NCC Steps to the Director Credential and Rising Stars Tuition Assistance by Tara Pascoe

Use the SLIDER at the bottom to move horizontally

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Use the slider at the bottom to move you through the tiles outlining the Director Credential and RSTA process.

Use the SLIDER on the right to move vertically

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Some tiles are longer than others and you will need to use the vertical slider to move up and down.

PA KEY Director Credential

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Visit this website for all the Director Credential information. NCC will be issuing you the classes (3 classes=9 credits), but the PA KEY will be the one issuing you the "Director Credential".

Director Credential Requirements

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Review this form to see what the requirements for the Director Credential are. Also listed is information on renewal. Your Director Credential Cert is good for 5 years. You will need to reapply for the DC when it is about to expire, and you will need required professional development and documents listed.

Rising STARS Tuition Assistance Information

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Click this link to see the full description of RSTA. If you do not qualify, you may self-pay. FAFSA or other college funding is not available for these courses.

Do you meet the RSTA Eligibility criteria?

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Rising STARS Tuition Assistance Funding Opportunity:

Please click the link above to see the eligibility requirements for Rising STARS Tuition Assistance.

1. Apply to NCC

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You must apply to the college and choose "Leadership for Early Childhood Program Directors, Specialized Diploma".

Click "Sign in" and then "Create Account". If you are a prior student from NCC, please reapply and choose "Readmit". Any questions regarding your NCC application please contact the admissions office at adminfo@northampton.edu or 610-861-5500.

2. Email an unofficial transcript to your Advisor

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Director Credential Candidates must have an Associate's or Bachelor's Degree with 9 credits in "Early Childhood" to enroll in the NCC coursework.

How to find your advisor and register for a course.

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Watch this video to learn how to find your advisor, tend to Workday Action Items, and register for courses.

3. Tend to any Workday Onboarding Tasks

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After you apply, you will receive an email from the college with your username and password. Log in to Workday and tend to any assigned tasks (called "action items" in Workday). Refer to page one on this document regarding how to find "Action Items" or "Holds". You must tend to these before you can register for a course.

Student Orientation

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All new (or readmitted) students at NCC must attend a "Student Orientation". Zoom sessions are offered on various days and at various times. Choose one that works with your schedule. You will learn about the NCC systems and familiarize yourself with the platforms we use. You cannot register for courses until you attend a Student Orientation, and Advisors cannot lift the hold for this "Action item".

4. Register for Class

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Register for class. The courses that encompass the Director Credential course are: EARL 231, EARL 232 and EARL 233. They do not have to be taken in any specific order. One course is offered per semester. Any questions contact records at record@northampton.edu or 610-861-5494

5. APPLY for PA KEY Rising Stars Tuition Assistance (RSTA)

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Click the link above to access directors on how to apply for RSTA. You will also find a list of all the documents you will need to apply. Refer to the next few tiles regarding information on where this tile is located, Course Information, course number, title, beginning date, end date and number of credits.

PD Registry Financial Assistance Tile

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To apply for RSTA, log in to your PA KEYS PD Registry. Click the Financial Assistance Tile. If you are not able to apply for Financial Assistance, refer to the next tile to update your profile.

FYI: Some applicants are getting an "Error" message. An "incomplete" PD Registry Profile will impede you from accessing Financial Assistance!

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Follow these steps to complete your career pathway and gain access to Financial Assistance.

The Director Credential courses at NCC

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The next several tiles are the courses that make up the "Director Credential". You will need this information if you are applying for Rising Stars Tuition Assistance.

EARL231 Organization and Administration of Early Child Programs

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Click the link above to gather information on the first course of the Directors Credential Program: EARL 231 (course code and description)

EARL232 Leadership Seminar in Early Childhood Education

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Click the link above to gather information on the second course of the Directors Credential Program: EARL 232 (course code and description)

EARL233 The Business of Early Learning & School Age Programs

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Click the link above to gather information on the third and final course of the Directors Credential Program: EARL 233 (course code and description)

Cost of Course

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Use this link to find out how much your course will cost. There are different rates for "in county" and "out of county". Please be mindful of that when submitting cost of course to Rising Stars Tuition Assistance (RSTA). You can find out how much your course will cost in workday once you register or use the link, scroll down to Online Learning-Early Childhood & Library Technical Assistant Discount. Any questions regarding a bill, contact bursar@northampton.edu or 610-861-5407.

Academic Calendar

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To find out start and end dates of a course, access the academic calendar for the semester you are attending. Scroll down and look for the date that "Classes Begin" and "Classes End".

NCC Itemized Financial Billing Statement

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Follow these steps to find your financial billing statement in Workday.

Schedule

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You will have to print your "Schedule" showing Name of course, how many credits, and the start/end date. You will find this info in Workday(see "Current Schedule").

Rising Stars Tuition Assistance will cover 95% of tuition AND fees!!!

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This is not mandatory. This is a snip from the PA KEYS website. You will have an OUT OF POCKET expense for these courses! You must pay them to stay enrolled! Cost of books is also NOT covered!

NCC Bookstore

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Use this link to find out what books you need for which class. You DO NOT need to purchase your books from NCC, but you must make sure you have the most current edition!

How to find books on the NCC Bookstore Website

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Follow these steps to find out which books you will need for your course. The books will be listed in each class, but you may be required to use them the first week!

6. PDF How to Apply for the Director Credential on the PA KEY website after NCC course(s) completion

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Follow these steps to apply for the Director Credential once you have successfully completed the required courses. You will need SEVERAL documents to complete the application (plus a fee). Make sure you have them all done and accessible.

NCC Transcript

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You will need to submit an unofficial transcript for your Director Credential. Please view the above PDF on how to access unofficial transcripts at NCC.

Current students can obtain a copy of their unofficial transcripts through their Workday Student Portal .

Apply for your Leadership Specialized Diploma, After NCC 9 credit course completion!

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If you would like a print out of the "Specialized Diploma", you must request (and pay for) one from a 3rd party vendor called "Parchment". NCC does not issue paper diplomas. NOTE: You do not need a diploma to apply for the Director Credential. PA KEYS will accept the unofficial transcript/printout accessible via Workday (see previous tile).

NCC Workday Information

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Please take some time to view the above worklet which has several useful tidbits on navigating Workday. I am also here to support and guide you in this exciting journey!

If you don't already have a PA Keys registry or need help locating an existing account:

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Click here for a guide to locate or create an account with the PA Keys.

It is free to create an account and additional PD Registry resources are available at pakeys.org/pdregistry.

FAQ: Director's Credential

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Please view the above document regarding FAQ regarding the Director Credential. A candidate must have an Associate’s, Bachelor’s or Master’s degree

with a total of 18 Early Childhood Education credits.

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Please notify Early Childhood Education at education@northampton.edu for further assistance or if any of the links provided are broken.

Reminder: Apply for Graduation at NCC!

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Once all 3 Directors Credential courses have been successfully completed, be sure to apply for Graduation at NCC! Below is a link with Graduation information: Graduation | Northampton Community College