PRCC to make education affordable
Published 2:09 pm Saturday, July 23, 2022
By Laura O’Neill
PRCC Public Relations
POPLARVILLE, Miss. — Finding ways to make higher education affordable and accessible is a cornerstone of Pearl River Community College’s mission. One way the college is assisting students is through Nelnet payment plans that help cover the balance left after all financial aid and scholarships are applied to the account.
Instead of needing to pay the entire balance for the semester at once, students can elect to spread out the payments over the semester. The automatic payments can be drawn from a checking or savings account or be charged to a credit or debit card.
The earlier a student commits to the payment plan, the lower the needed down payment percentage and monthly payment amounts. To avoid being marked as past due, all payments will be completed by December. Students signing up for the program by August 11 will need 15% down payment and will have 5 payments for the balance on the 20th of each month through December. Later start dates are available with the required down payment increasing as well as having fewer months to complete the payment plan.
PRCC has been using Nelnet for payment plan options for the last couple of years. It provides a convenient way to ensure a student’s account does not get flagged as past due. Keeping the account current and in good standing is required to register for the next semester and graduate when courses are completed.
HOW TO SIGN UP FOR NELNET
Students need to log into RiverGuide with their PRCC credentials and then select the Nelnet tile. The system will prompt you for the information needed to enroll including the payment method you want to use.
There is a $35 nonrefundable enrollment fee per agreement and a $30 nonrefundable returned payment fee.
The Business Office is happy to help students with any questions regarding their accounts. You can email businessoffice@prcc.edu, come to campus, or contact us by phone 601-403-1204.
TUITION FREEZE
PRCC announced that in-state tuition has been frozen again for the 2022-2023 school year.
This is the sixth consecutive year of tuition being held steady, an anomaly in an environment of rising prices. PRCC administration and the Board of Trustees have taken this action to ensure that education is kept affordable, accessible, and efficient.
PAYING FOR COLLEGE
Pearl River offers a variety of ways that students can decrease their out-of-pocket expenses for attending college. More than $4.5 million in institutional scholarships, both academic and service-based, were provided during the 2021-22 school year. Additionally, the PRCC Development Foundation has hundreds of scholarships students can qualify for through a simple application. These scholarships total over a million dollars each year and are made possible through the generosity of donors.
PRCC students who are residents of Forrest County, Hancock County or the City of Hattiesburg are eligible for additional help through the County Tuition Assistance Program (CTAP.) CTAP will cover the current cost of tuition per semester for up to a maximum of four consecutive semesters (excluding summer school) after all federal, state, and institutional scholarship aid that is awarded to a student has been applied.
HOW TO ENROLL
Enrolling at Pearl River Community College requires just three simple steps:
1. Apply for Admissions online and have your transcript sent. There is no fee for PRCC’s application.
2. Apply for Financial Aid, including completing your FASFA.
3. Sign up for ROAR, our orientation program to help you have the BEST experience as a Wildcat.
Visit PRCC.EDU/Admissions to become a Wildcat today.