Frequently Asked Questions for Students (FAQs)
STUDENT Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
How can I take a college course in my high school?
Contact your high school guidance counselor to see what courses are offered and what courses you are academically ready to take. Courses are offered beginning in September or January. The best time to contact your counselor is in February or March of the preceding year.
What is registration for a college course?
Unlike high school, college students choose which courses to take during the school year. Registration is the term used to describe the process of choosing. This happens on a specific date when NCCC representatives speak with you about the registration process. You may know as early as spring of the year before that you care taking a course.
Your high school counselor or teacher will let you know about this process in August before the academic year.
What do I need to do to register?
On the date the NCCC representatives visit your school, be prepared with:
- Computer, phone or tablet with internet access
- Social Security number (NYS Education law permits collection of this to serve as identification)
How will I know if I am registered?
- You will receive confirmation from your guidance counselor.
- You will receive a bill at home listing your courses and an electronically signed course selection form.
How will I know what the college course names are?
It can be confusing if you are taking an ENG 112 literature appreciation course from NCCC which also satisfies your ENG 12 credit.
The college of your choice will not recognize ENG 12 as a college course. You need to describe it as ENG 112, the NCCC title, Literature Appreciation.
Keep your course syllabus as documentation of your college course and share it with your college advisor.
What if I don’t want to continue in the college course?
Because you are taking both a high school and college course, you can withdraw from the course without a financial penalty by the withdrawal date which is on the course selection form and the college website (Important Deadlines).
When do you need to notify your high school and NCCC?
Look at the Important Deadlines. The last date to withdraw without a financial penalty is there. No one can withdraw for you.
How do I notify my school and NCCC?
Let your high school teacher/NCCC instructor and your counselor know that you wish to withdraw. Preferably send an e-mail with the information so you have a record. Keep the e-mail or print it out.
How do I pay for my course?
Remember this is a college course. There is a small fee ($75 for each course). NCCC will send you a bill at your home address. Open this and you will find the amount that you owe and when the payment is due. If you have a problem paying the bill, contact the business office immediately. The e-mail and phone number are listed on the bill and on the Contact Information on the website. Contacts.
What if I don’t pay?
You will have stayed in the course and earned college credit. However, if you do not pay, you will not be able to request a transcript (the report of your academic history at NCCC) to be sent to the college of your choice. The college of your choice will not accept your word or a high school report card as proof. Only an official college transcript will work. With an outstanding bill, NCCC won’t release the transcript until you have paid.
Keep in mind that the $75 fee compares to over $600, plus books and fees on the NCCC campus or $2,000 on a four-year campus.
What kind of grades will my college accept?
NCCC recommends “B” or better to transfer credits. If the college of your choice offers a similar course, you most likely will be able to transfer the credits. Within the SUNY system, all credits will transfer, provided that you have met the grading standard (usually a 73% or better). However, some colleges will not accept credits from any college, whether a community college or an Ivy League college.
What is a transcript and why do I need one?
All colleges issue transcripts instead of report cards. The transcript is a cumulative history of your academic coursework at the college including a list of specific courses taken, your grades for each course, and your grade point average. The transcript is official when it is embossed and printed on special paper. Official transcripts are mailed between colleges to preserve the authenticity of the information (that is, the information is official and not changed).
The official transcript is the only way you can get credit at your new college. Even students coming to NCCC should tell their advisor they have course work already completed.
How do I get a transcript?
On the NCCC website, you will find a form. This form must be completed and signed by you. It must contain your social security number. There will be a fee for an official transcript. There are times around campus graduation (May) during which you may not get a transcript quickly.
What should I tell my college advisor about my BRIDGE courses?
You will meet with a college advisor during your orientation or when you enroll in your courses at your college. You should initiate the conversation about earned credits. Because you will need to send an official transcript, you may not be able to see the transfer of your coursework in your first semester, but in later semesters.
You may not get credit if your grade is too low (below a C will rarely transfer—B or better is best); your college does not offer a course (the course is more technical); you may receive credit for a general elective but not within your major (chosen field of study). Colleges may limit the number of credits it will accept. At NCCC, the limit is 30 credits.