Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC) Academics and Admissions

Academics

Northern Virginia Community College is a multi-campus college that offers a large range of associate degrees and certificates. The associate degrees take place over two years while the certificates and short career studies certificates take just one year to complete. Students can choose from degrees designed to prepare them for transfer which include Associate of Arts Degrees or the Associate of Science Degrees. The college also has a large program of courses designed to prepare students to enter the workforce. These are Associate of Applied Arts Degrees, Associate of Applied Science Degrees, Certificates and Career Studies Certificates.

In all, the college offers more than 160 associate level degrees and certificate programs. It has been accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and has also been approved by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.

The college has over 1000 credit courses that enable students to gain credits towards a degree or certificate program. Some of these courses are designed to prepare students for college-level work. There are also non-credit courses which include short courses, workshops and training designed to meet the needs of the local community. While these don’t give college credits many of them do give Continuing Education Units (CEUs). In addition, the college offers a range of distance learning courses which include online courses, and virtual hybrid courses. These are ideal for anybody seeking the flexibility to fit education into a busy lifestyle. The continuing education courses are offered through Workforce Development.

A few popular associate degree and certificate courses include accounting, automotive technology, early childhood development, horticulture technology, hospitality management, massage therapy, veterinary technology, and the welding careers study certificate.

Most Popular Fields of Study

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Information Summary

Ranks 55th in Virginia and 2283rd overall. See the entire top 2,000 colleges and universities list
Overall Score (about)	59.5
Total Cost On-Campus Attendance	$7,410
Admission Success rate	N/A
Student Ratio Students-to-Faculty	27 : 1
Retention (full-time / part-time)	72% / 53%
Enrollment Total (all students)	50,929

Admissions

Students can apply for admission, and anyone believing they qualify for in-state tuition rates should make sure they complete this section of the application form. Students who wish to apply for financial aid should complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at least four weeks before the tuition payment deadline. The college has an open door policy enabling anyone over the age of 18 who holds a high school diploma or the equivalent to take advantage of their academic opportunities.

Application deadlines are generally at least one month prior to the first day of classes for the semester in which you wish enrol. However the deadline for financial aid applications is much sooner; for instance the deadline for the fall semester is March 1. If you are transferring to Virginia Community College you may be able to receive credit for completed coursework and will need to submit your transcripts for credit evaluation.

The college is supported by the Commonwealth of Virginia and as such is able to offer its students exceptional value, as tuition costs here are the lowest of any college or university in the Washington DC area. In addition Virginia College also has a Deferred Tuition Payment Plan which will deduct payments from a bank account or credit card according to the payment schedule agreed and arranged.

Northern Virginia Community College also expects new students to take one or more placement tests, the results of which will determine the courses you take. These are not criteria for admission and must be taken after students have completed a College application form. The tests are given at each campus testing centre and take two or three hours to complete. These tests can be quite rigorous for some students and it’s worthwhile revising for them as otherwise you run the risk of being placed in a course below your skill level.

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Financial Aid

Although this college offers exceptional value for money, the costs for higher learning can prove impossible for many without financial aid. After you have filled out and FAFSA form you should receive a student aid report (SAR) which is a summary of the information filled out on the form and should be enough to determine whether or not you are eligible for aid through this scheme. In addition there are a large number of scholarships which you can apply for, and it’s best to apply for all those whose criteria you can meet. This based on student performance and talent and some take financial needs into consideration when considering eligibility.

A number of grants are also available and are financial awards that are based on a demonstration of financial need, and again it’s worth applying for any of these for which you are eligible. Northern Virginia Community College also offers direct loans at low interest rates which have long repayment terms. While some of these loans require a demonstration of need others do not. The college has its own dedicated Financial Aid Office on each campus and center.

You can also apply for the federal work study programme which enables you to carry on with your education while helping the college carry out day-to-day operations. Some of the job opportunities are located on campus while others are off-campus, and the rates of pay very according to the job classification. In addition you or your parents may be able to claim tax credits towards tuition paid, reducing the amount of tax you or your parents owe.

Student Financial Aid Details

Ranks 5730th for the average student loan amount.
Secrets to getting the best scholarships and financial aid in Virginia.

Students

Northern Virginia Community College has been educating students since 1964 with the aim of offering a quality and affordable educational experience. It’s the largest educational institution in Virginia and the second largest community college in the United States. There are more than 75,000 students and 2600 faculty and staff members. It also has the distinction of being one of the most internationally diverse colleges in the country with students from over 180 countries. There are more than 17,000 full-time undergraduates and 27,000 part-time undergraduates.

There are 36,000 female undergraduates and nearly 31,000 male undergraduates and about 35% of students qualify for some sort of financial aid. Overall the College is ranked 2137th in the country and 49th Virginia. The most popular fields of study include general studies, business administration and management, humanities, mental and social health services and nursing.

Student Enrollment Demographics

Additional School Information

The College is located near Washington DC and has campuses in Alexandria, Annandale, Loudoun, Manassas, Springfield and Woodbridge with educational centres in Arlington, Manassas and Reston. Alexandria campus has a wide variety of academic programs for more than 17,000 students and is located 7 miles south of Washington DC. It is on 51.4 acres and includes three buildings which are the Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center, the Biesdorf Building which houses state-of-the-arts science labs, as well is a comprehensive student service center and 150 seat theater. This campus offers diverse programs from computer aided design to the motorcycle training programme. It also has an active honors program.

Annandale campus is home to more than 23,000 students and is 14 miles south of Washington DC. It is the largest campus on 78 acres with 15 buildings. These include classrooms, a gymnasium, theatre, greenhouse, police station, cultural centre and a workforce development building. It offers a wide variety of programmes including the fire science program and certificates in general and advanced forensic investigation.

Loudoun campus has more than 11,000 students located on its 93 acres in Sterling, Virginia. It has the Waddell Art Gallery and the 230 seat Waddell Theater. It also has two greenhouses and a dog run as amongst others it offers veterinarian technology and horticulture programs as well as natural and applied sciences.

Manassas campus has more than 10,000 students and is located close by to the Manassas National Battlefield Park which was the site of the first major battle of the American Civil War. It has six classroom buildings, and also the Mary Louise Jackson Amphitheatre and the 120 seat Colgan Theater and the Innovation Park. It’s one of the smaller campuses and offers students more personal attention and intimate class sizes. It offers programs in early childhood education, communications and automotive technology.

The Springfield campus is the medical campus and offers quality healthcare education to more than 3500 students. It’s a state-of-the-art facility with a cadaver laboratory and human patience simulators laboratory and a 32 chair dental clinic. It offers associate degrees in a wide range of medical technologies and also certificates.

The Woodbridge campus offers education and facilities to more than 11,000 students and is located in Prince William County. It is on an 109 acre site and has four classroom buildings, sports fields and courts as well as a lovely lake and the Woodbridge Campus Theater. It offers programs in natural sciences and mathematics and web development as well as air conditioning and refrigeration programs.

Northern Virginia Community College