Tulsa Achieves
Important Tulsa Achieves Announcements:
Attention 2010 High School Graduates! Begin applying for Tulsa Achieves/TCC February 1, 2010. Be smart, be early!
Text "tachieves" to 41411 to receive text message updates about Tulsa Achieves information and deadlines.
standard text message rates apply
Click HERE for a Printable "Application Checklist"
Only Enrollment and Registration Offices will accept Tulsa Achieves Application Documents.
Email Questions to: tulsaachieves@tulsacc.edu
(Current Students, click HERE)
What Is Tulsa Achieves?
Am I eligible for Tulsa Achieves?
When are Tulsa Achieves documents/applications due?
What are the requirements to stay in Tulsa Achieves?
What are the Volunteer Service requirements?
How do I complete my FAFSA?
Where do I find the Tulsa Achieves Program Agreement Form?
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Tulsa Achieves? (return)
TCC helps eliminate the financial burden of attending college by providing additional funding to fill the "gap" between financial aid and the cost of attending college. Tulsa Achieves Program Agreement Forms will be posted here on February 1, 2010.
For eligible students, Tulsa Achieves pays up to 100% of tuition and fees for a maximum of 63 college credit hours. As a gap-funding program, Tulsa Achieves pays any remaining balance after all state, federal and private aid and grant funding have been applied. There is no cost to the student!*
Tulsa Achieves students begin their coursework the fall semester after high school graduation and may continue in the program for 63 credit hours of three years, whichever comes first.
*Tulsa Achieves does not cover the cost of books.
Eligible students must live in Tulsa County and graduate from high school with a 2.0 GPA or better on a 4.0 scale. Home school graduates who reside in Tulsa County are also eligible for Tulsa Achieves, but must provide parental verification.
Why did TCC start the Tulsa Achieves Program?
The answer is simple - Students in Tulsa County should have the opportunity to attend college based on an ability to achieve, not an ability to pay.
It's all about giving back to, and improving, our community. By increasing the number of Tulsa County residents with higher education degrees, we can increase the number of skilled professionals available in the Tulsa job market. We hope to encourage students to graduate high school and engage their community through service learning/volunteer service. With Tulsa Achieves, TCC is helping to ensure that Tulsa continues to grow, just as Tulsa has ensured the growth of TCC.
Am I Eligible for Tulsa Achieves? (return)
To be eligible for Tulsa Achieves, you must:
Graduate from a public or private high school, or home school
Graduate with at least a 2.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale
Reside in Tulsa County* (and maintain Tulsa County residency)
*Must be a U.S. Citizen or Legal Resident
What are the requirements to maintain Tulsa Achieves funding? (return)
In order to maintain Tulsa Achieves funding, students must:
Maintain Tulsa County Residency
Maintain Good Academic Standing
1.7 GPA for students with 30 credit hours or less
2.0 GPA for students with 31 credit hours or more
Complete at least 70% of attempted coursework, cumulatively
Complete at least 3 credit hours each fall and spring semester
Complete a FAFSA each year
Complete 40 hours of volunteer service each academic year
Complete an Orientation Class within the first year of the program.
("complete" = "D" or better)
Volunteer Service (return)
What are the volunteer service requirements?
What counts for volunteer service?
How are my service hours reported?
How do I register online for Volunteer Service?
What if I don't see the service opportunity I'm looking for?
What are the volunteer service requirements? (return)
For each year students are in the program, they are required to perform 40 hours of volunteer service. This service must be performed in Tulsa County and must benefit the community in a positive way. Obviously, students must not receive compensation for their service.
What counts as volunteer service? (return)
Any unpaid, non-compensated activity at a registered, not-for-profit agency serving Tulsa County will be considered. Additionally, students may also use hours earned in Service Learning classes, Honors Program classes, and other classes at TCC that use volunteerism as a component of course work.
Students may not use hours earned through programs at TCC that require unpaid work as part of the curriculum (clinical and fieldwork, internships, etc). Activities such as mission trips and ushering at church would not count toward volunteer service, although activities that the student's church puts on, such as debris cleanup, or reaching out to the homeless, would count.
How are service hours reported? (return)
Tulsa Achieves will not accept phone calls, emails or paper forms as verification of volunteer service.
In order to effectively manage all Tulsa Achieves Student Service, TCC has partnered with Volunteer Central of Greater Tulsa to manage all aspects of volunteer service using an online database.
When students engage in volunteer service, agency volunteer coordinators will log students' completed service hours into the Volunteer Central online database. Students may log into their profile to see how many hours have been reported.
How do I register online for Volunteer Service? (return)
Students must register with the online database.
Click HERE to register.
Click "New Volunteers" and follow the instructions.
Once registered, students may search for volunteer opportunities among over 900 participating agencies in Tulsa County.
To express interest in a volunteer opportunity, click "Express Interest" to contact the agency's volunteer coordinator.
What if I don't see the service opportunity I'm looking for? (return)
If students would like to volunteer at an agency that is not listed, they may have an agency representative register on the database using the same web address as above. The agency representative can click "New Agency" to begin the process. Volunteer Central of Greater Tulsa will then contact the representative to verify the agency's status. Students should wait until the agency has been verified by Volunteer Central before beginning service.
What Is Volunteer Central of Greater Tulsa? (return)
Volunteer Central serves the Tulsa area by connecting individuals of all backgrounds to volunteer activities. With this new database, volunteers can search for local opportunities, and agencies can post current needs and opportunities.
Volunteer Central is proud to be driving volunteer efforts of Tulsa Community College Tulsa Achieves Students, and OSU-Tulsa!
Frequently Asked Questions (return)
What does TCC mean by Tulsa County Resident?
I don’t live in Tulsa County. Does my county residency still qualify?
I earned a GED. Do I qualify for Tulsa Achieves?
I already graduated from high school. Do I still qualify?
What if I do more than 40 hours of service per year?
Do I have to do all of my volunteer service with one agency?
What does TCC mean by Tulsa County Resident? (return)
When TCC speaks of Residency as it relates to Tulsa Achieves, there are a few things to consider:
Tulsa Achieves Applicants must be eligible for aid from the State of Oklahoma. That is, they must be Residents of Oklahoma and the United States. Applicants who claim Residency or Citizenship status from a country other than the United States do not qualify for Tulsa Achieves.
Applicants must be Residents of Tulsa County. They must live within the Tulsa County limits. Families that own property in Tulsa County, but do not reside in Tulsa County, do not qualify.
To qualify for Tulsa Achieves, students must be residents of Tulsa County (as defined above) at the time of high school graduation. A student attending all four years of high school in Tulsa County and graduates may receive 100% Tulsa Achieves funding. A student that attends only senior year in Tulsa County and graduates qualifies for 25% funding. A student that attends junior and senior years in Tulsa County and graduates qualifies for 50% funding. A student attending sophomore, junior and senior years in Tulsa County and graduates qualifies for 75% funding. If a student does not graduate from high school while residing in Tulsa County does not qualify for Tulsa Achieves.
I don't live in Tulsa County, does my county residency still qualify? (return)
Only Tulsa County residents qualify for Tulsa Achieves.
I earned a GED. Do I qualify for Tulsa Achieves? (return)
Students that have earned a GED do not qualify for the program. Tulsa Achieves was developed to increase the number of students going directly from high school into college.
I already graduated from high school? Do I still qualify? (return)
Only students that go directly from high school into college qualify for Tulsa Achieves. Each graduation class entering TCC, does so as a Tulsa Achieves cohort. The window of opportunity to apply for Tulsa Achieves is between January of your Senior year and the August following graduation.
What if I do more than 40 hours of service per year? (return)
Any service hours in excess of 40 hours per academic year will be added to the following academic year's balance. For example, if you complete 60 hours of volunteer service your first year in the program, you will only be required to submit 20 hours the following year. If you do 120 hours your first year, you don't have to perform any additional service hours!
Do I have to do all of my volunteer service with one agency? (return)
No. Students may perform volunteer service at as many different Tulsa County agencies as they wish.
2010 High School Graduates!
Application Timeline for Tulsa Achieves (return)
January through April, 2010
Apply for parent and student FAFSA PIN numbers
Click HERE to access FAFSA.ed.gov website.
Click "Request a PIN number."
Your PIN number will be emailed within 3 days to the address you provide.
Save your PIN numbers - you will use this PIN every year.
Students must submit a FAFSA each year.
Complete the online FAFSA for 2010-2011 - Before April 30.
Click HERE to begin your FAFSA
Have the most recent tax forms available.
When prompted, enter the TCC school code. TCC Code is 009763.
Once finished, "sign" the form using your electronic PIN number.
The following is due on or before April 30, 2010
It is strongly encouraged that all documents be submitted in person. Mailed documents must be mailed together and postmarked by April 30th. You are responsible for ensuring TCC has received mailed items. TCC is not responsible for lost or missing mailed items.
TCC web application - click HERE to access the TCC Web Application
Tulsa Achieves Program Agreement form signed by the student
May through July, 2010
Due on or before July 15, 2010:
Submit any documents to Enrollment and Registration offices, at any campus:
Final, official, 8 semester high school transcript verifying graduation data and G.P.A. 2.0 or greater.
ACT scores or College Placement Test
Meet with an Academic Advisor at any campus
Enroll in classes for Fall 2010 semester
Click here for a printable application "checklist"