Entry Advising Orientation

Orientation To work your way through this brief entry advising orientation, simply click the right and left arrows to move forward or back. Click on a page to zoom in.

Click the page again to zoom back out.

When you are finished you will need to move to the center of the room to complete the forms that you picked up when you arrived and then you will meet with an entry advisor.

This could be YOU!

GRAYS HARBOR COLLEGE ENTRY ADVISING ORIENTATION

WELCOME! You have a made a great decision to attend Grays Harbor College!

Everyone at Grays Harbor College is in the business of helping you succeed. We are all eager to lend you a helping hand as you prepare for whatever path you may be choosing for your future. We have an excellent faculty and staff who have made a strong commitment to your success.

In addition to your course work, I encourage you to become as involved as possible in student life at Grays Harbor College. Develop new friendships, join a new activity, cheer on our Choker athletes, or enjoy a performance at the Bishop Center. I hope you will agree that enrolling at Grays Harbor College is one of the best decisions you ever made!

Edward Brewster President

What Does it Cost?

You have made a great choice for an affordable education by choosing GHC! Hopefully you have already completed all of the planning for how you will pay for classes before today and taken into consideration that you will need to cover the cost of tuition & fees, supplies and books every quarter.

When & How Do I Pay? Tuition and fees are due prior to the start of every quarter.

For the 2014 - 2015 academic year tuition is due on or before: O Summer Quarter – Tuesday July 1st O Fall Quarter – Monday August 25th O Winter Quarter – Monday December 22nd O Spring Quarter – Monday March 30th Although there are several programs and options available to help you pay for college the two primary ones for most students are: 1) Self Pay and 2) Financial Aid. If your tuition is not covered by the date due, then you could be dropped from your classes.

FINANCIAL AID The process of applying for and actually being awarded assistance for classes takes a long time. Submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is just the first step.

Once your FAFSA information is received by GHC then you will be notified of additional paperwork required by our financial aid office. Be sure to check your email to learn what additional forms you need to complete.

You can also check your financial aid status at any time by using the GHC Financial Aid Portal found at http://www.ghc.edu/finaid/ . Follow the log in instructions and then look in the "Information We Need From You" section.

Does it indicate that your file is ready for review? If not then something is missing and you should check with Financial Aid. Once GHC has all of your documents, it can be between 6 – 8 weeks to actually receive your award.

Financial Aid Money Higher One速.

Students receiving financial aid or other funding support to attend college will have to choose how you will receive your money after tuition and fees are paid. You will receive directions on how to make that choice in the information that comes with your Higher One Card.

YOU MAY CHOOSE: O Direct Deposit to One Account-delivered same day as released O Electronically Sent to Any Bank-delivered within 2-3 business days O Paper Check-Delivered within 5-7 business days

Educational Choices Transfer Programs See yourself at a four-year university earning a bachelor’s degree in the future? Then GHC transfer degrees are for you. Students who earn a Direct Transfer (DTA) degree and then transfer to a Washington public university will have all 90 credits accepted and therefore enter that university as a junior.

Workforce Education Workforce education programs are for students whose primary goal is to enter the workforce after completion.

Program requirements are designed to prepare students for employment or advancement in their career field.

Classes & Technology It is important to know that a significant number of classes that meet in person also include information and work that is accessed and submitted via an online learning system.

GHC uses a system called CANVAS. Therefore students will need to be comfortable with basic computer skills to be successful in any class.

Keys to Success Making wise choices about your education is ultimately your responsibility and YOU must be the most active participant in your educational journey at GHC. Although they may seem obvious, successful GHC students have identified the following keys to success: O

Attend Class: There is a direct relationship between attending class and success. For online classes that means logging in and doing work every day.

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Do Assignments and turn them in on time.

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Ask Questions: There are no dumb questions. If you don't ask, you won't know.

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Resources: Use all of the resources available to you - people, websites, programs, services, etc.

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People: Make connections with other classmates, advisors, clubs, activities, etc.

Time to Meet with an Entry Advisor Are you ready to become an “official� GHC student? You will be when you complete the following next steps: 1. Discuss your class options with an entry advisor 2. Complete the class registration form with the help of your entry

advisor and then take it to the Admissions & Records office in the HUB so they can officially register you in those classes.

3. Complete the Fast4Ward to Success mandatory new student

orientation. Your entry advisor will give you more information.

4. Pay tuition or make sure your financial aid has been awarded

or your file is ready for review.