The leading educational institution for Hispanic students in the United States, El Paso Community College (EPCC) is a located in El Paso, Texas. The fastest-growing community college in the state, the institution was founded when community members voted to create a junior college district and appointed a board of seven trustees. The Board of Trustees and El Paso citizens requested state financial assistance and the college was founded by 1972.
| Overall Score (about) | 59.6 |
| Total Cost On-Campus Attendance | $4,089 |
| Admission Success rate | N/A |
| Student Ratio Students-to-Faculty | 20 : 1 |
| Retention (full-time / part-time) | 66% / 49% |
| Enrollment Total (all students) | 28,819 |
The college is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) to grant associate degrees. It also received the prestigious third annual Leah Meyer Austin Institutional Student Success Leadership Award. Each year, the college boasts an enrollment of more than 24,000 students.
Over 130 programs of study are offered to earn an associate’s degree or certificate. Students can choose from the different certification programs such as AA in Field of Study, AA in Teaching, Associate of Science, Associates of Arts, Health Occupations AAS, Health Occupations CC, Technical Programs AAS, Technical Programs CC, and Continuing Education.
The college also features five campus sites: Mission del Paso campus, Northwest campus, Rio Grande campus, Transmountain campus and Valle Verde campus. Each campus houses an administrative office where students can get services and meet with their counselor.
Students who are unable to attend regular classes can apply for the distance education program. The institute uses different technologies to teach students who are geographically apart. The technologies include online/Internet courses, broadcast/TV classes, hybrid courses, video conferencing courses, and virtual college of Texas.
Online academic courses allow the students to continue their education along with a full-time job. Students can access the course materials, seven days a week and 24 hours a day through the Internet. However, these courses are limited to 25 students to enhance the educational experience.
Faculty members post instructions, materials, readings and assignments online for the students to complete at their own convenience. Tutors are also available via email or telephone. Students may also network with each other online and form a group for better understanding of the subjects.
Students seeking admission to the school must send their official high school, GED, or college transcripts to the Admissions and Registration Department. Students who have attended another college or university will have their credits assessed for transfer.
If you have experience in the profession for which you are seeking a degree, you may get a better standing through the Credit for Learning by Experience Option (CLEO) program. You may also receive course credits for any kind of military training/experience.
The prospective new student must take a placement evaluation test prior to enrolling.
The college offers financial aid to students through different methods. Each student wanting to apply for financial aid must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online. Some of the common forms of financial aid offered are:
Grants that may be awarded to eligible students include the Federal Pell Grant, Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG), Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG), Texas Public Educational Grant (TPEG), Texas Public SIG/ LEAP Grant, Toward Excellence Access and Success Grant (Texas Grant), and Toward Educational Opportunity Grant (TEOG formerly Texas Grant II).
Students can apply for scholarships such as El Paso Community College Foundation Scholarships, EPCC Student Government Association Scholarship, American Association of Women Scholarship, The El Paso Athletic Hall of Fame Scholarship, Salute to the Arts Scholarships, Wolslager Foundation Scholarship, and the El Paso Community College General Scholarships.
William D. Ford Direct Loan Program offers federal student loans, which have to be repaid by the students. Students are required to undergo counseling before receiving loan funds.
Campus life provides an active environment for students, staff, and faculty to interact and grow. Students are encouraged to take part in the various clubs, student government, and campus events to enrich their campus experience. You can either join a club or form one in your own area of interest.
Some of the popular student clubs are Psychology, The EPCC Gay & Straight Alliance, Respiratory Care, Sapphire Warriors, Sign Language, Social Sciences, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, SOL Voice, Student American Dental Assistant, Student American Dental Hygiene Association, Student Communication Association Network, Students in Free Enterprise, and Student Nurses Association.
The student body boasts a good number of international students and the International Students Office works to meet the diverse needs of the international students from the admission application to transfer or graduation. The International Students Office is located at the Valle Verde Campus.
All international students who wish to live in the United States while studying must be admitted as full-time international students and maintain a full-time course load in compliance with the F-1 Visa requirements. Mexican students who live in Mexico and commute daily may be allowed to enroll less than full time, as a Border Commuter International Student.
Tejano Tribune is the college’s student operated online newspaper. It is a one-stop-source to find all the information and updates about the school. It also includes news on sports, entertainment, and all the events at the campus. Get all the inside story right here!
Radio EPCC is the student-run online radio station. Students taking radio and television production courses get the opportunity to train in a live working environment and audio production lab. The studio provides hands on experience to the students. The programming includes national and world news, music, campus news, as well as eclectic and alternative Internet radio programming.
EPCC-TV meets the instructional telecommunication production and media service needs of the college. The team of highly qualified professionals incessantly strive to maintain high production and support standards through every project. As technological improvements and innovations provide new tools for their educators. EPCC-TV works to make these tools more effective, easy to use and readily available for the faculty or staff member.
The vibrant Campus Life also helps the college departments and the student body in organizing various on and off campus events such as career fairs, art shows, exhibitions, etc. Students are able to volunteer with Campus Life and are also able to join the prestigious EPCC Student Government Association.
Campus life provides activities throughout the academic year to encourage and increase student’s understanding of culture, arts, athletics, current events, and the community. These experiences are brought to students through special programs, art exhibits, lecture series, films, and much more.
As the leading Hispanic-serving institution and border community, the school’s utmost goal is to further enhance the educational opportunities of the students. Through its Honor programs, students are provided with academically challenging course work. It also encourages higher levels of reasoning and critical analysis skills. Over the last few years, the Honors Program has made great improvements and has helped many students to achieve their educational goals.
The Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD) extends service to students with disabilities, permanent or temporary. The CSD counselors advise specific support services for the students according to their disability. CSD counseling is offered at the five campus sites of the college.
EPCC celebrates several community based programs such as Martin Luther King, Black History Month, Cesar Chavez Celebration, Creative Kiddie Corner, 16 de Septiembre Celebration, and Fall Festival. The academic events include Sexual Assault/Awareness, Alcohol Awareness, Great American Smokeout, Asian-Pacific Islander Month, Breast Cancer Awareness, and Diwali Festival.
El Paso Community College offers entertainment through programs and events such as EPCC’s Got Talent, Halloween Costume Contest, Karaoke, and Superbowl Party.
The school boasts of men’s and women’s teams that compete in baseball, softball, and cross country running. The sports teams are nicknamed as the Tejanos. Their baseball team plays at the school’s baseball stadium.
The college is a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association, competing in Region V and the Western Junior College Athletic Conference. The baseball team has won the WJCAC championship in 2001, 2003 and 2004; and the Region V tournament in 2002.
The softball team has won the WJCAC championship in 1999 and 2000; and the Region V tournament in 1999 and 2000. The women’s cross-country has won the WJCAC and the Region V titles in 2001, 2004, 2007, 2008 and 2009; while the men’s team won in 2005. Both the teams have advanced to the NJCAA championships level. The women’s half marathon team won the 2007 National Championship.
The intramural sports team organizes several events and recreation sports to enhance the college experience of the students. The students, faculty, staff and administration can participate in different team and individual activities. The college holds several intramural events each year, including traditional sports such as volleyball, flag football, soccer, and basketball.
This website and its associated pages are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by this school.
StateUniversity.com has no official or unofficial affiliation with El Paso Community College.