New Year Brings New Opportunities at Holmes County Higher Education Center
By Lisa Amstutz
December 20, 2010
283
Whether youre six years old or sixty-plus, theres a class for you at the Holmes County Higher Education Center (H.C.H.E.C.) in Millersburg this year. Located above Bags Restaurant since 2004, the H.C.H.E.C. is a satellite of Wayne College and the University of Akron that affords area residents the opportunity to attend college close to home.
In addition to its regular classes this semester, H.C.H.E.C. is offering two eight-week, one-credit courses (Geology of Ohio and Ice Age and Ohio) that coordinator John Lorson hopes will interest some older students. People aged 60 and older can audit classes tuition-free. Learning is a lifelong endeavor, and that idea is represented well at the Holmes County Campus, he said.
Students on the other end of the age spectrum enjoy learning here as well. For the last four years, the college has offered a summer Lego Engineering Camp for ages 6-12. We have some special kits, and the kids get to build things they would never get to do on their own, said Lorson.
High school students can save money and get a jump on their college education through the Post Secondary Enrollment Options Program (PSEOP), which helps them earn free college credits before graduating. You can begin your college education here no matter where your destination school might be, Lorson said.
Those who have already graduated from high school can also benefit from starting out at the H.C.H.E.C. Its a neat situationour classes are very small and personal, yet were a satellite of one of Ohios major universities. Credits transfer easily and a student can transfer with a lot of credit hours already earned, Lorson said. All evening classes meet just one night per week to accommodate nontraditional students.
Area Career Center graduates may receive college credit for some of the coursework theyve already taken, and graduates of technical training programs can now take additional classes to earn an Associate of Technical Studies degree in their area of specialization, Lorson said.
He is particularly excited about the first complete Bachelors Degree program to be offered at Wayne College: the Bachelor of Organizational Supervision degree. Students may enter with any Associates Degree and complete the BOS at the Holmes and Wayne College campuses.
For those not interested in a degree, the Holmes County Higher Education Center offers noncredit job training classes as well. These do not require a high school diploma or GED.
Though many people wonder if they can afford college, tuition costs at the H.C.H.E.C. and Wayne College compare favorably to other state schools. Quite a few scholarships are available to area students, including the Deans scholarship, which is awarded to one student from each of 16 area high schools every year. Loans and grants are available as well.
The public is invited to attend two upcoming events at the Holmes County Higher Education Center: a PSEOP informational meeting February 10 at 6:30 p.m. and College Goal Sunday, February 13, when a team of professionals will help students fill out financial aid forms. Its a service to students who intend to attend college anywhere, Lorson said.
The Holmes County Higher Education Center is located at 88-B E. Jackson Street in Millersburg. To learn more, visit www.wayne.uakron.edu/hchec or call 330-674-2514.
