College Guide: Sussex County Community College in in Newton, NJ

Sussex County Community College, SCCC, or sometimes it is called SC^3, is located in Newton, NJ. Many students that attend classes there are from Pike County in Pennsylvania as well as the northern parts of NJ. This is a good starting place after high school or when you decide to change careers later in life.

Community colleges generally offer many different majors to choose from. Some of the majors that SCCC offers includes Liberal Arts, Communications, Biology, Nursing, Business, Criminal Justice, Photography and Computers, as well as many other options. In the liberal arts option, you can choose to major in anthropology, communications/broadcasting or communications/journalism, dramatic arts, English, history, psychology, sociology and elementary/secondary education.

The admission process at SCCC couldn't be easier. Admission and registration is on a rolling basis. You can apply by mail, email or in person. The application fee is only $15. High school transcripts as well as any other college transcripts are necessary to submit. A placement test is given to new students and students that have attended other colleges but did not take the appropriate classes. The placement test is waived if you have met the SAT waiver standard, if you have successfully completed college level English and mathematics at another college, have taken a basic skills test at another institution, you have already earned a degree or if you are taking SCCC courses that are approved for personal enrichment. The placement test consists of English and Mathematics sections. It is a basic skills type of test.

If you have attended another college in the past, you should have those transcripts sent over when going through the admissions process. Many credits will transfer over and you will not have to repeat those classes if they are required for your major. Once the transcripts are transfered to SCCC, they will be evaluated and you will be notified by mail as to what credits transfered over and what class that coincides with within your major.

Tuition is a big concern for most people when attending college. There have been many people are not able to attend college, or so they think, due to finances. SCCC offers many different grants and loans to fit everyone's needs. If you do not qualify for a grant or scholarship, there are plenty of loan options available to you. Most of these loans do not require that you make payments until six months after your graduate college. The interest rates on these loan are generally low as opposed to other personal loans. The financial aid department can assist you will all of you financial questions and issues. Tuition at SCCC for Sussex County residents is currently $76 a credit. For out of county or out of state students, it is double the per credit tuition. For Monroe, Pike and Wayne Counties in PA, tuition is 75% of the out of county per credit tuition. Tuition for online courses is $93 per credit. Senior citizens are entitled to a reduced rate as well. There are also some other fees involved in tuition such as course material fees, lab fees, general fees, and technology fees.

The College Bookstore is owned and operated by Follet, Inc. The bookstore has all of your textbook needs as well as supplies like paper and pens, as well as school shirts and candy. The bookstore offers buy back days as well of your used textbooks once your semester is over. Many of the books that you buy are able to be sold back to the bookstore for a decent price.

The degrees that the college offers are associate degrees in arts, fine arts, science and applied science. The college also offers a few certificate programs. These programs are automotive service technology, computer information, computerized accounting, child development, fire science, interactive design, paralegal, teacher assistant and web publishing. There are also allied health training certificates in medical assisting, medical office assistant, surgical technology, medical transcription, medical claims and coding. These courses are faster than the associate degree programs. People that successfully complete these certificate programs are awarded a certificate of completion, not a degree and they are ready to enter the job field right after completing the program.

The college has some student activities for all to enjoy. There is also a game room located in the cafeteria area. Use of the gaming equipment is free. There is a student government, school paper and other activities for students to enjoy. The area that the college is located has plenty to do as well. There are nearby parks and stores and food options. Applebees, McDonalds, Burger King, Subway and Friendly's are all in the general vicinity to the college. There are plenty of gas stations and stores as well such as Walmart nearby as well. Rockaway mall is only about thirty minutes away. Newton Memorial Hospital is about two miles away from the college, pretty much walking distance.

NJ has a lot to offer. There are plenty of shopping malls, county fairs and community projects and fairs at all times. There are amusement parks in close proximity to the college as well as a few a little distance away. The Jersey shore makes for a great getaway and it isn't too far away either. PA is just across the bridge about 30 minutes from the college. Orange County, NY is about the same distance as well.

With plenty of degree options and plenty of other things to do in the area, SCCC seems to be a great alternative to a university. Many people go to a university after getting their associates degree from SCCC. The options after SCCC are endless.