As the semester comes to an end and funds are running dry, many students are digging in their car ashtray looking for gas money. If this sounds familiar, you’ll be happy to know that the cost of tuition for Maymester is down.

Maymester hours will be added to the Spring tuition bill, and you only have to pay the difference.

"Maymester is an accelerated program, saves money, and you focus on only one or two classes," according to Daniel Rodriguez, chair of the Counseling Department.

Maymester is a three-week session that meets every day for three hours a day. There are approximately 57 classes and three time periods to choose from. Classes range from Administrative Computer Technology to Physical Education. Students are able to take two classes, but Rodriguez recommends taking only one class.

"Students must wipe the slate clean in order to prepare for these intense courses," said Rodriguez.

Maymester classes were established for students who want to meet graduation requirements, or stay focused on one subject to get ahead. They are not intended for first-time students, but they are for students who have an established grade point average and knowledge of the college system.

"I want to get ahead and finish school as soon as possible," said Rosa Hernandez, a freshman Education major. "I know that they will be more time consuming, but it is three weeks rather than 16 weeks."

Students may apply for financial aid by filing their Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) and then filling out an application for Maymester in the Financial Aid Office. Funding left over from the Pell Grants is given during the Maymester.

"Students will be notified by mail if they are eligible for financial aid for Maymester," said Lamar Duarte, director of Student Financial Services. The Financial Aid Office began taking applications April 1st. For those students who will transfer in the Fall, Maymester financial aid will not affect the Fall award.

Many students from the South Texas region come to Palo Alto to take Maymester classes, since Palo Alto and Northwest Vista are the only two colleges that offer these accelerated courses in the Alamo Community College District.

"Maymester will be intense, but it is well worth it," said Francisco Aranda, an English major at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Aranda is part of the invasion made by students who attend area universities during the Fall and Spring and Palo Alto during the Summer.

For more information about Maymester, contact the Counseling Department at 921-5280 or the Financial Aid Office at 921-5316. For a list of courses offered during Maymester visit the website at http://www.accd.edu/pac/pacmain/pubs/Maymester_Classes.pdf