Resources for High School Counselors

Before Applying

If students have questions about what major to choose, would like to visit campus, or just have general question about OCC, then this is the perfect time to connect with an Admissions Specialist. You can have an Admissions Specialist visit your school or they can connect virtually through text, email, or live session. 

OCC College Visit for High Schools

If you want to speak with an Admissions Specialist who specializes in working with students from your area, visit the Connect page for their contact info or to sign up to visit campus.

Exploring Academics

If your student hasn't decided on a program, a great jumping off point is our 4 Schools. Each School focuses on a specific academic area and houses the correlating degrees and certificates. 

OCC's 4 Schools

If students still aren't sure what they are interested in after talking to an Admissions Specialist, our Career Services can help students discover their options. They can get in touch by email careerservices@sunyocc.edu.

Applying

Applying is easy! No essays and no SAT/ACT scores required. The application takes about 5 to 10 minutes.

If students are unsure of what to major in, they can simply choose a School that is closest to their area of interest. 

Apply Now!

After Submitting an Application

Applications take 2 weeks to be processed once they are submitted. Then the student will receive an acceptance email and letter sent to their home. This letter will include the contact information for their Onboarding Contact.

Each student is assigned an Onboarding Contact, an OCC employee that acts as a single point of contact through the rest of the admissions process. This person will help students with the steps to enroll in classes, complete paperwork and help with any questions. They will also connect students with various offices on campus including financial aid, advising, etc.

Onboarding Contacts will reach out to students via text message and to their personal emails they included on their OCC application. Please encourage your students to check these frequently as their Onboarding Contact will be directing them with next steps. 

Students should:

• Submit their transcript to transcriptsubmission@sunyocc.edu or mail it to
  • Onondaga Community College
    Attn: Office of Admissions
    4585 West Seneca Turnpike
    Syracuse, NY 13215
• Complete & submit a 

• and email it to immunizations@sunyocc.edu or
  • fax: (315)498-2000

For questions, please call Student Central at (315) 498-2000

Financial Aid

We encourage students to apply for financial aid as soon as possible. A good time to do this is right after they apply.

Some helpful information:

• FAFSA application: https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa
• Students and families/support members should also complete the TAP (Tuition Assistance Program) application, which will link directly from the FAFSA. This is for NYS residents only. 
• Parents will need taxes from 2 years ago (ex: 2018 taxes will be used for 2020)
•  The OCC school code is 002875

After submitting your FAFSA:

Once Financial Aid has received your FAFSA information, the student will get a letter in the mail and an email letting them know that their financial aid package will be available via their personal or OCC email (steps to set up an OCC email are located in the "Setting Up Accounts" tab).

If the student receives an email from Financial Aid letting them know that their FAFSA is incomplete, it may be due to one of the following:

• Missing Signature
  • If the student is check as Dependent and a parent or guardians' signature is missing, Financial Aid will let them know.
  • If the student is checked as Independent Financial Aid will reach out to verify more information.
• Selected Verification
  • Any student who applies can be chosen at random. If chose, Financial Aid will send an email with a link and the student must upload tax return information (W2, 1040) for Financial Aid to verify. 
• Citizenship Verification
  • If a student is flagged by the government, financial aid must verify the student's citizenship. Financial Aid will send an email and the student must submit their birth certificate and/or passport to be verified.

For more complete information on the financial aid process visit our financial aid website. 

Financial Aid 

Reach out to faoinfo@sunyocc.edu or (315)-498-2000. 

Pay Tuition Bill

For guidelines on how to pay tuition bill, please visit www.sunyocc.edu/tuition-payments.

Important note for students that live outside of Onondaga County: they must fill out a Certificate of Residence form in order to be charged in-County tuition. If they do not submit this form, they will be charged out-of-state tuition rates. 

Looking for information on scholarships? View that tab below. 

Setting Up Accounts

Once the student has received their acceptance letter and their transcript(s) have been turned in, they'll receive an email with a link to set up an OCC email and a MyOCC account (student portal). Follow the email instructions step by step.

The email account is where the Financial Aid package will go, as well as be a primary form of direct communication with the student on all things OCC. Please encourage students to get in the habit of checking their college email. 

The MyOCC account is how students will register for classes, see their grades, and pay their bill.

Need help?

Have the student send an email to occinfo@sunyocc.edu or call Student Central at (315) 498-2000. 

Registering for Classes

Housing Application

This is for students interested in on-campus housing. They must submit a separate housing application after they have:

1. Applied to OCC and chosen a major
2. Registered for at least 12 credits and 9 of them taken on campus

Things to note:

• There is a non-refundable $200 application fee
• Students must submit all required documents outlined in the admission and housing application processes in order to be assigned a room.

Visit the housing website to learn more.

Residence Hall Application

For questions about residence life, send an email to reslife@sunyocc.edu