Lorain County Community College is among the top 10% of most affordable schools in the nation, according to a new report from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Affordability and Transparency Center.
According to the report, LCCC’s low net cost lands the college in the top two most affordable bachelor’s degree granting institutions in Ohio and 14th in the country. While categorized as a community college, LCCC is included in the four-year institution list due to its bachelor of applied science in microelectronic manufacturing.
LCCC’s net price is calculated at $2,952, which includes tuition, books, fees, supplies and living expenses, minus grants and scholarships. The national average of net price is $7,663 for two-year public institutions and $12,601 for four-year public institutions.
“High quality education must be affordable and accessible for everyone in our region,” LCCC President Marcia J. Ballinger, Ph.D., said. “LCCC’s low tuition rate and wraparound support services ensure that everyone has the opportunity to access the life-changing power of higher education.”
Financial aid and scholarships help students reduce the already low price of LCCC. In fact, 78% of LCCC students receive some form of financial aid or scholarships to help them complete their degrees, Ballinger noted.
In addition to financial aid, scholarships and a commitment to affordable tuition rates, LCCC’s College Credit Plus program enables high school students the ability to earn college credit while in high school. This year, more than 45% of Lorain County High School graduates have earned LCCC credits – saving their families $4.4 million in tuition costs.
Once students are ready to take their education to the next level, LCCC’s University Partnership offers more than 100 bachelor’s and master’s degree programs from 14 colleges and universities – a model that saves students an average of $74,000 on a bachelor’s degree. The University Partnership lets students take two to three years of coursework at LCCC and then finish upper-level courses through one of the 14 partner institutions right on the LCCC campus.
The College Affordability and Transparency Center was established to help prospective college students understand the true cost of higher education. Lists updated annually from Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). In addition to the successful bachelor of applied science in microelectronic manufacturing, the college has been approved to move forward with plans to deliver a second applied bachelor’s degree, this one in Smart Industrial Automated Systems Engineering Technology.
“At LCCC, we have taken the affordable community college model to the next level with our University Partnership and now by delivering our own applied bachelor’s degree,” Ballinger said. “Getting a quality education for a fulfilling career should never break the bank, and we make sure of that at LCCC.”
For more information on the tuition and affordability listings, visit http://collegecost.ed.gov/.
Fall classes start Monday, August 22. To register visit www.lorainccc.edu/enroll.