BE PART OF BORICUA COLLEGE

Boricua College is a special place where you are free to explore who you are, understand where and where you came from, and determine your future experience, our tradition of academic excellence and build lifelong friendships with students and professors.

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UNDERGRADUATE FORM

GRADUATE FORM

The academic year at Boricua is made up of three sessions, the Fall/Spring regular session of fifteen (15) weeks each and the Summer session of eight (8) weeks. Students may begin their studies in September for the Fall session and in January for the Spring session. The specific dates for each session are indicated in the Academic Calendar for the year. To apply for admission to the College a prospective student must complete the following steps:

ADMISSIONS

To be eligible for admission to Boricua College a prospective student must:

Be a high school graduate, or have the equivalent of a high school diploma;
Pass a written entrance examination and an oral interview examination given by an Admissions Committee of the Faculty.

Recognizing that most Boricua students may be employed, full or part-time, throughout their undergraduate studies, a prospective student must therefore be ready and able to build course-work, home, family, community and employment into an integrated program of educational growth and development. It is important to note that employment in the form of supervised internships and clinical residence may be included as a vital part of the College’s educational program.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

STEP 1

Submit a completed Application Form, together with a non-refundable fee of $25.00 ($100.00 for Master degree applications), to the Admissions Department at one of the following locations:

Evette Camacho
Admissions Director
Manhattan Campus – Audubon Terrace
3755 Broadway (156 St.)
New York, NY 10032

Teofilo Santiago
Admissions Director
Bronx Campus Center – Boricua Village
890 Washington Avenue
Bronx, NY 10451

Aurea Morales
Dean/Admissions Director
Brooklyn Campus Center – Graham
9 Graham Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11206

STEP 2

Contact all high schools, colleges and/or other post-secondary institutions previously attended, and request that an Official Academic Transcript be forwarded directly to the Admissions Department.

STEP 3

Submit two (2) Letters of Recommendation.

STEP 4

Submit Immunization record.

STEP 5

Have an interview with an Admissions Counselor; receive financial aid information from a financial aid counselor. (See also academic requirements for federal and state financial aid in the section on “Financial Aid”).

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

1. Complete a written diagnostic examination to guide the faculty in designing a suitable educational program.
2. Complete an individual or group oral interview conducted by an Admissions Committee of the faculty. The Admissions Committee makes the final decision regarding a prospective student’s ability to function in the College’s programs. Decisions are based primarily on the Committee’s judgment regarding the candidate:
(a) Academic competence and ability to devote full-time to college level studies.
(b) Ability to integrate academic, employment, family and community responsibilities
into a coherent program of educational development.
(c) Maturity and discipline to assume progressively greater responsibilities for academic
planning, development and evaluation.
(d) Genuine interest in problems and needs of their community.
3. Following review of an applicant’s file, written notification of admissions is mailed to the applicant.
Boricua College accepts only full-time students.
The College’s general admission requirements allow a prospective student to begin their education in the Generic Studies-Liberal Arts and Sciences program and complete the Core Curriculum. Each Bachelor degree program, however, may require a student to fulfill additional requirements prior to or during matriculation as determined by each academic Department.
The College will accept a grade of “C” or above for courses transferred from another institution accredited by an appropriate accrediting agency of the United States. Because of Boricua’s unique educational model, however, these transferred courses may not substitute for the specific requirements of an academic program but may be used to fulfill “Electives Courses requirements.” Courses taken in excess of seven (7) years from the current academic year of a student’s enrollment may be rejected from consideration. Transfer Students must complete all the requirements of the Generic Studies-LAS Program before entering a bachelor’s degree program.
Students who enter with an Associate in Arts Degree or forty-five (45) credits in the Liberal Arts and Sciences may be exempt or considered Transitional Students. Nevertheless, Transitional Students are required to achieve at least fifteen (15) credits in Generic Studies-LAS Program courses; with a grade point average of 2.0, complete at least one (1) set of Individualized Instruction modules; and receive the approval of a Senior Academic Administrator. The Transitional academic term is required for the purpose of orientating a new student to the College's non-traditional educational system
Students who have a foreign high school diploma or an Individual Education Program (IEP) certificate and have passed the federal Ability to Benefit (ATB) exam. They can apply for admissions and receive financial aid if they qualify. Preparation for the ATB is available through the College’s College Prep Program department. The College will sometimes accept students as special admits without a high school diploma, and allow them to register for up to 24 credits, if they pass a Federal Ability to Benefit exam. They must, however, pass a N.Y. State High School Equivalency exam or be awarded the Equivalency exam by the N.Y. State Education Department for successfully completing the 24 college credits.
The College provides all instruction in English and requires all student work to be produced in English. Boricua College is bilingual and if students request clarification of a concept or statement in Spanish, the faculty has the obligation to clarify in Spanish as needed.

The College typically enrolls full-time students each year: females outnumber males 79% to 21%. The average age of the student population is 29 years, and about 80% are employed; 75% of the students are Puerto Rican or Latino, 18% are African American, 7% are White non-Hispanic, and from other ethnic backgrounds.
An average of 200 new students are admitted each year to replace those who graduate or leave to complete degrees not offered by the College, and also for economic or other reasons offered by the College.
From Fall 2019 to Fall 2020 the retention rate was 50%. These levels parallel that of other institutions with a similar student body. And, as is the case with adult students everywhere, many will interrupt their studies temporarily and return later to complete their degrees.
Approximately 29% of the average annual enrollment achieve their degrees each year. About half receive an Associate degree, and many of these, about 40% continue to complete their Bachelor degrees. The overall graduation rate is 79%.
As of June 2021 the College has awarded a total of 12,275 degrees.
In Brooklyn, P.S. 257 employs seventeen of Boricua’s graduates, and at P.S. 380, twelve graduates are employed. Several graduates from the Manhattan Campus have also been appointed as school principals and assistant principals, agency directors, and one Brooklyn Campus graduate has been elected to the N.Y. State Assembly. Boricua’s Education students passed the State Certification exams above the New York State required 80%.

REGISTRATION, TUITION AND FEES

The academic year consists of Fall and Spring terms of fifteen weeks each, and a Summer term of eight weeks. The College considers 38 weeks of continuous instruction to be crucial in enabling adult working students to graduate in optimum time while providing them with a wide range of learning opportunities.
Boricua College is a private, non-profit institution of higher education. Tuition charges and fees are established for the year by the Board of Trustees and may be adjusted by the Board each year based on the costs of academic programs and administration. Tuition is charged on a per-term basis and not per credits, payable in full on Registration day. Until such payment is received, or other arrangements made with the Bursar, a student may not register for the academic term. Gifts and grants received by the College are used towards scholarships to the extent permitted by donors and other sources. No official documents regarding a student’s academic standing will be released by the College if the student has an outstanding tuition bill.
Tuition Charges for Academic year 2023-2024:
Fall Cycle: $6,250.00
Spring Cycle: $6,250.00
Total: $12,500.00
Summer Cycle: $2,500
Master Degree Program:
Fall & Spring Cycle: $18,000.00
Prior to each term, eligible students are notified by mail about the dates and times of registration. Newly admitted students, and students in good academic standing during the previous six (F/S) academic terms, are allowed to register. Other students must complete a re-admissions procedure. On registration day every student is assigned an Educational Facilitator who will serve as primary instructor of up to 10 credits and as academic advisor. A student must complete the registration procedure in order to receive academic credit.
A pre-requisite course is one that prepares a student for advanced courses in a chosen field. Pre-requisites and requirements are determined by each department for each academic program and may be waived at the request of the Department Chairperson and upon signed approval by a senior academic administrator.
Students may change their courses by submitting a Change of Class form to the Department of Registration and Assessments: These changes are accepted only within the first three weeks of the Fall and Spring academic terms, and within the first week of the Summer academic term.
Students are required to register for full-time study. They may withdraw from the College after registration by submitting an Official Withdrawal Form issued by the Department of Registration and Assessments. Educational Facilitators or administrators are not authorized to withdraw students.
An official withdrawal within the first three weeks of the academic term may result in a reduction of tuition charges as follows:
 Week 1 = 25% of Tuition
 Week 2 = 50% of Tuition
 Week 3 = 75% of Tuition
 Week 4+ = 100% Tuition
If for special personal reasons a student may need to reduce their course workload, they may withdraw from either the Theoretical or Cultural Studies course and still remain in good academic standing. They may not, however, reduce their credit load below 12 credits, and cannot withdraw from Individualized Instruction courses or Colloquium. Partial withdrawal does not result in a reduction of tuition charges for the total term.
It is important to note that the Federal government will withdraw a student’s PELL tuition aid grant if their attendance or credit falls below a certain level. (See Page 28).
A student’s workload consists of Contact Time with Faculty, and Supplementary Assignments based on the Commissioner’s Regulations 50.1(o) for a 15 week academic term as noted below.
Boricua College’s programs are designed to permit students of differing capacities to progress toward a degree at their own pace. Occasionally, a student’s progress is so limited as to make disenrollment from the college clearly in the student’s and the College’s best interest. If a student’s progress is judged as not likely to improve in the foreseeable future, the Assessment Committees and Department Chairpersons may advise the student to withdraw from the College for one or more terms.
In case of insufficient registration in a particular course (defined as less than 15 students), the College is not obligated to offer that course. If a course is cancelled because of insufficient enrollment, students may be enrolled in another course.
Students needing a particular course not offered in a forthcoming term may consult with the department Chairpersons. Generally, courses listed in the catalogue are provided if there is indication from the academic administrators that the course is needed, or if at least 15 students sign a petition requesting that it be offered. Such requests must be made at least five weeks before the beginning of the term.
Students must carry ID cards at all times while on College property. The Department of Registration and Assessments distributes ID cards. All students must present a copy of their Tuition Charges Statement to receive, or validate an ID card. There is a five dollar ($5.00) fee for replacement of a lost ID card.
Cost of books and supplies are approximately $400 per year. Students may request to have book costs, supplies and other necessary items deducted from their financial aid awards, including textbooks purchased on-time from the College’s new E-bookstore.
Other specific policies regarding registration and matriculation may be found in the manual and policy memos of the Department of Registration and Assessments.

Although Boricua has no guarantee of regular support from outside sources, the College accepts the challenge of making its educational programs available to all who need and want to study. Meeting this challenge means students must be willing to apply for financial assistance from government and private sources. The staff of the Financial Aid Department assists students in developing the best possible package of financial assistance including grants, scholarships, loans and other sources.