This document provides information about various resources available at a community college to help students overcome barriers to completing their degrees. It discusses resources for health insurance, housing assistance, childcare, tutoring, counseling, career services, financial aid, and scholarships. The goal is to increase awareness of these supports to improve college completion rates.

1. Presents:
Increasing Awareness of College Resources to Help
Improve College Completion

3. More Job opportunities
Better pay!
Fewer Barriers to transfer
Personal satisfaction
You’ll be better educated about the world
you live in.

4. • 85% of students aspire to complete an
Associates degree.
• Only 45% complete the degree.
• 50% of students aspire to complete a
Baccalaureate degree.
• Only 10-20% complete.

5. • 54% of students need to work to support themselves
or families and could not balance work and classes.
• 31% cannot afford college.
• 62% of all college students who drop out are
responsible for paying for their own education
• While 65% of students who drop out plan to return,
only about 38% do .

6. • Students who complete their
associate degree or certificate can
expect to earn about $400,000 more
in a lifetime than a high school
graduate.

7. Overcoming roadblocks
to college completion

8. HEALTH
BENEFITS

9.  Did you know that the college offers health
insurance?
 Full time students automatically obtain health
insurance as part of their tuition.
 Part-time students have the option to receive
these benefits by paying $45.00 extra with
their tuition each semester.

10.  Are you aware that you might be covered
under your parents’ insurance?
 Federal law states that if your parents
have health insurance, you may be eligible to
receive benefits until the age of 26.

11.  Obtain an insurance application from the
finance office or speak with a representative
for further information.
 Please note that the college only offers basic
medical health insurance!

12. HOUSING OPTIONS

13.  Home Sharing of
Somerset and
 Students may be Hunterdon County.
eligible for housing  Check with your local
resources from Social House of Worship.
Services.  Samaritan Homeless
Interim Program (SHIP)
of Somerville
(emergency housing).
ELIGIBILITY OPTIONS

15.  Do you think that you don’t have time for
class because of a young child?
 Do you lack the funds to hire a nanny?
 Are your friends and family too busy to help?
 Do you think you’re out of options?

16.  The Children’s Campus Center is a great
service for RVCC students with young
children (three months through five years of
age.)
 The children participate in many on-campus
opportunities provided by the College.

17.  Open all year Monday through Friday, 7:30
a.m.-6 p.m.
 Located behind the arts building.
 For more information, stop by or call (908)
526-1200 x8807.

19.  Is your GPA lower than you would like?
 Are you struggling with a tough class?
 Do you feel overwhelmed?
Good news – there are several options for
students who want to get help

20.  The Academic Support Center (ASC) offers
free tutoring in a variety of subjects and
levels
 Location: Somerset Hall S020
 Phone: (908) 526-1200 ext. 8393 and 8413
 Tutoring at Franklin Middle School and RVCC
@ Bridgewater is also available

21.  Free drop in tutoring
 Open areas for studying/homework
 Computer stations with educational software
 Reference materials
 Science and math manipulatives
 Online tutoring

23.  Visit Dr. Margaret Chan,
school psychologist in C-163.
She can also be contacted at
extension 8641 or via email
at mchan@raritanval.edu.
 The H.O.P.E. Project
(Alcohol/Drugs)-Lisa
Spencer (ext. 8601). College
Center Room C-121. Office
hours M-F 9:00 AM-5:00
PM.

25.  Career services at RVCC. College Center
Suite 116.
 For internships, contact Linda Levitt. At
extension 8437. Her e-mail is
llevitt@raritanval.edu.
 For work programs on campus, contact Erin
Kislan in Financial Aid office at ext. 8378 or
via email at ekislan@raritanval.edu.

27.  The Financial Aid Department offers
Raritan Valley Community College students
assistance with FAFSA forms which you can
view online through the student’s Lion’s
Den account.

28. Who is eligible?
 Anybody who demonstrates financial need.
Financial Aid is available to both full and part
time students.
 You must apply for financial aid each academic
year.
 It is recommended that you apply for financial
aid at least two (2) months before your
payment is due.

29.  Raritan Valley Community College offers
Scholarships to all RVCC students including
international students and students who are not
eligible to complete the FAFSA
 Scholarships are awarded on a first come first
serve basis. Students are encourage to apply as
early as May (for the following fall semester.
Check RVCC’s website for more
information about specific scholarships
available to you!