As a parent of a future Prince George's Community College student, you play an important and invaluable role in the enrollment process for your son or daughter. While this may feel overwhelming for the first time student, we believe that when all members of the family are informed, the process is much easier. Parents should focus on five major areas when helping their son or daughter make decisions about higher education.
Multi-layered Steps
After having selected a college, this is probably the most complex part of the process as it contains several, multi-layers steps — admissions, testing, financial aid application, and advising. We have provided step-by-step instructions on this website to assist you through the process. Please review them with your student before he/she applies for admission.
Guiding Academic Choices and Career Selection
When your student was a child, you probably asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” That question now becomes far more important. While parents should discuss this thoroughly with their student at home, Academic Services at PGCC can help focus on and guide career exploration and awareness. Often students are unsure about their career path and the level of commitment necessary. Our counseling staff can assist your student make these decisions.
Financing a College Education
Prince George's Community College is one of the most affordable educational investments you can make as a parent. A cost comparison of tuition and fees shows that annual enrollment at PGCC is $3,762,* while annual enrollment at four-year public institution is $6,885.00 and a four-year private institution’s annual enrollment $23,712.00.
* This figure is based on full-time enrollment of 12 credits at $96.00 per credit hour. Source: Maryland Higher Education Commission, Trends in Annual Tuition and Mandatory Fees, Maryland Community Colleges FY06", and College Board, "2007-08 College Costs Keep Rising Prices in Perspective".
There are many opportunities for students to be awarded financial aid and scholarships at Prince George's Community College. Applying for financial aid begins with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The college offers many scholarships for graduating high school seniors including the; Board of Trustees Legacy, AOBA, Honors Academy, Jerry and Kathy Wood, Hillman Entrepreneurial and the Herb Block Scholarships. Many of these scholarships offer full tuition benefits for up to two academic years at Prince George's Community College. The Honors Academy and the Hillman Entrepreneurial scholarships both offer financial benefits to specific four-year colleges and universities with which the college has articulation agreements.
Keep Informed
The discussions you have with your student as he/she moves through this process have the potential to be life changing! Take into consideration your own life experiences and share them as you would with another adult. This Web site was designed and written to help both you and your student through the college enrollment and attendance processes. Read it, and when you’d like additional information,
contact us.