Cheap, Flexible Paths for Future Paralegals at WCCC
Westmoreland County Community College appears in our ranking of the 50 Most Affordable Online Paralegal Degree Programs.
Since 2004, the School of Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences & Public Service has granted a Paralegal AAS for Westmoreland County Community College Wolfpack to assist attorneys with drafting legal documents and compiling information for successful court cases. Chaired by Prof. Andrew Barnette, the 61-credit, MSCHE-accredited program is completed in Youngwood or entirely online on Desire2Learn with 58 percent retention. Undergrads must maintain minimum 2.0 GPAs throughout courses from Domestic Relations to Criminal Law to begin the capstone 15-week internship. For shorter study, Westmoreland offers a 34-credit, 45-week Paralegal Diploma exclusively online with exciting courses like The Legal Assistant. Majors could also join Phi Theta Kappa, transfer to Clarion University or Penn Tech, study abroad in Switzerland, utilize the library’s Nexis Uni, and add the Office Administration Certificate.
About Westmoreland County Community College
Westmoreland County Community College originated in March 1970 when the Pennsylvania Department of Education chartered a two-year institution for the Greater Pittsburgh suburbs. On February 1, 1971, an inaugural class of 259 freshmen enrolled at Jeannette High School. In 1972, Founders Hall was erected on its own independent campus in Hempfield Township. That Fall, nearly 1,500 students signed up for the earliest daytime courses. By June 1990, WCCC had its second building called Commissioners Hall. In 1992, Westmoreland built the Athletic Complex to house its 12 NJCAA Conference sports. In March 2000, WCCC acquired a Powerex plant to erect its Business & Industry Center. In 2003, the Public Safety Training Center was established. In 2009, the New Kensington Education Center joined WCCC’s Monongahela Valley network. In 2014, Westmoreland County Community College unveiled a new 73,500-square-foot Mount Pleasant Technology Center.
Budgeting $37.86 million yearly, Westmoreland County Community College now employs 326 faculty teaching 4,848 Wolfpack for a 15:1 student-teacher ratio online, on the 80-acre Youngwood campus, and at eight extension locations with 20+ clubs like Sigma Alpha Pi. In 2013, Westmoreland accepted the NCWE Exemplary Program Award. In 2014, the WCCC ShaleNET program was an American Association of Community Colleges Award nominee. Westmoreland won the 2014 Pittsburgh Business Times Energy Leadership Award in Workforce Development too. WalletHub ranked Westmoreland County Community College 649th overall with the 316th best career outcomes. PayScale recorded a median mid-career WCCC salary of $53,700. The SR Education Group placed WCCC second in Pennsylvania for online associate degrees. The Online Paralegal Degree Center included Westmoreland among its 50 best values.
Westmoreland County Community College Accreditation Details
On June 26, 2016, Westmoreland County Community College received formal notification from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) Board of Trustees that the Level I accreditation status was reaffirmed through another 2022-23 evaluation under the seventh president, Dr. Tuesday Stanley. Located 273 miles east via Interstate 76 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this splendid six-state Northeast Region accreditor is recognized by the U.S. Education Department to review Westmoreland’s 64 associate, 17 diploma, and 48 certificate options. Please note the School of Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences & Public Service isn’t approved by the American Bar Association (ABA) Standing Committee on Paralegals though.
Westmoreland County Community College Application Requirements
Entering Westmoreland County Community College is classified “least selective” by the U.S. News & World Report since 100 percent of the 1,729 Fall 2018 entrants had open access. First-year Wolfpack seeking the Paralegal AAS still must graduate from a licensed high school though. Holding the GED, HiSET, or DD-214 certificate would qualify. The Early College allows up to 30 credits before graduation with GPAs above 2.5. Minimum grades are otherwise not listed. The Class of 2022 achieved an average secondary GPA of 2.88. International students must reach a 61 TOEFL iBT English score and have at least $36,000 in financial support. Accuplacer placement testing is generally required. Freshmen are exempt with minimum 480 SAT Verbal and 500 SAT Math scores. Transfers are also test-optional with 12+ college-level credits, including English Composition, graded C or higher. Reverse transfers exist with Saint Vincent College, Point Park University, California University of Pennsylvania, and more.
Westmoreland County Community College conveniently has rolling admission year-round. Registration begins on April 1st for Fall, November 1st for Spring, and December 1st for Summer terms though. April 16th and October 1st are priority dates for financial aid consideration. Most scholarships close on July 1st. Accordingly, file the WCCC Application online for $0 using Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. Forward high school or college transcripts to 145 Pavilion Lane in Youngwood, PA 15697. Send official test scores via SAT/TOEFL code 2968 or ACT code 3754. Attach supplemental materials, such as the residency verification, financial support statement, valid passport, transfer evaluation, and secondary school report. Contact (724) 925-4000 or infocenter@westmoreland.edu with questions.
Tuition and Financial Aid
For 2019-20, Westmoreland County Community College is charging in-district undergrads $133 per credit. Pennsylvania residents pay $266 per credit. Non-resident associate tuition is $399 per credit. Flat-rate semester prices are $1,995, $3,990, and $5,985 respectively. Students cover the $61 general fee and $6 capital fee per credit. Lab courses often incur $70-$80 more. Credit-by-exam fees are $135 by course. Annual undergrad attendance equals about $8,864 in-district, $13,028 in-state, and $17,018 out-of-state. Two-year Paralegal AAS tuition would range from $17,728 to $34,036 total. Note WCCC budgets $7,200 annually for off-campus room and board. Associate majors should also leave $1,600 for textbooks and $2,080 for miscellaneous expenses each year.
According to the NCES College Navigator, the Financial Aid Office in Founders Hall connects 81 percent of incoming full-time WCCC Wolfpack enrolled with median tuition assistance of $3,664 each for $1.83 million combined. Institutional funds include the Gene McDonald Scholarship, Adam Eidemiller Scholarship, Beverly Diehl Memorial Scholarship, Dr. Thomas Lloyd Memorial Scholarship, Jack & Maryann Cherubini Scholarship, Key Bank Scholarship, McFeely Rogers Scholarship, Oliver Painter Memorial Scholarship, Wright Thing to Do Scholarship, and William & Marjorie Ferrier Scholarship. The R. Lee Jones Memorial Scholarship gifts $1,000 to full-time undergraduates from Monessen with minimum 2.5 GPAs. The $5,000 Delmar Foundation Scholarship has a July 1st deadline for Franklin Regional School District graduates to write 400-word essays. Federal programs, such as the Pell Grant and Direct Subsidized Loan, require FAFSA applications coded 010176. Since 2018, the Pennsylvania State Grant has accepted distance education students for awards up to $3,772.
Keep reading about Westmoreland County Community College at the Paralegal Programs website.
