Paralegal Programs at Yavapai College
Yavapai College appears in our ranking of the 10 Most Affordable Online Associate’s in Paralegal Studies Degree Programs.
Yavapai College wants graduates to feel confident that they can tackle the same duties that paralegal professionals face in the field, which is why it offers two programs for paralegals, both of which can be completed online. The first of which is a degree program that looks at the issues those professionals face and the skills they need. Not only does this program prepare students to work as paralegals and legal assistants, but it can also help them work as office managers and administrative assistants.
The full program awards graduates an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) in Paralegal Studies. It includes 19 credits of foundation and general education classes and 42 credits of paralegal studies courses. One course, Microsoft Office for Windows, teaches students how to use software designed by Microsoft to run legal offices. Some of the other courses they take will include Introduction to Paralegal Studies, Legal Research and Writing, Legal Computer Applications and Civil Tort Litigation I and II. Yavapai College also asks students to take a minimum of five legal and paralegal studies electives, which can include classes such as Procedural Criminal Law, Family Law, Real Estate Law, Business Organizations and Wills, Trust and Probate. Students can do paralegal internships too.
Yavapai College also offers a paralegal studies certificate program that allows students to focus their studies on the skills they will need as paralegals. It includes only 30 credits of courses and allows them to skip the general education courses required in the degree program. Those credits include Contracts, Ethics and the Law, Legal Research and Writing I and II and Civil Litigation I and II. Yavapai College added a second certificate program that allows students to earn a legal office clerk certificate. This program only includes 18 credits. The six courses that students must take include Introduction to Paralegal Studies, Law Office Management, Ethics and the Law, Legal Computer Applications, Microsoft Office for Windows and Administrative Professional: Office Management.
About Yavapai College
Yavapai College is a college in Arizona with several decades of experience helping students. Citizens living in voted to establish a community college in 1965. After receiving approval from the state and raising money to build a new campus, the college opened its doors in late 1969. Just one year after opening, construction began on a large campus in Prescott, which is now the main Yavapai College campus. That campus is home to part of the historic Fort Whipple that dates back to the 1860s. The college began setting aside funds in 2012 to build new dormitories and now offers housing on its main campus for students.
In addition to the Prescott campus, Yavapai College also has campuses in Sedona, Prescott Valley, Clarkdale, and Prescott Valley, which makes it the largest community college system in the state. Though students can study on one campus and transfer to another, most earn their two-year degrees from the college and then transfer to a four-year school. The college offers more than 70 programs and an equal number of majors. Students can also earn certificates, which only require that they take between 18 and 30 credits of classes. To complete a full degree, they must earn 60 credits. More than 11,000 students now take classes from Yavapai College on its campuses every year.
Yavapai College Accreditation Details
Yavapai College believes that accreditation is one of the most important things that colleges today can have, which is why it established a review committee to make sure that it maintains its accreditation. This committee keeps an eye on the operations of the school and notifies the directors when it sees any problems. That committee helped the college maintain its accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). HLC accreditation lets Yavapai College give financial aid that includes government funds to its students and to accept credits from students who attended other schools with regional accreditation in the past.
Yavapai College Application Requirements
It takes just a few steps and a few weeks to apply to Yavapai College and become a student. Those currently in high school can enroll in a special program that awards them dual credits. They can graduate high school with more than 30 college credits already completed. High school graduates can start classes after showing that they have their diplomas, but the college will also accept those with a GED. Any student who wants to apply can use the Yavapai College application. There are separate applications available for high school students and traditional college students. The application portal lets them log in and out as needed and submit the entire application online.
Incoming students who want to qualify for in-state tuition must submit proof of residency. The college accepts copies of drivers’ licenses and other IDs issued by the state and bills sent to a state address in the student’s name. All students will take a skills assessment too, which the college uses to see where students place in general education courses. Depending on their scores, some students may need to take more prerequisites than their peers. After taking this test, students can register for their classes.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Students attending Yavapai College can save more than 80% of what it costs to attend four-year colleges in the state. The in-state rate, which applies to any student who is an Arizona resident, is just $87 per credit hour. This rate rises to $100 per credit hour for classes with a lab component and $110 per credit hour for technical courses. Students from any state in the west qualify for the Western University Exchange (WUE) discount, which allows them to pay $131 to $165 per credit hour. Those from any other state will pay up to $389 per credit hour.
The financial aid available to Yavapai College students includes grants, scholarships and loans. A federal Pell grant provides students with more than $5,000 a year, but they must take at least 12 credits each semester to qualify for a grant. Students can also work for the college and take out loans. The YC Fund offers a small number of scholarships that include funds for students who demonstrate more merit and those with more need. Yavapai College creates financial aid packages once it receives the FAFSA that a student files, which students can do after applying to the college’s paralegal program.
