Finance & Accounting at Lakeland Community College
Lakeland Community College appears in our ranking of the Top 50 Best Associates in Accounting Online.
Students who enroll in programs at Lakeland Community College have access to a handful of degree and certificate options for finance and accounting. Accounting programs include an Associate of Applied Business Degree in Accounting, a Family Financial Planning Certificate, a Financial Accounting Certificate, a General Accounting Certificate, and a Small Business Accounting Certificate.
Students who choose the Associate of Applied Business Degree in Accounting will complete a total of 63 credits in a program designed to take four semesters with full-time enrollment. Some of the classes in accounting that students will take in their first semester include Introduction to Financial Accounting, Personal and Family Finance, Applied Business Mathematics, and Mathematics of Finance.
In the second semester and beyond, accounting associate degree students will take Introduction to Managerial Accounting, Accounting Information Systems, Business Law I, and Taxation of Individuals. Some classes require that students obtain a grade of C or higher in order to graduate with their degree or certificate. Those classes include Managerial Accounting: Finance, Intermediate Accounting I, and Introduction to Financial Accounting.
Each certificate program offered by the college features unique classes related to the student’s focus or concentration. For example, the Family Financial Planning Certificate features classes like Personal and Family Finance, Fundamentals of Investing, and Financial Management for the Small Business. Students must earn a total of 12 to 15 credit hours to receive their certificates in family financial planning.
Meanwhile, the Financial Accounting Certificate requires that students earn a total of 39 credits in several accounting classes with several credits required in business and economics classes. Some of the business classes students will take in the Financial Accounting Certificate program include Principles of Management, Organizational Behavior, Business Law I, and Business Ethics.
Similarly, the General Accounting Certificate requires 34 credits and features the option to earn eight credits of electives. Some of the electives students can choose, which can help personalize the certificate program, include Basic Computer Skills, Advanced Topics in Accounting, Financial Analysis Using Spreadsheets, and College Algebra.
Conveniently, students can earn virtually all of the accounting and finance certificates offered at Lakeland Community College via the internet through the college’s distance learning program.
About Lakeland Community College
Lakeland Community College was founded in 1967 and was created after citizens voted to build a community college in Lake County, Ohio. More than 8,000 students attend the college, which offers full-time and part-time enrollment options. The first classes were held in the city of Painesville in 1967, and the college would purchase land to build a permanent campus in 1968.
The Cleveland Browns National Football League team used the community college for its training camp each year from 1982 to 1991. The college offers more than 130 associate degrees, as well as certificates, that are meant to offer employment or transfer opportunities to four-year universities. The average Lakeland student is 27-years-old and is employed at the same time they take classes. Most of the students are from Lake County, but there are also students from areas like Cuyahoga County and Geauga County.
Lakeland Community College Accreditation Details
Lakeland Community College undertakes a regional accreditation process once every decade. A peer review team visits the campus and holds meetings and open forum sessions during a Comprehensive Quality Review (CQR). Lakeland Community College is currently accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, which is the accreditation agency responsible for approving colleges in Ohio and the surrounding states.
There are also some program-specific accreditations that exist for various programs. Approvals come from the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association, the Emergency Management Planning and Administration of the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress, and the Ohio State Board of Emergency medical Fire and Transportation Services of the Ohio Department of Public Safety. Additional approvals come from the Ohio Board of Nursing, the Ohio Department of Health, and the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing.
Lakeland Community College Application Requirements
Admissions requirements vary somewhat for various programs and application statuses. For example, there are separate application procedures for high school students, adult learners, and students with accommodations. However, the enrollment checklist is similar for most students. Items that students must send include the official application for admission and transcripts from high school. Applicants will also take a placement test to determine readiness for college-level English and math classes.
Before registering for classes, students will attend a new student orientation session, which will feature a meeting with a counselor, receipt of a student ID, and transcript evaluation. Students can also learn about financial aid and scholarships during the orientation session. Tuition and fees are paid after the orientation session and before classes begin. Students will also purchase textbooks.
Tuition and Financial Aid
The tuition rate per credit hour for Lake County residents is $132.80. Ohio residents who live outside the county will pay $161.10 per credit. The rate for out-of-state students is $339.10. Those rates include a general fee of $11.80 per credit, career services fee of $8.25 per credit and a student support service fee of $14.25. Students will pay a lower student support service fee of $4.25 for the summer term.
For a part-time credit load of six credits per semester, Lake County residents will pay $796.80, Ohio residents outside the county will pay $966.60, and out-of-state students will pay $2,034.60. For a full-time credit load of 12 credits, Lake County residents will pay $1,593.60, Ohio residents outside the county will pay $1,933.20, and out-of-state students will pay $4,069.20.
Students may qualify for federal student loans when they attend Lakeland Community College and submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in advance of enrollment at the college. The college recommends applying early for financial aid even if an application to the college hasn’t yet occurred. During enrollment, students will need to make Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) to maintain their student aid package.
SAP includes minimum standards for GPA and completion of a certain number of attempted credit hours. The college has institutional scholarships available, and students are encouraged to fill out the Lakeland Foundation Scholarship application, which is offered online through the college’s official Scholarship Center website. Lakeland Community College students can also participate in state programs if they’re Ohio residents that include the Ohio war Orphans Scholarship Program and the Ohio College Opportunity Grant.
