Quick-Start or Transfer: Accounting Programs at Front Range Community College
Front Range Community College appears in our ranking of the Top 50 Best Associates in Accounting Online.
There are many careers that do not require a four-year or graduate degree. Community colleges are great places to prepare for these jobs. Additionally, those careers that are based on a bachelor’s degree from a four-year institution can be started at a two-year school, and at less cost than beginning at a university. The school requires some liberal arts general education courses in addition to accounting and business courses. Through its programs that are guaranteed to transfer to Colorado universities and through its partnership with Regis University, Front Range Community College positions its students to take either path to a career in accounting.
The accounting degrees are available at the college’s Boulder and Westminster campuses or online.
The Associate of Applied Sciences in Accounting is a 60-to-62 credit-hour program intended for students who want to complete two years of college and then enter the work force. It offers basic and foundational skills in accounting and in business. Courses are offered sequentially, so students are encouraged to complete as many of the courses in order as they can each semester. Some of the courses included in this program are Accounting Principles I and II, Principles of Microeconomics, Principles of Macroeconomics, Business Communication, Legal Environments of Business and more.
The Associate of Arts in Accounting is the program students should choose if they intend to transfer to a university to complete an undergraduate degree in accounting. The Front Range partnership with Regis University enables these students to earn up to 90 credit-hours at Front Range and an additional 30 credit hours at Regis for a bachelor’s degree in accounting. Because community college tuition is generally lower than university tuition, this is a great advantage. Additionally, students can choose this degree path to transition gradually into the university environment.
The Accounting Certificate program is for those students who want a one-year preparatory program before beginning a career. Certificates may be earned in either bookkeeping or in tax preparation.
The Accounting Certificate-Bookkeeping option is a 24 credit-hour program that equips students with the knowledge and skills necessary for an entry-level clerical position. In addition to being offered at the Boulder and Westminster campuses, students can earn this certificate online or evenings at the Larimer Center. It covers areas such as principles of accounting, payrolls and sales tax. There is a required capstone.
The Accounting Certificate-Tax Preparation option contains 19 credit-hours. It gives students the knowledge to prepare tax forms for individuals, businesses and trusts. The program covers tax reporting and all other aspects of taxation.
The Associate of Arts in Business is for students who intend to transfer to a university. It contains 60-to-61 credit hours and the courses included in the program are those in the first two years of an undergraduate degree. Areas addressed are accounting principles, business communications, macroeconomics and business statistics, among others.
The Associate of Applied Science in Business program focuses on business, accounting and legal issues of accounting. There are electives that may be used to specialize the degree to either accounting or to finance.
About Front Range Community College
This school was founded in 1968 as the North Campus of the Community College of Denver. In 1965, still a part of that institution, it became Front Range Community College, and in 1985 it became independent. In 1988, Larimer County’s Vocational and Technological School merged with Front Range, becoming its Larimer Center.
Front Range Community College is the most popular community college preparing students for transfer to Colorado University-Boulder, Colorado State University, Metro State University, and CSU-Global. Every campus of Front Range has an observatory. The school has a student body of 19,259 and its student-to-faculty ratio is 20:1.
There are 29 programs at Front Range that prepare students for transfer. Additionally, there are 37 career/ technological programs. This school offers credit for life experiences. The partnership with Regis University allows students to transfer to Regis needing only 30 credits for a bachelor’s degree.
Front Range Community College Accreditation Details
- The Higher Learning Commission
- The State Board for Community Colleges and Occupational Education of Colorado
Front Range Community College Application Requirements
Front Range has an open admissions policy, meaning that everyone is accepted. Students should apply to the school online. They must create a student profile account in the eWOLF portal. There is no application fee. After completing the application and the profile, students will be assigned an advisor. The last step in the application process is meeting with that individual.
Tuition and Financial Aid
The cost of courses at Front Range Community College is $242.90 per credit hour. The Colorado Opportunity Fund defrays this expense for students who reside in the state. That decreases the tuition to $148.90 per credit hour. Students who earn their degrees or certificates online may be charged $357.20. After the Colorado Opportunity Grant is applied, that is $263.20 per credit hour. The school estimates tuition for two terms as $3,574.
The school does not have on-campus housing. That means students must budget for living expenses, estimated by FRCC at $11,547 unless a student lives at home. Students should also budget for books and supplies, transportation and other personal expenses. The estimated cost-of-attendance for nine months is $22,375.
As early in the application process as possible students should complete the FAFSA form. The federal government awards grants and student loans on the basis of financial need. Additionally, Colorado has grants and tuition reimbursement programs for DACA, American Indian and other special populations. There are also grants available for academic merit.
Private citizens often fund scholarships as memorials or tributes that are administered by the state or through the schools. These can be found on the school website. Additionally, students intending to transfer to a four-year school may qualify for some aid through that institution.
Front Range students who plan to enter the workforce directly after earning a one-or-two-year degree or certificate should also look online at scholarships, grants and tuition aid for people going into specific trades or careers.
Even without scholarships or grant money, it is possible to pay for a degree program at Front Range Community College, and get valuable work experience, by taking a part-time job.
