Three Paralegal Preparation Paths From Holmes CC
Holmes Community College appears in our ranking of the 10 Most Affordable Online Associate’s in Paralegal Studies Degree Programs.
Online on Canvas or in Ridgeland, the Office of Career/Technical Education grants a Paralegal Technology Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) for Holmes Community College undergrads seeking the most flexible route into an entry-level law profession. Overseen by Dr. Amy Whittington, the 60-credit, two-year curriculum introduces the functions of court systems with evening or 24/7 content access, including voice podcasts. Required full-term or accelerated eight-week courses like Torts, Legal Writing, Civil Litigation, and Contracts have an 18:1 student-faculty ratio. Outside the classroom, the Holmes Association of Legal Students (HALS) meets one Monday per month in Ridgeland Hall. Further, majors must spend 135 clock hours at internships, such as the Goodman Law Office, Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project, or 21st Judicial Circuit Court. In December 2017, one Holmes A.A.S. undergrad even received America’s highest score on the Accredited Legal Professional Exam. For shorter online study, there are also 30-credit Technical Certificates and 45-credit Advanced Technical Certificates chaired by Prof. Darleen Dozler in Paralegal Technology.
About Holmes Community College
Holmes Community College originated in 1911 when Goodman, David Herbert Donald’s hometown, donated a 40-acre campus to start the Holmes County Agricultural High School. In 1922, the Mississippi State Legislature authorized the addition of two-year STEM associate degrees. By 1928, Holmes County Junior College taught freshman and sophomore education. In 1975, author Lennie Barnett Branch published the book Holmes Junior College: 50 Years of Growth Through Service. The Board of Trustees purchased additional land in 1982 to erect a Grenada Campus on the Delta. A Ridgeland Campus near Forbes’ 152nd best city followed in 1985. During subsequent years, the Attala Center and Yazoo Center were added. In December 1988, the simplified Holmes Community College name was formally adopted. Two decades after, its 90th commencement saw the largest graduating class ever at 774. Awarded a $1.46 million ARRA Grant, Holmes now serves 5,911 Bulldogs online and on-site with career training essentials like the Back to Workforce Development Program. WalletHub placed Holmes Community College 486th overall with the 237th best outcomes. Affordable Colleges Online also crowned Holmes as Mississippi’s second best online associate source.
Holmes Community College Accreditation Details
Since January 1, 1934, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) has continually reaffirmed Holmes Community College for Level I accreditation every decade without probation, including through 2026 under its current ninth President Dr. Jim Haffey who won the League for Innovation in Community Colleges Award. Located 366 miles east via Route 14 in Decatur, this esteemed 11-state Gulf Coast Region accreditor is recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) to review Holmes’ 32 associate degrees. Particularly, the Paralegal Technology Associate of Applied Science meets the curriculum standards of the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA).
Holmes Community College Application Requirements
Getting into Holmes Community College is deemed “least selective” by the U.S. News & World Report because 100 percent of the 2,377 Fall 2013 applicants enrolled openly. First-year Bulldogs fetching the Paralegal Technology A.A.S. generally must have diplomas signed by accredited high school officials. Students age 18 and older with a General Educational Development diploma scored at least 2250 are an exception. Minimum 500 TASC and 45 HiSET exam marks are equivalent. Specific grades aren’t mentioned, but passing school averages above 70 percent or 1.75 GPAs are expected. The Early Admission Program only accepts high schoolers with a 26 ACT or 1170 SAT minimum. Undergrad transfers who’ve attempted 3-45 non-remedial credits elsewhere need cumulative 2.0 GPAs. Course prerequisites, such as Introduction to Law LET 1123, would count. Foreign-born students prove English fluency with a ESL Level 112 certificate or TOEFL pBT score above 500.
Holmes Community College has an easy admission process that rolls throughout the year. That said, the deadline for scholarship consideration is May 1st. Financial aid disbursement deadlines are September 15th, February 15th, and June 15th. Registration at least three weeks before start dates is recommended. Accordingly, log into a Holmes CC account to file the free online application. Official transcripts get mailed to PO Box 398 in Goodman, MS 39079. Test submissions are generated using SAT code 1299 and ACT code 2200. Additional items include the equivalency diploma, transfer evaluation, secondary school report, Mississippi residency documentation, medical immunization form, and CLEP results. Please inquire further by contacting (800) 465-6374 or admission@holmescc.edu.
Tuition and Financial Aid
For 2018-19, Holmes Community College billed full-time Mississippi student tuition of $1,680 per semester. Studying part-time incurred $120 per credit plus $17 for fees. Summer Session courses are slightly less at $110 per credit. Non-resident Paralegal Technology majors paid an extra $1,290 full-time fee. Each online Canvas course assesses a $10 internet fee per credit. Living at the Goodman campus’ seven dorms like Choctaw Hall adds $700 per semester for housing. Seven-day meal plans for Carroll Cafeteria are $1,150 extra. Holmes budgets $1,300 for textbooks and $3,800 for miscellaneous expenses. Annual associate attendance equals around $11,260 in-state and $13,840 out-of-state. The A.A.S. two-year total ranges from $6,720 to $27,680 based on living situation. Technical certificates could cost as little as $4,110 though.
According to the NCES College Navigator, the Office of Financial Aid in the McClellan Administration Building disburses $14.39 million overall for 67 percent of Holmes Bulldogs to receive $3,729 on average. Institutional funds include the Jan & Chuck Putnam Scholarship, Gayden Schrock Memorial Scholarship, Bellsouth Endowed Scholarship, Belk Family Scholarship, Frank B. Branch Memorial Scholarship, Bondurant Family Scholarship, Kay Hodges Scholarship, Patricia Liles Memorial Scholarship, Bain & Corey Scholarship, and Milton Lee Olive III Scholarship. The Board of Trustees Scholarship covers full tuition for outstanding recipients meeting the 28 ACT minimum. Likewise, the Dean’s Scholarship could make college free if a 20 ACT score and 3.0 GPA are met. The Calhoun County Tuition Assistance Grant has September 15th and February 15th deadlines for 15 credits of semester coverage. Sumners Grant recipients from Attala, Carroll, Choctaw, Montgomery, and Webster claim $800 each term. FAFSA applications coded 002408 unlock Federal Pell Grant, SEOG Grant, Direct Loan, and Work-Study money. Mississippians also pursue the Resident Assistance Grant, Eminent Scholars Grant, Nissan Scholarship, or Law Enforcement Officers and Firemen Scholarship.
Learn more about Holmes Community College at the Paralegal Technology Program website.
