Peninsula College (PC) Introduction and Academics

Introduction

Peninsula College is a community college located in Port Angeles, Washington. The school is spread over a 75-acre campus in the foothills of the Olympic National Mountains. The Port Angeles campus overlooks the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the nearby city of Victoria, British Columbia. In addition to the campus at Port Angeles, the Peninsula College has two extension sites, one in Forks and the other at Fort Worden in Port Townsend.

The history of the Peninsula College dates back to the year 1961 when a group of local citizens founded the college because they did not want to travel great distances to college centers in Bremerton or Puget Sound to continue with their education. The initial classes were held in the building of the Port Angeles High School but the increase in student enrollments led to the construction for a new campus in 1964. In 1965, classes were first held in the present site of the Peninsula College.

The Peninsula College offers educational programs in areas of academic transfer, professional/technical areas, basic skills, and continuing education. The Peninsula College is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU).

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Information Summary

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Overall Score (about)	Insufficient Data
Total Cost On-Campus Attendance	$5,323
Admission Success rate	N/A
Student Ratio Students-to-Faculty	41 : 1
Retention (full-time / part-time)	N/A / N/A
Enrollment Total (all students)	2,052

Academics

The Peninsula College offers degree programs, certificates, business and community education programs, and distance learning and transition skills programs. The Peninsula College offers eight associate degrees which can be used for transfer to baccalaureate institutions offering the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees. These include the Associate in Arts Honors, Associate in Arts, Associate in Science, Associate in Business Education, Associate in Math Education, Associate in General Science Education, Associate in Biology Education, and Associate in Elementary Education. Professional and technical education prepares students for entry into specific occupations.

The degrees offered as part of the professional/technical education include the Associate in Applied Science and Associate in Applied Science-Transfer degrees. The specific areas of concentration include Addiction Studies, Automotive Technology, Business Administration, and Early Childhood Education.

The certificate programs offered by the Peninsula College include Addiction Studies, Carpentry, Criminal Justice, Green Construction, and Multimedia Communications. The transitional skills programs focus on improving basic skills in reading, writing, communicating, and math. These programs also help students to prepare for the GED test.

Most Popular Fields of Study

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Admissions

Peninsula College has an open-door admissions policy and accepts any candidate who is competent to benefit from the college education. Students are required to complete and submit the admission form. Students who have not satisfactorily completed one or more quarters of college-level work, which includes English and math with a 2.00 or above GPA, are required to appear for an assessment test. To seek admission for associate degree programs, students must meet the minimum established English and mathematics achievement level requirements. Students who want admissions in non-degree courses are required to meet the necessary prerequisites for specific courses by either appearing for the placement test or submitting the official transcripts from the previous institution.

International students need to submit the international application for admission and a certificate of finances to demonstrate availability of funds to finance the education expenses for a year. They are also required to submit their high school and college transcripts. They are required to provide evidence of their proficiency in English by submitting their TOEFL scores.

Financial Aid

Peninsula College participates in a variety of financial aid programs to help students meet their educational expenses. The different forms of financial aids available to students include: federal and state grants, work-study opportunities, scholarships, and student loans. To apply for financial aid from the Peninsula College, students are required to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to the U.S. Department of Education. The Peninsula College recommends a priority deadline of May 4 to apply for the financial aid.

Different types of grants available to Peninsula College students include the Federal Pell Grant, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Academic Competitiveness Grant, Peninsula College grant, and State Need Grant. Students can also apply for the need-based Tuition-Waiver. Students should learn about various loan options such as Stafford (Subsidized and Unsubsidized) loans and Parent loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS). Different student employment options include on-campus employment – regular and work-study and off-campus employment – community service, state work-study, and other regular part-time jobs. To be eligible to receive the work-study award, the students of the Peninsula College must be enrolled in at least 6 or more credits. Various scholarships available for the students of the Peninsula College include the TwinStar Credit Union Higher Education scholarship, Floyd Young Memorial scholarship, AES Engineers scholarship, Governor’s Scholarship for Foster Youth, and the City University of Seattle International Student scholarships.

Peninsula College also offers the WorkFirst program wherein the tuition and book costs are paid for eligible parents who are current recipients of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Parents (TANF) program through the State Department of Social and Health Services.

Student Financial Aid Details

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Students

Students at Peninsula College are involved in a number of extracurricular activities. There are many resources on the campus to ensure an all-round development of the students. There are numerous clubs such as Adventure club, Phi Theta Kappa, Peninsula College Christian Student Fellowship, Science Fiction club, and the Veteran’s club. These clubs enable students to pursue their interests. There are open gym sports such as volleyball, indoor soccer, basketball, and other sports. The Peninsula College also offers outdoor recreation equipment such as canoes, kayaks, backpacks, skis, and snowshoes for minimal rental to the students.

Peninsula has educational planners and counselors to provide educational counseling to students and assist them with career exploration. The student government plans student activities and allocates funds for campus student activities and organizations. The Peninsula College does not have residential housing on campus but provides assistance to students in searching for off-campus housing. Dining facilities are available for students at Joy’s Bistro which offers breakfast items, soups and pizza.

Student Enrollment Demographics

Student Graduation Demographics

Athletics

Peninsula College is a member of the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges (NWAACC). The college’s athletic teams are known as the Pirates. The intercollegiate sports teams include men’s and women’s basketball and men’s and women’s soccer. The men’s soccer team are considered the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges (NWAACC) soccer super power owing to their remarkable track record of six straight trips to the playoffs, three Final Four appearances, three West Division championships, and their first NWAACC championship in 2010.

Bibliography

Peninsula College. Office of Student Financial Aid. Web. 30 July 2011.

Peninsula College. Financial Aid. Web. 29 July 2011.

Peninsula College. Peninsula College 2011-2012 Catalog. 2011. Print.

Peninsula College