Allen Community College

Allen Community College was opened in 1923 as Iola Junior College with an inaugural class of 93 students from Kansas' District #10 studying on the high school's third floor. By 1965, the State Superintendent of Public Instruction formed Allen CC and acquired a 250-acre farm for its location. Today, ACC has evolved into a comprehensive, two-year higher learning institution endowed for $5.2 million. In addition to its rural headquarters along the Neosho River in northern Iola, Allen offers courses in Burlingame, regional centers via interactive TV, and online for 2,852 Red Devils. According to Niche, ACC is America's 85th best community college and 119th top trade school. BestColleges.com ranked Allen as the 24th most affordable online junior college nationally.

Allen Community College Accreditation Details

Reaffirmed in February 2012 under President John Masterson, Allen CC holds regional accreditation at Level II from the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Schools and Colleges (HLC-NCA). Since 1972, this approval has certified ACC for Federal Title IV eligibility by the U.S. Department of Education for its Iola, Burlingame, and online campuses. Allen is also governed by the Kansas Board of Regents' Higher Education Reporting System (KHERS).

Allen Community College Application Requirements

Although Allen CC has open admissions for 100 percent acceptance, students interested in the A.A. in Psychology or A.S. in Addiction and Prevention Studies need to meet some criteria. Students need to have finished a high school diploma, passed the GED, submitted HiSET scores, or garnered secondary principal approval in their senior year. Following a college-prep curriculum with four years of English will best prepare students for the ACCUPlacer placement test. Most ACC Red Devils present a 2.0 GPA or higher, but this isn't mandatory. Submitting scores for the ACT or SAT that are less than three years old is also encouraged.
 
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Transfer agreements for 2+2 programs will require ACC students meet higher admission standards though. For example, Kansas State University seeks psychology majors with 60+ credits graded "C" or better for a cumulative GPA above 2.0. Admitted K-State students have a mean average of 3.49, 24 ACT score, and 1160 SAT score for moderate competitiveness. At Washburn University, 2+2 transfers also need at least 60 credits graded "C-" or higher. Students with a GPA between 1.8 and 1.99 are placed on academic probation. Washburn scholars report an average GPA of 3.4, ACT score of 22, and SAT score of 1110.

Admission to Allen CC is rolling year-round, so apply anytime using the eight-page Undergraduate Application 2.0 online. Don't forget to submit the FAFSA form via the Allen code of 001901 for financial aid. Prospective students should also send the following:

• Official high school transcripts or GED completion proof
• Standardized testing score reports (SAT or ACT)
• Documentation of English language proficiency if applicable
• $50 non-refundable application fee (foreign students only)

Tuition and Financial Aid

For the 2017-18 year, Allen CC will charge Kansas and out-of-state residents $60 per credit with the $25 student fee, $15 technology fee, and $12 book rental fee. International students pay slightly more at $147 per credit. Online courses follow the same structure with an extra $75 per semester. Yearly tuition at ACC is roughly $2,850. Residential students also add housing and meal costs at the Iola campus for $4,950. Total annual cost of attendance is $11,780 for on-campus learners and $6,950 for commuters.

The NCES shows that 87 percent of beginning, full-time ACC students earn financial aid packages worth $3,928 on average. Institutional funds like the Merit Academic Scholarship, Athletic/Activity Scholarship, Employee Grant, Early Start Scholarship, Seabury Scholarship, and Presidential Scholarship are abundant. Students can borrow low-interest Federal Perkins, Stafford, and PLUS loans or shop for private/alternative loans. U.S. citizens could obtain Pell Grant or FSEOG Grant funding. Sunflower State natives apply for the Kansas Career Technical Workforce Grant, Kansas Ethnic Minority Scholarship, Kansas Military Service Scholarship, and more. Federal Work-Study jobs also provide at least $7.25/hour.

Studying Psychology and Counseling at Allen CC

Allen Red Devils choose from two associate and two transfer programs to fulfill their interests in psychology or counseling. Non-degree students can also pursue the Addictions Counseling Certificate and Social Service Designee Certificate. The Allied Health Division holds a 22:1 student-faculty ratio for ample interaction with master's-trained professors. Learners at this "Military Friendly" school benefit from accessing content 24/7 on Blackboard, reviewing journals online with Allen College Library, becoming Student Ambassadors, and perhaps joining the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. Develop a mental health career with these ACC degrees:

A.S. with an Emphasis in Addiction and Prevention Studies

Placing undergrads on the pathway to LAC credentialing in Kansas, Allen's Associate of Science (A.S.) with an Emphasis in Addiction and Prevention Studies offers a two-year sequence for learning the basics to rehabilitating persons with substance abuse for recovery. The intensive, 65-credit curriculum takes four terms with on-site or online courses like cultural anthropology, psychology, addiction services, dual diagnosis, pharmacology, and descriptive anatomy. Most grads transfer, but some could also work as counselor assistants or mental health technicians.

A.A. with an Emphasis in Psychology

Chaired by Amy Pietan, the Associate of Arts (A.A.) with an Emphasis in Psychology at Allen CC lays the groundwork for central Kansas residents to broaden understanding of behavior for human services professions. For four semesters full-time, the 64-credit curriculum dives into lower-division courses for women's studies, sociology, behavioral science, social psychology, lifespan development, and applied psychology. A.A. graduates can cover the first two years at other Kansas universities or find jobs like case management technician and home care aide.

2+2 A.A./B.A. in Psychology

Partnering with Washburn University in Topeka, the 2+2 A.A./B.A. in Psychology involves spending two years at Allen CC for general education requirements before gaining greater insight into how people think and act. After 64 credits, students transfer for courses like personality, cognition, psychological statistics, sensation/perception, and research methods. Following the Grad School Bound or Psychology Career tracks, Washburn will integrate two field experiences off-campus, including with Ft. Riley TBI Clinic, Helping Hands Humane Society, Breakthrough House, and Providence Living Center.

2+2 A.A./B.S. in Interdisciplinary Social Science

Retaining 58 percent of freshmen, the 2+2 A.A./B.S. in Interdisciplinary Social Science collaborates with Kansas State University in Manhattan for psychology associate students to deepen their learning of societal structures and interrelationships. After 64 credits, transfers enter the 60-credit KSU track with courses like statistics, sociology, geology, psychology, political science, women's studies, and mass communications on-site or online. Allen CC students who transfer could also minor in Conflict Analysis and Trauma Studies, intern at Via Christi Hospital, and study abroad from India to Iceland.