School highlights

Riverland is a comprehensive community college inspiring learning for living through a personalized educational environment.

• Campuses in Albert Lea, Austin and Owatonna make it convenient to earn the first two years of a bachelor’s degree or complete one of more than 50 career program options in accounting, business, business and office technology, construction, computer technology, health, management, manufacturing, service and transportation.
• Support services are available to help students improve study skills, locate resources, address personal issues, make strong career decisions or arrange the details of a smooth college transfer.
• More than 350 Riverland courses are offered entirely/partially online. Riverland has a growing number of online courses with or seeking Quality Matters certification, a peer review process designed to certify the quality of online courses. Currently, Riverland awards 12 degrees, diplomas and certificates via distance learning (online and interactive TV).
• Big Day On Campus is for high school students to experience Riverland. Offered monthly during the school year, participants tour campus, hear about student life and meet faculty.
• Riverland offers career options in renewable energy, including degrees in wind turbine technician and solar installation.
• The college features a world-class health science education simulation center for nurses, radiographers and lab technicians.
• Riverland is among a small group of community colleges in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system that offer an Associate in Fine Arts degree.

Admissions

Admissions requirements

Riverland Community College has an open admissions policy. This means:

• You can enroll if you have a high school diploma or a GED. Even without those, you may be admitted if you demonstrate potential for success in college.
• You don’t have to take a standardized test to be admitted, and your high school grades and class rank are not considered.
• After you are admitted, you will take a placement test. That will tell you if you need to take remedial or developmental courses, which will not count toward a degree, before you can take college-level courses. Many students need just one developmental course, often in math or English. If you have taken these subjects every year in high school, you are more likely to do well on the placement test.

You can complete your studies in less time and for less total cost if you come well prepared for college-level work, especially by taking math, English, science and social studies classes every year in high school. Also, some programs of study require more math and science, so your high school preparation makes a difference.

Apply early in 12th grade. That increases your chances of being admitted to the specific program you want when you enter college. Some programs are more popular than others and fill early.
 

Tuition & finance

Tuition and Fees (2012-2013): $5,510

FAFSA Code: 002335

How to apply for financial aid

Your key to receiving financial aid to help pay your college costs is filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA form. Many students don’t realize they could qualify for grant money and federally guaranteed loans, so be sure to find out by filling out the form.

Complete the FAFSA after Jan. 1 of your senior year. Find the form online at www.fafsa.ed.gov or pick up the form at your school counselor’s office. For help with completing the form, go to your high school counselor or the financial aid office at the college or university you plan to attend.

The FAFSA determines your eligibility for one or more of the following types of financial aid:

Scholarships
Scholarships are a great source of aid, and you do not need to pay them back. Many scholarships are available for students with special interests and backgrounds. Talk to your guidance counselor about what kind of scholarships you can get.

Grants
You may be eligible to receive federal and state grants of $300 to more than $7,000 per year. You do not need to pay these back.

Work study
Work study programs give you the opportunity to work on campus or with approved off-campus employers to earn money to pay for college. Work study jobs are often very flexible, allowing you to work around your classes and personal schedules.