Oakton Community College Review | Tuition, Admission, Programs, Scholarships

Oakton Community college
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Oakton Community College (OCC) offers a wealth of degree and professional certificate programs with campuses in Des Plaines and Skokie, Illinois. If you’re looking for an educational opportunity in Cook County that can improve your life, Oakton is the place for you.

In this post, we will explore all you need to know about Oakton Community College, their Tuition, admission requirements, list of courses and Programs available, scholarship opportunities, and so on.

About Oakton Community College

Founded in 1969 in Morton Grove, Illinois, Oakton College is a 2-year public community college. It has campuses in Des Plaines and Skokie Illinois. OCC’s current location is Des Plaines and has a current total enrollment of 7,313.

Why Choose Oakton College?

With a remarkable acceptance rate of 100%, Oakton College has an above-average rating with an enrollment of 2,136 undergraduate students.

OCC At A Glance

Institution Name: Oakton Community College 

Type: Public

Year of Establishment: 1969

President: Joanne L. Smith

Location: Des Plaines and Skokie, Illinois, United States.

Website: www.oakton.edu/

Clubs & Organizations

Clubs at Oakton are available for students to join. These clubs range from community service to academic programs which will benefit all students at Oakton. 

  • Black Student Union (BSU)
  • Card and Board Game
  • Ceramics
  • Coding
  • DECA
  • Early Childhood Education (ECE)
  • Environmental
  • Honors Student Organization (HSO)
  • Best Buddies
  • The Center
  • Octagon Club
  • Math Olympiad and Science Olympiad
  • MultiEd

All these organizations and clubs give room for students to work together as one and be loyal to all tasks at school. Moreso, it enables students make more friends and attend lots of school events together. This is a great compulsory service for students as it’ll help enhance their relationships and grow the school as a whole. The most fun part is that students are free to join more than one club.

Weekend Activities

Oakton College has an array of weekend activities for students to enjoy themselves. There are lots of opportunities to engage in any fun activity students find interesting the most. One of these is sports and athletics. Students are free to join intercollegiate sports teams, as well as play at the intramural level or even work out in the school’s Fitness Center. Oakton is all concerned with the activeness of their students. Other weekend activities in the college include:

  • Conference
  • Seminar
  • Convention
  • Festival
  • Performance
  • Screening
  • Gala
  • Networking 
  • Party and lots more

All these weekend activities are available for students to spend away time as the school believes in some time for enjoyment and not just studies alone is available at Oakton.

Merit Awards And Financial Aid

Merit Awards

The Academic Merit Scholarship at Oakton College is available for students with a high school graduation from a reputable in-district high school. Applicants have a 3.0 GPA or more, with ACT and SAT composite scores of 26 and 1230 or higher respectively. Applying students must also make available their official high school transcript.

Also note that there are courses students must complete with a C or higher grade such as:

  • English 1,2,3 and 4 or English electives
  • Algebra 1
  • Geometry
  • Algebra 2/Trigonometry
  • Two Social Sciences, and
  • Two lab Sciences.

Note that there are no scholarship awards in the summer and students need to be enroll in at least 12 credit hours in the fall and spring semesters. The scholarship isn’t available for students who need it only for the summer term.

The scholarship is for in-district tuition and other related fees including registration, activity, construction, and lab or course. However, it does not cover digital access fees.

If a student transfers to another school while on scholarship, that puts an end to it. If such students transfer back to Oakton, they will no longer be eligible for the scholarship.

Financial Aid

Financial assistance is provided for students who are qualified but have no means to attend college due to financial incapability. To assist in achieving this aim, the college engages in an array of federal, state, and institutional programs through which assistance would be granted to students in the form of loans, grants, on-campus employment, and/or scholarships. 

The federal and state programs are for need-based students. However, there are some specific conditions to meet for students who want to apply; as been regulated by the federal and state government. Some scholarships are not based on the need/financial incapability of students but the donor and institution will determine the conditions required.

Scholarships are to reward students’ achievements and encourage them to accomplish more. Program requirements are subject to change according to the regulations of the federal and state governments. Veterans’ benefits are approved by the Illinois State Approving Agency.

Financial Aid Application 

Students are to fill out and complete an Oakton College Scholarship Application. Just one application of a student can be used to apply for many scholarships. The application is expected to entail information on students to confirm eligibility. Criteria for scholarships vary according to programs. The Enrollment Center has to notify awarded students.

There is room for appeal in a situation whereby a student’s financial assistance got canceled as a result of academic progress, Appeals must be made complete with full details about mitigating circumstances and should be written and submitted to the Enrollment Center, Oakton College, 1600 E. Golf Road, Des Plaines, IL 60016.

All other information and inquiries can be accessed here financialaid@oakton.edu 

Requirements For US Students

A minimum of 2.0 GPA is needed to get admitted to Oakton and at most a course per semester is allowed to be offered. This applies to only high school juniors and seniors.

Requirements For International Students

  • Applying students must be fully prepared academically and aim at becoming successful at the school.
  • Students should be ready to pay tuition fees, other fees, and living expenses. He can only be granted a scholarship if some criteria are fulfilled.
  • Such students must be proficient in the English Language
  • Students must a valid immigration status in the state before applying.

Admissions

Below are some of the admission requirements:

  • The applying student must be a graduate of an accredited high school.
  • Must be someone who has a High School Equivalency Certificate 1.
  • Must be someone of 18 years of age and above who hasn’t graduated from a high school and bagged a High School Equivalency Certificate.
  • Must be a concurrent high school student.

Note: some applicants may need to take specific entrance examinations according to the Illinois Public Act 86-0954.

However, applicants who do not meet the requirements may be accepted on conditions. 

How Do I Apply to Oakton College?

Below are steps to apply to Oakton College:

1. Applicants should apply online.

2. He/she should submit a Prerequisite Override as some courses require prerequisite credits. 

3. Applicants are expected to complete the Online Orientation. Online Orientation is required and important as it aids in the registration for classes. 

4. Registration for Classes.

5. Payment of Tuition and Fees should be made as quickly as possible.

What Are the Courses and Programs at Oakton College?

Programs available at Oakton are:

  • Liberal arts and sciences/liberal studies
  • Nursing assistant/aide and patient care assistant/aide
  • Emergency medical technology/technician (EMT paramedic)
  • Accounting technology/technician and bookkeeping
  • Registered nursing/registered nurse

Academic Departments

Departmental courses available for study at Oakton College include:

  • ACC – Accounting
  • AHR – Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Technology
  • ANT – Anthropology
  • ARB – Arabic
  • ART – Art
  • ATA – Automotive Technology
  • ATR – Astronomy
  • BIO – Biology
  • BNA – Basic Nurse Assistant Training
  • BUS – Business
  • CAB – Computer Applications for Business
  • CAD – Computer-Aided Design
  • CHI – Chinese
  • CHM – Chemistry
  • CIS – Computer Information Systems
  • CNB – Cannabis Studies
  • CNS – Computer Networking and Systems
  • COL – College Studies
  • CSC – Computer Science

Have access to the full courses here.

What Is the Tuition for the 2024 Academic Year of  Oakton College?

As of the 2023-2024 academic year, the in-state tuition fee at Oakton is $10,276 and $12,292 for out-of-state. All other fees amount to $420.

Which Bodies Are Accredited with Oakton College?

Oakton College is accredited and recognized by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB). It is as well a member of the North Central Association.

Rankings Of  Oakton College

Oakton Community College is ranked 798 of 2,217 schools in the country, according to College Factual’s 2024 analysis, and 36 according to Illinois ranking.

Other rankings include:

  • Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools in Illinois – Rank 1 of 7.
  • Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Illinois – Rank 3 of 39.
  • Best Registered Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Illinois – Rank 3 of 39.
  • Best Physical Therapy Assistant Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes RegionRank 7 of 51.
  • Best Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region – Rank 9 of 96.
  • Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region – Rank 12 of 139.
  • Best Registered Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region – Rank 12 of 136.
  • Best Physical Therapy Assistant Associate Degree Schools – Rank 43 of 307.
  • Best Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services Associate Degree Schools – Rank 56 of 630.
  • Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools – Rank 118 of 949.
  • Best Registered Nursing Associate Degree Schools – Rank 118 of 934.

Conclusion

In conclusion, OCC is the right place for you, if you are in search of quality education and an outstanding career path. 

However, for further information on application to Oakton College, Call +1 800-877-4380 or visit the school’s website online at https://www.oakton.edu  

References

Editor’s Recommendations 

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