Two Premier Paralegal Studies Programs at PGCC
Prince George’s Community College appears in our ranking of the 50 Most Affordable Online Paralegal Degree Programs.
At Lanham Hall, the Public Safety and Law Department grants a Paralegal/Legal Assistant A.A.S. for Prince George’s Community College Owls to learn the procedural activities law firms do to prepare client cases for courtroom success. Ranked 14th by AffordableSchools.net, this 60-credit, MSCHE-accredited program can be completed in Largo or fully online on Blackboard. After the First Year Experience, undergrads dive into 2000-level major courses like Civil Litigation, Employment Law, and Torts at a 15:1 student-faculty ratio with Westlaw subscriptions. Majors must maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA to secure capstone internships, such as the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service, Office of the Public Defender, Department of Justice, Pessin Katz Law, and Shulman Rogers. For shorter study, there’s also a 30-credit, one-year Paralegal/Legal Assistant Certificate available online with 24/7 technical support.
About Prince George’s Community College
Prince George’s Community College originated in 1958 when President Robert T. Novak welcomed an inaugural class of 185 for lower-division courses at Suitland High School. It was notably Maryland’s first integrated higher education institution that equally enrolled white and African-American students. In 1968, Prince George’s acquired its own permanent Largo campus in Upper Marlboro. The next year, PGCC celebrated its initial regional accreditation candidacy. In 1972, President Robert I. Bickford opened its first off-campus learning center at Joint Base Andrews. In 1983, Prince George’s Community College won the NJCAA Region XX championship for men’s soccer. In 2013, the Maryland General Assembly passed legislation creating a minority business enterprise program at Prince George’s. In Fall 2018, PGCC launched the Pathways Accelerates Achievements program. In 2019, the College Safety Office started a formal “See Something, Say Something” initiative.
Budgeting $116.78 million yearly, Prince George’s Community College now enrolls 44,000 Owls from 103 countries online, on the 150-acre Washington DC Metro campus, and at seven sister sites with 43 clubs like Phi Theta Kappa for 62 percent freshman retention. In 2011, PGCC won the prestigious White House Champion of Change Award. In 2015, the National Security Agency gave PGCC the National Center of Academic Excellence status. Prince George’s received the 2013 Envision Success Innovation of the Year Award too. Diverse Issues in Higher Education ranked PGCC 21st for African-American students. Washington Monthly declared PGCC the 19th best junior college for adults. WalletHub placed Prince George’s Community College 387th nationally for career outcomes. Niche positioned PGCC as Maryland’s 14th best vocational institute with a median $67,000 alumni pay.
Prince George’s Community College Accreditation Details
On June 25, 2015, the Middle States Association of Schools and Colleges (MSA) Commission on Higher Education (CHE) voted favorably to extend the Level I accreditation status at Prince George’s Community College through 2023-24 under the eighth president, Dr. Charlene Dukes, who earned the ACE Dr. Reginald Wilson Diversity Leadership Award. Located 138 miles up Interstate 95 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this splendid six-state Northeast Region accreditor is authorized by the U.S. Education Department to review PGCC’s 58 associate degree and 34 certificate offerings. Prince George’s Community College is properly licensed by the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC). Please note Paralegal/Legal Assistant A.A.S. isn’t currently approved by the American Bar Association (ABA) Standing Committee on Paralegals.
Prince George’s Community College Application Requirements
Getting into Prince George’s Community College is classified “non-competitive” by Peterson’s because 100 percent of the 4,178 Fall 2017 applicants were selected for open access. First-year Owls picking the Paralegal/Legal Assistant A.A.S. still must be high school graduates or GED recipients age 16 and older though. Most undergrads enroll without any minimum grade or testing requirements. However, non-native English speakers must present a minimum 450 TOEFL pBT or 46 TOEFL iBT score. Dual enrollment students must present a 2.5 GPA or greater. The Honors Academy only selects freshmen with at least 3.5 GPA and 1650 SAT marks. Accuplacer scores of 95 for Reading and 82 for Elementary Algebra could substitute. The Talented and Gifted Program for students under age 16 demands 1200 SAT or 22 ACT scores. Placement tests are always waived for SAT and ACT scores over 550 and 21 respectively. Undergrad transfers can carry a maximum 45 accredited credits graded C or better.
Prince George’s Community College conveniently has rolling undergrad admission year-round. Currently, course registration begins on April 22nd for Fall and November 5th for Spring. The Coast Program has a September 15th deadline. Early Admission requires freshmen file before June 30th. The financial aid priority date is March 1st. International students generally must file before May 1st or October 1st. Prospective Paralegal/Legal Assistant A.A.S. majors must complete the PGCC Application online with $25 by credit or debit card. Forward official transcripts to 301 Largo Road in Largo, MD 20774. Attach supplemental items, such as the standardized test score, dual enrollment form, Code of Conduct acknowledgment, residency verification, and school counselor report. Contact (301) 546-0866 or admissions@pgcc.edu with questions.
Tuition and Financial Aid
For 2018-19, Prince George’s Community College charged in-county undergrads $107 per credit. Maryland residents paid $202 per credit. Non-resident Paralegal/Legal Assistant A.A.S. tuition cost $304 per credit. Associate majors cover the $25 registration fee each semester. An instructional service fee billed $48 per credit. Full-time annual tuition totals are $2,568 for Prince George’s County, $4,848 for Maryland, and $7,296 for out-of-state residents. PGCC budgets $9,000 for off-campus room and board, $1,500 for books, $2,000 for transportation, and $1,500 for personal expenses each year. Annual associate attendance ranges from $11,400 to $22,598. The National Center for Education Statistics printed an average net price of $8,793 with financial aid though.
According to the NCES College Navigator, the Financial Aid Office in Bladen Hall Room 121 helps 52 percent of full-time PGCC Owls soar with median tuition assistance of $2,947 each for $18.92 million combined. Institutional funds include the Next Step Program Scholarship, Promise Scholarship, Edward T. Conroy Scholarship, Hillman Entrepreneurs Scholarship, Envision Success Scholarship, Board of Trustees’ Legacy Scholarship, Honors Academy Scholarship, Mattie Pearl Barino Memorial Scholarship, Robert Bickford Scholarship, Rosa Green Memorial Scholarship, and Diana Hacker Memorial Scholarship. The AOBA Scholarship gifts $6,000 total to low-income Prince George’s County residents with minimum 2.5 GPAs overall. The $1,000 Andrew Rennie Memorial Scholarship would help Paralegal/Legal Assistant A.A.S. majors with a documented disability and 6+ credits. Federal programs, including Work-Study and the Pell Grant, require FAFSA applications coded 002089. Maryland residents could also claim the Angie Houtz Memorial Scholarship, Senatorial Scholarship, Ernestine Matthews Trust Scholarship, Howard Rawlings Guaranteed Access Grant, and more.
Keep reading about Prince George’s Community College at the Public Safety and Law Department website.
