Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
Since its inception almost 75 years ago, Salt Lake Community College has believed that higher education should be available to everyone. As such, financial aid offerings are designed to provide anyone, no matter their economic circumstances, the opportunity to gain the education and training necessary to launch a meaningful career.
Even in Utah’s red-hot employment market, those with some college education often benefit, as they can command higher wages and enjoy an increased number of career options. If you’re on the fence about pursuing higher education, there is no better time to enroll at SLCC and gain a competitive edge that will benefit you throughout your career.
Community colleges save money
Community colleges often serve as launch pads to four-year degrees, and SLCC is no exception. Most of our students intend to transfer to a university to complete a four-year degree. Our low tuition and fees ensure students seeking a bachelor’s degree can save up to $10,000 by first earning an associate’s degree and then transferring to one of the state’s universities.
As Utah’s largest open-access college, SLCC aims to keep our tuition and fees low, and actively promotes college availability through the SLCC Promise Program. Available since 2016, SLCC Promise is designed to cover the cost of tuition and fees when federal grants fall short. To date, the program has provided more than $3.7 million in aid, allowing almost 3,000 students to redirect tuition savings toward housing, childcare and other costs that are sometimes a barrier to attending college.
Grants now available to nearly all students
For Spring 2022 Semester, SLCC is offering each eligible student an automatic grant of up to $750 through the federal government’s Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF). The grant can be used at the discretion of the student to offset a wide variety of education-related costs, such as tuition, books, housing, food, healthcare or childcare. All students taking classes for credit qualify and eligibility is not dependent upon citizenship status. HEERF is open to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, international students, refugees, asylum seekers, DACA recipients and other DREAMers.
Students taking School of Applied Technology (SAT) classes also qualify for HEERF funds, but those taking workforce courses to earn certificates are not eligible.
SLCC offers the Learn and Work in Utah program to assist these students.
Since last summer, SLCC, under the direction of the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development and the Utah System of Higher Education, began offering Learn and Work aid to students seeking education for some of Utah’s high-demand industries, including advanced manufacturing, emergency medical technicians, professional truck driving, electronics, network and cyber security, information technology and more. Students can complete these short-term programs by investing a few hours to a few months of time and energy, attending classes either online or in person.
Additional funding and scholarships
Besides SLCC’s Learn and Work, HEERF and Promise programs, the college has many other scholarships and aid programs available to students. SkillUpUtah offers financial support for workers displaced due to COVID-19 who are interested in developing new skills. Visit SkillUpUtah for more information or email us at [email protected]
Thousands of SLCC students each year earn more than $3.3 million in public and private scholarships. The college offers scholarships for students pursuing both academic and vocational programs, and many SLCC students are awarded multiple scholarships each semester. The college makes it easy to apply for such opportunities at slcc.edu/scholarships.
The future is now
Even in today’s strong labor market, it’s a great time to invest in your future through education. And if you’re worried about fitting school in with your other responsibilities, know that community colleges like SLCC are flexible and designed to cater to students who have jobs and families. At SLCC, more than 80% of our students work while attending school, so we offer thousands of online classes as well as early morning, evening and Saturday classes at locations in West Valley, Sandy, West Jordan, Salt Lake City, Taylorsville and Herriman. There’s no better value in higher education than Salt Lake Community College. Enroll and register today and level up your future.
For additional information, visit SLCC.edu.
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Salt Lake Community College
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