Students New to e-Learning:

What is the accrediting agency of North Seattle Community College?

North Seattle Community College is accredited by the Northwest Association of Schools, Colleges, and Universities.

Online courses take place within the standard quarter time frame and have specific requirements for successful completion.

These requirements can be found on the course pages or by contacting the instructor directly. Online classes have regular assignments, proctored exams, and ample opportunity for interaction between instructor and students using software discussion tools. In most cases, students are not required to be online at regularly scheduled specific times. However, some instructors may require specific time frames for group chat or online office hours as well as scheduled times for quizzes and exams. Contact the instructor for specifics. North Seattle e-Learning courses require a student to be self motivated and generally it requires three hours of study and work per week per credit to complete the course successfully. This time frame is only an estimate and a student may take more or less time per class depending on knowledge or interest.

Is it possible to get an AA degree by taking only e-Learning classes?

It is possible to get your AA degree by taking only Distance classes and many of these classes are transferable to a 4 year College.  To check if a specific class is transferable you should contact North Seattle Advising Center: 206 527-3658, AdvisorNorth@sccd.ctc.edu. It is also a good idea to contact the advising office of the college you plan to attend to determine if a course you plan to take will transfer to your degree program. 

If you have questions about certain programs or if a specific class will satisfy a requirement a good step may be to come in and talk to an advisor or go to  http://www.northseattle.edu/enroll/advise/

What is the cost of e-Learning? 

e-Learning tuition is comparable to tuition for an on campus class. Please go to our tutition page for a listing of current tuition fees.
In addition many e-Learning courses use Learning Management Systems software (LMS) or other technology that require additional fees. For more information about these fees please go to our fee page. 

For non resident e-Learners who are United States citizens there is a special tuition rate more comparable to the resident rate.  You must notify Registration at 206 527-3664 after you register for the course but before you make payment for this special rate to take effect. 

What are the differences between "primarily", "fully" and "hybrid"  online classes and on campus classes using an online componet?

All e-Learning Modes of Study are defined.

Do I have to come to campus?

The number and requirement of on campus meetings varies by course and is indicated in the "Mode" of the course; some e-Learning courses have at least 1 on campus meeting per quarter that is usually a recommended orientation meeting. Some courses may include proctored exams which can be taken on the North Seattle campus or at another institution with the prior consent of the instructor. See the following link for more information about taking a proctored exam. If a course is listed as "Fully Online" campus meetings are optional so that these courses can be taken at a distance. 

Some of our e-Learning Math courses offer an orientation that includes distributing the textbook please see the Registered Students page for more information.
 
Please see link from Virtual College home to any meetings that are required or suggested for your specific course. You may also see the North Seattle quarterly class schedule or syllabus for the specific requirements of individual courses. Alternative arrangements may possibly be arranged by contacting the instructor prior to the scheduled meeting date.

Does e-Learning qualify for Financial Aid?

North Seattle e-Learning does qualify for financial aid just as an on campus course would qualify.  For more information about applying and qualifying for financial aid please go to the North Seattle Financial Aid page.

What computer or technical skills are required for e-Learning?

Each North Seattle e-Learning instructor develops their course using the tools needed to best deliver the course information.  Individual courses require students to have online skills and experience. 

You can do a web search for tutorials on using your computer for e-Learning. There are tutorials and videos regarding course LMS as well as basic computer skills needed to navigate and use the internet effectively.   There are many resources on the web for accessing your skills in regard to e-Learning here are a few:

• Student Orientations: created at North Seattle Community College e-Learning Office
• Basic Online Skills  created by the Connecticut Distance Learning Consortium
• Required Online Skills: created at South Seattle Community College e-Learning Office
• Is Online Learning for You? created by Butler County Community College
• Skills Required: created by Minnesota State University 

If you need additional help using the North Seattle supported LMS, ANGEL please contact NeLSC to set up an appointment for an orientation or drop by the office during business hours.  The NeLSC staff can help you with general navigation questions.  The staff is not able to help you with specific questions about assignments, the student needs to contact their instructor for these questions. 

For non supported courseware or software including textbook websites students need to contact their specific tech support or contact the instructor for help.