Tuition rates are set each year. This year, tuition will be about $1,500 a semester, or $3,000 for the school year.
Meghan Paquette, director of Early College and Promise Programs, explained that reimbursement is based on the amount of tuition a student would pay in the two years it takes to earn the specific degrees.
She emphasized that reimbursement does not occur until after students earns the degree in the requisite time. She also said the reimbursement does not cover other education expenses such as room and board, books and educational supplies. But, “students can apply for scholarships to cover some of those expenses,” she explained.
Paquette has been an administrative staff member at YC for seven years, having come here from Stony Brook University in New York with bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Since then, she earned an additional master’s degree from Arizona State University.
“We are pleased to have expanded what we are calling a ‘Workforce Promise,’ in its fourth year. The college board has given us a budget of $500,000 for this year, so we can expand the student cohort to what we think will approach 300 students enrolled in specific degree programs,” she said.
About 100 students were attracted to the program in its first year. Last year, that number increased to 200. “Students must apply and qualify. Tuition reimbursement is not automatic and only occurs if students meet the specified timeline. Reimbursement also does not cover expenses for transfer classes taken from another institution.”
Tuition rates are set each year. This year, tuition will be about $1,500 a semester, or $3,000 for the school year.
Faculty are aware of the high costs of textbooks and other educational resources, so they are trying to help students by using what is called Open Educational Resources (OER). “When possible, faculty are opting for online textbooks. Sometimes this means free textbooks and other resources. We promote these options to make the programs as affordable as possible up front for the students. And students can apply for grants to buy texts,” she said.
Paquette said the college is gratified that students from throughout the county are taking advantage of the Workforce Promise program. “About one-third of the students enroll from the Verde Valley. The other two-thirds come from the Quad Cities area. What’s really pleasing us is that many are first-generation college students. They are enrolling in degree programs that lead to good jobs that pay good salaries – and many are staying in the county. That’s terrific for the economy.”
YC Vice President for Community Relations and Student Development Rodney Jenkins says the college plans to continue exploring other opportunities to enroll new students in practical programs that help them become productive members of the community.
YC Partnering with PUSD on Tuition Free Pilot Program
Paquette also administers a new program in cooperation with Prescott Unified School District called “Early College,” where 18 high school seniors will spend their last year of high school on the YC campus downtown.
The high school seniors all must have a grade point average of 3.5 or higher and will be enrolled in YC classes Monday through Thursday between 8:15 a.m. and 12:45 p.m.
Similar to the Workforce Promise program, the students will pay no tuition. Rather, the school district will be reimbursed for the students through a grant from the state. The school district then will pay for tuition.
Paquette said the program was initiated through cooperative efforts among Prescott High School Principal Adam Neely, PHS Academic Adviser Molly Orr and YC officials. It begins this fall.
“This was a natural partnership, since we already work so closely with YC,” said PUSD Superintendent Joe Howard. “We patterned it after the Vail High School-Pima Community College model. However, our program focuses more on actual on-campus college life. PUSD staff member Molly Orr had great experience in placing and supporting kids in college. She’ll be the ‘go-to’ for those kids, conducting many seminars and training sessions that will model college life.”
Howard said PUSD personnel will be exploring even more opportunities to introduce local students to educational opportunities that will benefit them, their parents, families and the community. QCBN
By Ray Newton, QCBN
For more information about the two programs, contact Paquette at meghan.paquette@yc.edu or call 928-776-2029.
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