FAQ
GETTING STARTED
I want to start taking classes at TCC. How do I get started?
1. Fill out an application to the college either online or go visit an enrollment services office on any campus.
2. After submitting an application, visit an enrollment services office on any campus and request to be "admitted" to the college. This is where you are taken from an applicant status to a student status. This would also be a good time to turn in any high school transcripts, prior college transcripts, GED scores, ACT scores, etc.
3. If you will be pursuing financial aid, get that started by following the instructions at the Financial Aid website.
4. After being admitted to the college, visit with an academic adviser to determine what classes to enroll in, or to see if you need additional placement testing before enrolling in classes. If you have prior college course work, please bring copies of transcripts with you.
5. If you submitted a FASFA as part of step 3, the federal government will let you know when the FASFA has been processed. This is a good time to visit a campus and talk with a financial aid person.
6. If your financial aid is in place, and you have met with an adviser and know what classes to take for your particular degree, your next step will be to enroll using TED. See enrollment services if you need help using TED.
7. Final steps include buying books, getting parking permits, etc.
How do I log into TED?
1. Start at the TCC home page.
2. Click on the TED link at the top/middle of the page.
3. Choose the first option "TED Self Service."
This will bring you to the login screen. Your User ID will be your collegewide student ID which will start with a capital "T" and be followed by eight numbers. Your PIN number will start out as your six digit birthday (mm/dd/yr). If it is your first time logging in, the system will prompt you to create a new password and three security questions. If you have trouble logging in, call 918.595.2000.
How do I log into MyTCC?
1. Start at the TCC home page.
2. Click on the MyTCC link at the top/left-middle of the page.
3. Over in the top left there will be a box for "Secure Access Login." Your user name is usually your first name underscore last name (Ex: john_doe). If you have a common last name, there may be numbers after your last name (Ex: john_doe3). Your password will be the same as your TED and Blackboard password.
ADVISEMENT
What is the difference between dropping a class and withdrawing from a class?
Dropping a class is what happens right after a class starts. The amount of time you have to drop a class depends on the length of the class. For example, if you are taking a full, 16-week class, you have the first two weeks of school to drop the class, but for an eight-week, fast-track course, you only have the first week.
Dropping a class removes it that class from all records. It is like you never took the class. It will not affect your G.P.A. It will not show up on your transcripts. And you will receive a 100 percent refund for the class.
Withdrawing from a class is a way a student can get out of a class after the drop period has passed. The last day to withdraw from a class will be 70 percent of the way through the class. Check the academic calendar for specific dates.
A withdraw shows up as a "W" on a student's transcript. The student will NOT receive a refund for the class. It does NOT affect G.P.A. It does, however, affect completion rate, which can affect financial aid.
How do I drop a class?
To drop a class in TED:
1. Start at the TCC home page.
2. Click on the TED link at the top/middle of the page.
3. Choose the first option "TED Self Service."
4. This will bring you to the login screen. Your User ID will be your campuswide student ID, which will start with a capital "T" and be followed by eight numbers. Your PIN number will start out as your six digit birthday (mm/dd/yr). If it is your first time logging in, the system will prompt you to create a new password and a security question. If you have trouble logging in, call 918.595.2000.
5. Once you log in, you will see a series of tabs across the top of the page. Click on the one labeled "Student."
6. On the next page, choose the option labeled "Registration."
7. On the next page, choose the option to "Add or Drop Classes."
8. This page wants to know what semester you want to add or drop classes from. Select the "term" or semester from the drop-down box and then click "submit".
9. This should pull up your current schedule. There will be a box in the middle of each course listing. This is called an "action box." Choose the "web drop" option from the drop down box, and then click "Submit Changes" at the bottom to drop the class from your schedule. ***NOTE: You can also add classes in this way if you know the CRN number of the class you want to add. Just put the CRN number in one of the boxes at the bottom and click "Submit Changes" to add the class.***
10. Your updated schedule should repopulate on the screen reflecting the changes you made to your schedule.
How do I withdraw from a class?
The withdraw process has changed in recent semesters due to changes in financial aid. It is understandable if it is not convenient/possible to come in to withdraw, but due to some of these changes, you are highly encouraged to come in to discuss the withdraw at an academic advisement office on campus in person if at all possible.
If that is not possible, download the forms found in the "Forms" section of the FSHD site. Read through the cover letter carefully, then fill out the first page of the withdraw form completely. Then fax both pages of the form to one of the TCC advisement offices. Fax numbers are listed at the bottom of the first page.
Make sure to initial where appropriate and sign and date under the " Student Responsibility " section. Also, remember to include a copy of an official photo ID like a driver’s license in the fax.
Also make sure to sign and date under the " Affidavit of Enrollment " section if you receive financial aid and are enrolled in classes that have not started yet.
How can I view my unofficial transcript?
You can view your unofficial transcript at any time in TED. Here's how:
1. Start at the TCC home page.
2. Click on the TED link at the top/middle of the page.
3. Choose the first option "TED Self Service."
4. This will bring you to the login screen. Your User ID will be your campuswide student ID which will start with a capital "T" and be followed by eight numbers. Your PIN number will start out as your six digit birthday (mm/dd/yr). If it is your first time logging in, the system will prompt you to create a new password and a security question. If you have trouble logging in, call 918.595.2000.
5. Once you log in, you will see a series of tabs across the top of the page. Click on the one labeled "Student."
6. Then choose the second link for "Student Records."
7. Then choose the third link for "Academic Transcript."
8. Then from the drop down box next to "Transcript Type" choose "Unofficial Transcript Credit" and click "Submit."
9. Scroll down to view your transcript. It will show all course work that has been completed at TCC plus any transfer course work from other colleges that has been evaluated.
What is my GPA?
You can find this information by viewing your unofficial transcript in TED and looking at the G.P.A. column under your most recent semester. There will be three numbers in this column corresponding to the three categories at the left. The first is "Institutional," which refers to your G.P.A. from your TCC classes only. The second is "Transfer," which refers to the G.P.A. from your transfer course work from other institutions only. The third is "Overall," which is your G.P.A. for all of your coursework. TCC looks at overall G.P.A.
You can also visit an advisor in person or contact our Online Advisor for further questions about G.P.A.
What does it mean to be on academic probation?
TCC requires that all students maintain an overall G.P.A. of 2.0 or better to be considered in "Good Academic Standing." If a student's G.P.A. falls below a 2.0, that student will be on academic probation the following semester. This probation is a way of warning the student that he/she need to get his/her G.P.A. above 2.0 and that if he/she continues to make poor grades, the student will be academically suspended.
A student will be on probation as long as:
1. The student's overall G.P.A. is below a 2.0
2. The student does not get a semester G.P.A. that is below a 2.0
If a student, who is on probation, gets below a 2.0 for his/her semester G.P.A., he/she will be suspended. Once a student raises his/her overall G.P.A. above a 2.0, he/she will be off of academic probation.
What does it mean to be on academic suspension?
Only a student, who is already on academic probation, can be academically suspended. If a student on probation has a semester G.P.A. that is below 2.0, that student will be academically suspended from the college. The student will have to sit out from TCC for a long semester (spring or fall) before he/she can re-apply to the college to start taking classes again. Visit the academic suspension site for an explanation about the reapplication process
How many credit hours do I have?
You can find this information by viewing your unofficial transcript in TED and looking at the earned hours column under your most recent semester. There will be three numbers in this column corresponding to the three categories at the left. The first is "Institutional," which refers to the number of credits you've earned at TCC. The second is "Transfer," which refers to the number of credits you've earned at other institutions. The third is "Overall," which is the sum of the first two numbers. This is the number of credit hours you have completed.
You can also visit an advisor in person or contact our Online Advisor for further questions about your total number of credit hours.
How do I transfer credits to TCC?
After applying to Tulsa Community College, you would need to submit official transcripts from your previous school. Those transcripts would undergo a formal evaluation to see if the courses from the previous college are equivalent to TCC's courses. It can take a few months for that evaluation to happen, so just know it is not a quick process.
Once the transcripts have been evaluated, all of your transfer work would become part of your TCC transcript. If you don't agree with the evaluation (for example, some classes did not equate that maybe should have in your mind), then you can speak to an advisor about submitting substitution requests for those classes. You will usually need to get course descriptions for the classes that you are requesting to be used as substitutions. The substitution request would be reviewed by a committee, and any necessary changes would be made pending their decision.
You can visit an advisor in person or contact our Online Advisor for further questions about transferring credits.
How will my credits transfer to another college or university?
In general, if you are transferring to a public school in Oklahoma, an advisor can provide you with pretty good information on what will and won't transfer to another school. But, no matter if a school is in state or out of state, public or private, the college you are transferring to will be the best source of information since it will ultimately the school accepting the credits. You are always encouraged to keep an open dialogue as early as possible with your transfer school.
Do you offer a degree in __________?
A degree index of all of our available degrees can be found in the 2012-2013 catalog. You can view the degree index here. You can also visit an advisor in person or contact our Online Advisor.
I want to discuss my degree plan with an advisor.
Visit with an advisor in person at any campus Advisement Office. Advisors see students on a first-come, first-served basis (they don't make appointments).
I want information about a specific program.
The best source for information on a particular degree plan is the current catalog. You can view the degree index here.
You can also visit with an advisor in person or contact our Online Advisor. If you are a prospective student, you can visit with Student Recruitment at 918.595.7834 or visit Blue Pass.
I have questions about prerequisites.
Anytime a course has an asterisk in front of the subject designation, such as *ACCT 2223 Managerial Accounting. This means that the course CANNOT be taken until another course has been completed. In this case, the prerequisite course is ACCT 2213 Financial Accounting. To find out what prerequisites a course may have, check out Course Descriptions 2012 - 2013. You will find a brief description of the course, at the end of which will be a list of the prerequisites for that course.
For additional questions about prerequisites, please visit an advisor in person or contact our Online Advisor.
How do I file for graduation?
Once you have enrolled in the last classes you need to finish your degree at TCC, you are ready to file for graduation. Go visit an advisement office on any campus a few weeks into your final semester. Tell the receptionist that you are ready to file for graduation. You will meet with an adviser who will verify that you've met the degree requirements. Then you will leave contact information with the receptionist. You will be contacted when your graduation paperwork has been put together and is ready for you to sign. Filing for graduation will also automatically put you on a list to receive graduation ceremony information. You will receive a letter sometime after the semester has ended to come and pick up your diploma.
Why hasn't my diploma been mailed?
TCC does not mail diplomas. Students will receive letters in the mail notifying them when diplomas are ready. Diplomas may be picked up from the Enrollment Services Office on the campus where they filed their graduation paperwork.
I have questions about proficiency requirements and the 24-hour rule.
All students are expected to show proficiency in reading, English and math before the student reaches 24 attempted credit hours. Most classes require at least one type of proficiency. Proficiency is established in three ways:
1. ACT scores of 19 or more in each of the three areas listed above.
2. Appropriate test scores on the COMPASS placement test.
3. Appropriate course work and grades from a prior college.
If the student does not meet proficiency in one of these areas, he/she will need to remediate by taking the appropriate zero-level, developmental courses.
*Reading proficiency is required for all general education classes.
*Reading AND English proficiency are required before a student can take ENGL-1113 Freshman Comp I.
If you have further questions about proficiency, please visit an advisor in person or contact our Online Advisor.
Testing questions (CLEP, Nelson-Denny, GED, TOEFL, ACT, proctored tests, etc.)
The COMPASS Placement Test assesses students' skill levels in the areas of reading comprehension, writing skills and mathematics. Results help determine appropriate placement for enrollment.
COMPASS results can also be used to remove high school deficiencies and to meet admission requirements.
COMPASS is not timed and is administered on a microcomputer. Students do not need any computer experience to take the tests. The scores are available immediately after testing is completed. A counselor/advisor will discuss the results and provide students with an interpretation of the scores. COMPASS is not a pass/fail examination; it is a tool used to determine present skill levels.
To get signed up to take the COMPASS placement test, visit an academic advisement office on any campus. Speak to the receptionist and ask for a placement test referral. Take that referral to the Assessment Center on that campus. There, they will set you up with a computer to take your test. You will get your results as soon as you finish the test. The Assessment Center works on a walk-in basis. Tests can be taken anytime the Assessment Center is open. The test is free and not timed.
If you have additional questions about the COMPASS test, please visit an advisor in person or contact our Online Advisor.
If you have questions about the Nelson-Denny (and you're NOT a prospective Nursing student), please call Northeast Campus Testing Center at 918.595.7534.
If you have questions about the Nelson-Denny (and you ARE a prospective Nursing student), please call the Metro Reading Lab at 918.595.7212.
If you have questions about any other tests, please call Northeast Campus Testing Center at 918.595.7534.
I have questions about ACT/GED testing and preparation.
For GED and ACT preparation, please call the Continuing Education office at 918.595.7200. For GED and ACT testing, please visit Testing Center Web page on the TCC website or call the Northeast Campus Testing Center 918.595.7534.
I have questions about the Nursing Program.
Please visit the Nursing Web page on the TCC website, visit an advisor in person or contact our Online Advisor.
I have questions about Tulsa Achieves.
If you have deadline and requirement questions, please visit the Tulsa Achieves page on the TCC website or e-mail tulsaachieves@tulsacc.edu. If you have questions about volunteer hours, Metro and Southeast campuses have a Tulsa Achieves advisor on staff in the Academic Advisement Offices, and you are welcome to visit one of those advisors in person.
I need the contact information for my instructor.
Your instructor's contact information will be listed on your course syllabus. If you do not have the course syllabus, log on to Blackboard to see if the instructor has posted the course syllabus there.
How do I find out what books I need?
A few weeks before classes start, print your schedule off of TED. Take that schedule to the bookstore on the campus where your class is located. That bookstore will be able to tell you what book(s) you will need for that class. If your classes are on multiple campuses, then you will have to visit multiple bookstores.
*For online classes, you will buy your books at the Northeast Campus.
For more information, you can visit the TCC bookstore website or call 918.595.7000.
I would like to visit with an advisor on the phone. How do I get to visit with an advisor?
Advisors do not advise students over the phone. Please visit an advisor in person or contact our Online Advisor.
ADMISSIONS
What is the process for applying for admission? What information needs to be turned in before I can enroll?
You will need to do an online TCC application for admission by going to TED. Otherwise, you can apply in person at any campus Enrollment Services Office. Before enrolling in most courses, you will need to turn in your ACT scores and/or take the COMPASS.
What do I need to do to be a concurrent high school student?
High school juniors need a composite ACT score of 21 or higher and/or a minimum GPA of 3.5. Seniors need a composite ACT score of 19 or higher and/or a minimum GPA of 3.0. Both juniors and seniors need to complete a TCC application for admission and turn in their high school transcripts.
How can I get a transcript sent to me or a third party?
You must request an official transcript in writing in one of the following three ways: by visiting any campus Enrollment Services Office, by fax or by mail. The fax numbers and mailing addresses for each campus can be found in our Contact Info section of the First Stop Help Desk website. Your written request must include the following:
- Your full name
- Your student ID or Social Security Number
- The number of transcripts you are requesting
- The address you to which you want the transcripts mailed
- Your signature
How can I get enrolled?
Enroll at the TCC website or in person at any campus Enrollment Services office. We do not enroll students over the phone for credit courses. Continuing Education can enroll students in non-credit, continuing education courses 918.595.8930 at Metro.
FINANCIAL AID
What does it mean when it says "Not eligible"?
This is a designation that tells the student he/she has an incomplete application to the college (i.e. missing transcripts, non-degree seeking, no major selected). Students must submit all "official" transcripts to Enrollment Services, declare a major with advisement and notify a Financial Aid office upon completion.
How do I fill out my FAFSA?
To fill out your FAFSA, you need to go online to www.fafsa.ed.gov, using your previous years' taxes. If you would like to fill out a paper FAFSA, you can contact the Education Department at 800.433.3243, and they will mail you one. However, the paper FAFSA will slow down your processing by several weeks.
What is the TCC's financial aid school code?
TCC's school code is 009763.
What is a PIN, and how can I get one and use it?
Your PIN is a personal identification number from the U.S. Department of Education. To apply for it, go to www.pin.ed.gov. If you ask for it to be delivered by e-mail, it will come within a day or two. You can use it to sign your FAFSA, to sign the Direct Loan master promissory note or to sign into various secure websites.
Can you tell me how long it will take for my financial aid to process?
We cannot give an exact time frame. However, if you have turned in everything we requested by June 1, you should have funds before the first day of classes. If anything was turned in after June 1, we will try our best, but cannot guarantee your funds will be available that soon. We try to work in date order; so, the sooner you complete the requirements, the better.
How will I know my aid is complete?
You can look up the documents we require and your awards on TED, our student website (See FAQ for Getting Started).
Once I sign my award letter, how long will it take for me to receive my money?
Receiving a disbursement is different from receiving a refund. Financial Aid funds will disburse to your account once you are awarded if you are enrolled. For loan recipients, see additional information below.
How long do I have to wait for my loan funds?
Receiving a disbursement is different from receiving a refund. Loan disbursement will require students to have a promissory note and/or entrance counseling on file. The master promissory note and entrance counseling is completed by logging onto www.studentloans.gov. A copy of the entrance counseling confirmation page needs to be turned into the Financial Aid office at any campus. Generally, loans take about a week to post to an account after all the steps are completed.
How long do I have to wait for a refund?
Once a disbursement has posted to a student's account, the account will be credited, showing a zero balance. Any funds leftover will be sent to the student in a refund. This refund should post to his/her Higher One account within five business days.
I need to defer my student loans. What do I do?
The college does not handle deferment forms. Instead, TCC is a member of the National Student Clearinghouse. If you will visit www.enrollmentverify.org and click on "Verify Current Enrollment" and follow the prompts, this will aid in obtaining deferment status. This is only for current enrollment. If you are not enrolled in at least six credits and are not notified of repayment, contact Direct Loans, 800. 848.0979.
