Central Texas College

I have had the worst experience with Central Texas Community College employees. First off let me start by saying I am an Active Duty Soldier and I joined at 17 years old, starting college was a new process to me (Except for the few college classes I took my senior year of high school). I wasn't sure how the FASFA program would work and I contacted the Financial Aid Advisors to familiarize myself. Long story short I submitted all my paperwork and never heard back from the employee I was working with so I reached out to her again to find out she never submitted my paperwork. After I got conformation she finally submitted my paperwork, I contacted her again because my funds still weren't released only to find out she forgot to tell me I needed to complete another step online. I had to wait several more weeks for my Pell Grant to release because of her errors. Not only have I had issues with her but the CTC "Business Office" never answer there phone. I am missing $400.00 of my Pell grant funds & have called multiple times and left voice messages with my contact information and have yet to receive a phone call back. If you are looking for a college with staff that will support you along the way or at least answer their phones CTC is not the right choice. I suggest researching other colleges before settling for this one because I'd hate for you to receive the same Customer Service I have.

I am a vet that used the G.I bill and I qualified for partial payment through the terms of my enlistment. I have no issues with that. I received a BA from a different online school using the same benefits with 0 issues from the VA or the school. I've taken classes from CTC at brick and mortar locations with no problems with support and tuition. I've recently enrolled into online classes and had a horrible experience with the staff and main campus. My local office fumbled around and did not submit my paper work that I personally gave to them when I enrolled. two weeks later, they did not respond to me so I reached out to them to find out the status of my situation and they told me that the main campus had not received any of my enrollment papers. A month later and after re-submitting the same paperwork that I had already submitted, I was finally enrolled and able to see my classes on the blackboard. One week later, I was unable to see my classes and I called the support desk and they told me that the VA would not pay for my online classes because I was not a Texas Resident. I bought 4 text books for each class at over 100 dollars each that I will not be able to use. My question is how did the office that I dealt with miss this fact? Why did they allow me to go through all of the hoops if his is a common theme?

This school has a great online program. I've never been to the main campus. Teachers are helpful and understanding. 8 week self paced course are the most convenient.

CTC is a great place to begin online learning in my opinion. It took me quite a while to finally get my degree completed; not because of them, but becuase I hadn't quite aquired the self-motivation to complete the task in a timely manner. I took a couple of courses then quit. No matter, CTC was there during my extended leave of absense from them and I jumped right back in like I never left. Never had any problems with any of the teachers, books, lectures or any of it. The only thing that took some time was actually getting my degree mailed. However, one phone call and e-mail later, my degree showed up (once they verified I completed all the courses) in a matter of days. Actually though, if you are looking towards higher learning, I would recommend beginning with your Bachelor's versus an Associates, which I'm working on now with another institution. It would save you headache of wondering whether your next level will accept all your transfer credits.

Interestingly, of all the associate-level IT degrees offered by Central Texas College, the distance learning version is the easiest to earn. On-campus versions appear more difficult, judging from the requirements. In my opinion, the Central Texas College program presents an attractive option for a distance learner desiring an entry-level, IT degree. I transferred into the CTC online Information Technology AAS after completing degrees from other colleges primarily for the purpose of enhancing my resume. After this semester, I require just one more course to complete the AAS in IT. CTC has loads of experience working with the US military and distance learning. The main campus is located just across the highway from the largest US Army base currently in existance - Fort Hood, TX. Positives: Staff is very receptive when transferring CIS credits from other institutions. Professors answer questions usually within one working day. The distance learning counselor literally went out of her way to take care of my issues. Blackboard is a very efficient interface. Most classes can be completed ahead of schedule. CTC is a public institution, and tuition for Texas residents is a bargain, compared to other Texas two-year colleges. Most lower-level IT courses transfer to other two-year CIS or IT programs in Texas. Negatives: This program is very general in scope, and really intended for an entry-level, support position. In other words, you shouldn't expect to learn the nuances of Active Directory or Cisco network management, although the program for US military in Europe offers Microsoft server classes. Out-of-state tuition can be quite expensive.