For some, school’s in for the summer

Dolores Garza

dgarza@foghornnews.com

 

Summer classes can be a great convenience for students looking to get ahead.

Nursing major Brandi Candelaria prefers to take summer courses in person to keep from falling behind.

“I’m anxious to start the nursing program. Therefore, I’m taking summer courses so I can get closer to that goal,” Candelaria said.

April 3 marks the beginning of summer registration. For those who don’t receive any aid to help pay for college, the process of taking summer classes can become difficult.

“The problem about summer classes would be that they do not have payment plans for the summer, so I have to pay everything whole at one time,” Candelaria said. “I never receive financial aid; I have to pay out of pocket.”

However, taking basic summer courses during a short period leaves room for the more difficult courses in the fall and spring semesters.

“The good thing about summer classes is that I can get my electives or not-as-difficult classes out of the way,” Candelaria said.

Associate Director of Financial Aid Erika Williams explained the main concerns students have when applying for aid.

“If the student is not receiving financial aid they would need to check with Business Services office for tuition amount and deadline pay,” Williams said.

Students can contact the Financial Aid Office if they are unsure of their status.

“By speaking with a financial aid representative we will be able to explain how much a student is entitled for based on their number of hours enrolled and term,” Williams said.

Students who are enrolled in another college or university often look to Del Mar to knock out some hours over the summer because of its lower tuition cost.

“Transfer students who only attend DMC for summer only are not entitled to receive financial aid at DMC,” Williams said.

Nursing major Ashley Granados is looking into taking a summer course at Del Mar to stick to the script of her degree plan.

“Class was full for spring semester at TAMUCC so it put me behind a semester in my science classes,” Granados said. “So I decided to take it in the summer to put me back on track.”

Granados is concerned with paying for summer courses but is pleased to know the tuition costs are less compared with Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.

“I would have to get another job to make ends meet,” Granados said. “It’s still cheaper than TAMUCC.”

Theater major Judith Adams appreciates the option of taking a summer course online to stay ahead of the game.

“I took classes online to stay ahead in my minor,” Adams said, “because I knew I wouldn’t have time for it in the fall and spring semester.”

Adams enjoyed the opportunity to take courses in the comfort of her own home.

“I got to take my classes at home and still go along with my degree plan.” Adams said.

However, taking courses online did not come easy.

“When I had a question or didn’t understand something it became difficult to reach out to the professor.” Adams said. “But I would still recommend taking summer courses because you have a whole semester’s worth in one month without time to procrastinate.”

According to Sara King, coordinator of recruitment, Maymester courses are open but registration for summer sessions and fall semester will begin April 3.

“The Student Enrollment Center and Student Leadership & Campus Life is hosting our Registration Rallies the week of April 3 to encourage early registration,” King said.

For more information on how to register for summer classes contact the Del Mar College enrollment center at 361-698-1290 or the registrar’s office at 361-698-1248.

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