.

Volunteer State Community College has an active placement assistance service that helps students and alumni alike with job opportunities, and essential skills like interview preparation and resume writing.

The college has its own newspaper called The Settler, which students can contribute to.

Student Enrollment Demographics

Athletics

Athletic teams at the college are affiliated with the National Junior College Athletic Association and the Tennessee Junior College Athletic Association. Sports played at Volunteer State Community College include baseball, basketball (men), basketball (women), and softball (women).

The workout room is equipped with treadmills, weight training equipment, elliptical cycles, and much more. It is a state of the art facility with all modern equipment required by student athletes to train.

The baseball team is called ‘Pioneers’ and were winners of the 2008-2009 Tennessee Junior College Athletic Association championship.

The men’s basketball team is among the top teams in Tennessee and neighboring Kentucky. They received the All Sports award at the 2008-2009 Tennessee Junior College Athletic Association championship.

Local Community

The city Gallatin is a part of one of the oldest counties in Tennessee – Sumner County. Students at the college can revel in the architectural wonders the city offers. Most of these have been restored and are open to public viewing at Cragfront and Trousdale Place.

A county fair is held each year in August and a Christmas Parade takes place during fall. Volunteer State Community College is the largest public college in the city.

Students can visit the Old Hickory Lake during weekends for boating and fishing while several parks dot the city which can be visited for swimming, jogging, volleyball, and other sports.

Bibliography

Volunteer State Community College. Volunteer State Community College. Web. June 7, 2011.
Gallatin Tennessee. Gallatin Tennessee. Web. June 7, 2011.

Volunteer State Community College