Palo Alto College

Carnegie Foundation Classification

Associate's — Public Urban-serving Multicampus

General Characteristics

Highest offering	At least 2, but less than 4 academic yrs
Calendar System	Semester
Years of college work required	N/A
Variable Tuition

Special Learning Opportunities

Distance Learning
ROTC — Army / Navy / Air Force	— / /
Study Abroad
Weekend College
Teacher Certification

Palo Alto College Academics

An example of a true grassroots school, Palo Alto College has grown quickly. From its beginnings as a college with less than 300 students in 1985 to a current enrollment of almost 8,000 students, Palo Alto College is a college that makes learning both fun and affordable while never forgetting how the whole school began.

The college’s inception was the hard work of a number of community advocates, who worked together to organize college classes for slightly over 200 students in a number of different high school classrooms around town. Since the Southside of Bexar County was lacking in educational offices, the college was considered an important and essential addition to the community.

Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Palo Alto College offers a number of diverse courses for those working towards their associate’s. It’s possible to earn an Associate of Arts, An Associate of Arts in Teaching, an Associate of Science, and an Associate of Applied Sciences. In addition to those degrees, there are also a number of certification programs for short-term technical classes, as well as dual-enrollment programs for high school students.

Some of the most popular areas of study at Palo Alto College include Aviation, Behavioral Sciences, and Logistics. The school is well-known for its Mexican-American Studies program, which incorporates a lot of time spent learning from and helping in the local community.

Palo Alto College Admissions

With everything from summer school classes to coursework towards an associate’s degree, admissions is broken down by program of study. Prospective students interested in auditing a class or attending a class without the desire to earn credit are required to provide admission credentials, even if they do not intend on enrolling formally in school. The audit fee for a course is $10 in addition to the regular tuition costs.

Each student applying to attend Palo Alto College must submit their official transcript from their last school attended, be it high school or college, or their General Education Development transcript, in case of not having a high school diploma. Transfer students must also provide a copy of their official transcript from their current school.

Summer school is a popular option at Palo Alto College, and those interested students need to provide all official transcripts, as well as documents outlining to where the credits will later be transferred. Summer school is split into two separate sessions, known as Session I and Session II.

Palo Alto College Financial Aid

A majority of the students attending Palo Alto College receive some form of financial aid, be it through work-study programs, state or federal financial aid, or need and merit based scholarships. While the college has grown in numbers by a significant amount, the need for special attention has not diminished, and the college’s financial aid department is happy to set up appointments to help both prospective and current students.

The college itself offers a number of scholarships, including the Frank M. Tejeda Memorial Scholarship, the Presidential Scholarship, the ACCD Endowed Scholarship, and the ACCD Foundation Scholars. Many of the scholarships are based on financial need, while others are decided on merit alone. The office of financial aid can also assist students in determining if their specific major has its own particular scholarships available as well.

Palo Alto College Students

Palo Alto College has a diverse student body from many different backgrounds. Recent incoming applicants represent a diverse student population, with 64 percent of incoming students identifying as Hispanic, 32 percent are Anglo, and 2 percent are African-American. The school’s population is mostly students under 21 years of age, with older students participating in the Continuing Education classes.

In addition to traditional courses on campus, Palo Alto College offers courses off-campus, both at local high schools and at the town’s military areas. One of the most popular programs that students opt to participate in is a dual-credit incentive that allows students to work towards their college credits while in high school. The school reports a high number of students successfully completing their four-year bachelor’s degrees after receiving their associate’s degrees.

Students who attend Palo Alto College have access to child care facilities, as well as career resources for job application and searching assistance. There are a number of different on-campus clubs, both academic and social, as well as learning labs for students who need extra help wit English, math, science, and reading. There is a health center and counseling services, as well as disability support for those students who need extra assistance.

Palo Alto College Athletics

The following sports can be found here:

• Men’s Intercollegiate and Women’s Intercollegiate Cross_country