Majoring in Paralegal Studies at Itawamba Community College
Itawamba Community College appears in our ranking of the 10 Most Affordable Online Associate’s in Paralegal Studies Degree Programs.
Itawamba Community College offers paralegal studies programs for students who want to assist lawyers in legal offices. The first of those is a full degree program that awards graduates an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) in Paralegal Technology. Designed for those who have no legal experience, this program typically takes two years to finish. Students who complete at least 30 credits of paralegal studies and similar courses can get a career certificate that can help them find work in the field.
The paralegal technology program includes courses that full-time students take over a period of four semesters and two years. Part-time students can take just one class each semester or sign up for more classes and graduate in three years. Those courses include some general education classes such as English Composition and Fundamentals of Information Technology. Students will also take law and paralegal courses, including Legal Research, Family Law, Legal Writing and Wills and Estates. The college allows students to choose between classes in civil litigation or real estate law based on their career interests. Students can also do an internship in lieu of taking those classes. The college will find law firms that have internships designed to help students gain some paralegal experience before they graduate.
Students can earn an Associate of Arts program from the college, which is a general program that allows them to study multiple subjects. They can also choose a concentration in paralegal studies in this program. Some of the graduates who finished this program later transferred to the Mississippi University for Women, University of Southern Mississippi and other four-year colleges in the state. Some of the general courses that all AA students take include English Composition, College Algebra, and Introduction to Psychology. Paralegal concentration students will also take at least 23 credits of law and paralegal studies classes. The college also expects students to take a computer science class to demonstrate that they are proficient.
About Itawamba Community College
Community colleges make it easy for students to earn two-year associate degrees. Itawamba Community College is one of the largest community colleges with opportunities for students in Mississippi. The Itawamba County Agricultural High School opened in 1920 and offered classes for secondary school students. It was one of the first high schools designed for students in rural areas of the state. Though the high school announced plans to add some college courses to its curriculum in the early 1940s, it paused those plans during World War II and later announced that it would establish a large and separate college. This college would open in 1948 as the Itawamba Junior College.
The college was so successful that separate junior college campuses would open in neighboring counties over the next few years. One of the largest of those campuses is in Tupelo, which now has a campus with a large central facility and more than 10 buildings. This campus went through a major renovation that involved tearing down old buildings and adding new classroom spaces and facilities for students. There are also campuses in Belden and Fulton today. Also known as ICC, the college offers classes for students in several different counties in Mississippi. All the campuses in the ICC system combined have an enrollment of more than 5,000 students.
Itawamba Community College Accreditation Details
Though community colleges often do not have the full accreditation that traditional colleges have, ICC does. It has the same regional accreditation that other four-year schools in the state have. This accreditation comes from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). Not only does this ensure that students develop the skills and backgrounds that they will need to transfer to another school, but it also allows the college to design financial aid packages that use government funds. SACS accreditation also allows students to get full credit when they transfer their credits to another college.
Itawamba Community College Application Requirements
Applying to ICC is easy because the college has an application system on its website. This system allows students to apply to any campus in the ICC system. It asks for a full name and an email address. Students can then create a username and a password. The college will send an email to that address and asks that the individual verify the address is correct before continuing. They can log in with that information and log out whenever they want.
ICC accepts most students and will accept those who have a high school diploma or a GED. High school students can also apply to the college and take courses that count as both high school and college credits. The only requirement for most students is the online application. Those who are over the age of 23 will also need to submit an official ACT or SAT score. The college recommends that students take the ACT. Some programs ask that younger students submit their scores too as a way of ensuring that the students can handle work at the college level. ICC will contact students within two weeks of receiving their applications and notify them as to what they need to do to register and enroll.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Students who live within the ICC school district pay just $140 per semester hour or $1,450 per semester. Though the college offers the same rate for Mississippi residents who live in other areas of the state, those who do not live in Mississippi pay $2,550 per semester. The college adds $100 to this amount each semester for those coming from outside of the United States. Part-time students who are not Mississippi residents will pay $240 per semester. Students can also get room and board from ICC for $1,700 a semester.
Though ICC uses public funding as a way to keep its tuition rates low, students who need financial aid can apply for help via the FAFSA. Those students may receive a Pell grant or another government grant and a direct loan. The federal government offers loans for the guardians and parents of college students and has a work-study program that students can sign up for too. Itawamba Community College recommends that students with an interest in studying paralegal technology or getting a general degree look at other financial aid options, including scholarships and state aid.
