Paralegal Programs at San Antonio College
San Antonio College appears in our ranking of the 50 Most Affordable Online Paralegal Degree Programs.
Paralegals provide assistance to lawyers both in their offices and in the courtroom. San Antonio College offers an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) program in paralegal studies that prepares students for working with those lawyers. Students learn how to help lawyers during trials and as they prepare for their cases, the basics of legal research and the best ways to find and evaluate legal research and evidence. The Administrative Computer Technology Department at the college oversees this program to make sure that students develop the skills that paralegals need.
Students in this program will take six semesters of classes and a total of 60 credits of classes. The college provides new students with an outline that shows them which courses to take. Unlike other programs that include a large number of general education courses, this program mainly offers paralegal studies classes such as Introduction to Law and Legal Professions and Paralegal Ethics. Students will also take Law Office Technology, Legal Research and Writing, Business Organizations, Family Law and Criminal Law and Procedure.
During the final semester, students will take one class from the social and behavioral sciences field and a few legal electives. The college requires that students receive a C grade or higher in many required courses but will allow them to receive lower grades in other classes. San Antonio College also offers this program with the flexibility that some students need. They can take traditional classes on the San Antonio campus that meet during the day or at night. The program also lets paralegal studies majors take online classes.
About San Antonio College
San Antonio College is a community college in San Antonio, Texas that is part of the Alamo Colleges District and system of schools. Established in 1925, it was originally a branch of the University of Texas called the University Junior College. Roughly 200 students signed up for classes with the understanding that they could transfer to the University of Texas later. When the state decided that the university could not operate a junior college, the San Antonio Board of Education took over the operations of the college and changed its name to the San Antonio Junior College. It would move to a new spot in the city in the 1940s and then become San Antonio College. Both students and those living in the city often call it SAC. Though the college remains dedicated to the educational needs of local students, it accepts students from outside of the district and from other states.
More than 10 of the programs offered by the college received recognition from the state board of education, including those in public administration, business management, real estate, and nursing. Around 14% of students graduate with their degrees in two years or less, and more than 60% of students successfully transfer to other colleges. The college’s two-year completion rate is slightly low because more than 80% of its students enroll part-time and take just a few classes each semester. SAC is one of the area’s largest community colleges with an enrollment of more than 17,000 students.
San Antonio College Accreditation Details
SAC knows that many students need financial aid, which is why the college sought the regional accreditation needed for those applying for federal aid. That accreditation comes from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and the accrediting body within that organization. Students with questions about the accrediting process and those who want to know more can look online or contact the college directly. SAC has a committee that makes sure it can maintain its accreditation.
San Antonio College Application Requirements
Students applying to SAC have two options. They can visit the college or apply online. The Duran Welcome Center has computers where students can apply for admission and workers who can help them with the process. Students can use those computers to apply for financial aid. The college recommends that they bring their tax returns or their parents’ tax returns with them because they’ll need information from those forms when they apply for aid. The Duran Welcome Center can also provide assistance with completing their orientation and both paying their bills and registering for classes.
SAC also lets students apply online. As the college has an open admissions policy, it will accept those who did not finish high school. Students will create accounts with the Apply Texas website and pick SAC from the colleges listed. This application website also allows students to apply to other public and state schools in Texas. The college asks for official or unofficial high school/college transcripts and a score from a placement test, which can include an SAT or ACT score. Students who did not take one of those tests will need to take a placement test from SAC. All students taking classes on the SAC campus must provide proof of their vaccination records too.
Tuition and Financial Aid
The Alamo Colleges District Board of Trustees is responsible for setting the tuition rates charged by the college. This board established rates for students who live in the SAC district and those who live outside the district. Students in the district pay $99 per credit hour, while those who live in another Texas school district pay $215 per credit hour. SAC also allows students from other states and countries to take classes and charges those students $466 per credit hour. Students can qualify for free tuition during the summer session if they take 18 to 24 credits of classes in the fall and spring. The college also charges an access fee of $25 each semester and a $3 per credit hour activity fee.
Work study is just one of the ways that SAC pay their costs each year. Students qualify for this program when they submit the FAFSA and show their overall need on the form. The FAFSA can also help students get grants, loans, and scholarships. Scholarships come from three different Alamo College sources. Students need to submit their applications by one of the two deadlines, the first of which is at the end of March. They can only apply for scholarships one time every year. San Antonio College encourages students who cannot afford its paralegal program to apply for financial aid through the FAFSA and for some of its scholarship programs.
