BELMONT ABBEY COLLEGE
Belmont, North Carolina
The College
The strong family nature of the community of Belmont Abbey College directly influences the campus and classroom atmosphere. Because the College is small, students know the faculty and administration, and the development of lifelong friendships is common.
Residence life gives the student opportunities to develop both social and academic ideals. The sense of community is featured in both the academic and social aspects of the College.
The student body of approximately 1,000 men and women represents thirty-five states and eighteen countries. This diversity adds a valuable dimension to the student's educational experience. The College is coeducational, and approximately 60 percent of the students live on campus. Cars are permitted.
There are many extracurricular activities for students. The College Union offers a full program of social events and entertainment, and the active intramural sports program involves more than 80 percent of the students. Intercollegiate sports for men include baseball, basketball, cross-country, golf, soccer, and tennis. Intercollegiate sports for women include basketball, cross-country, soccer, softball, tennis, and volleyball. Other campus activities include fraternities, sororities, the campus ministry, the student newspaper, the literary magazine, the Leadership Program, the Abbey Players theater group, student government, and more.
Location
The College is situated in rolling, wooded country on a 650-acre campus just on the fringe of Belmont, a small town of 6,000 people. Belmont is 10 miles west of Charlotte, a community of about 450,000 people, which offers many opportunities for entertainment and cultural and recreational activity. Ten miles west of Belmont is Gastonia, population 50,000. Lakes abound in the immediate area, and it is only a 2-hour drive to the mountains and winter sports areas. Charlotte International Airport is a 10-minute drive away, and I-85 is adjacent to the campus.
Majors and Degrees
The degrees of Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science are offered with majors in the following areas: accounting, biology, business management, computer information systems, economics, elementary education, English, history, international business, philosophy, political science, psychology, sociology, sports management, and theology.
Preprofessional training in law, medicine, optometry, pharmacy, and veterinary medicine is available.
Degrees awarded through the Adult Degree Program (described in the Academic Programs section) are in accounting, business administration, computer information systems, economics, elementary education, and liberal studies.
Academic Programs
The academic program is built on a distinctive core curriculum that responds to the diverse nature and needs of the traditional-age student. The core reflects more than 100 years of commitment to liberal arts and Catholic and Benedictine values and emphasizes faith, truth, social justice, international studies, the use of primary sources in the pursuit of knowledge, and the place of the individual in community.
A cumulative average of at least C (2.0 on a 4.0 scale) is required for graduation.
The Adult Degree Program serves students who need to attend college in a program outside the traditional day school program. Students in the Adult Degree Program attend classes three nights a week and/or on the weekend. Students can earn up to 12 semester hours of credit (this is considered full-time), making them eligible to apply for federal, state, and institutional financial aid.
Off-Campus Programs
Through the Charlotte Area Educational Consortium, a cooperative group of twelve colleges and universities, students have free access to all course offerings not available on the home campus and to library holdings of all the colleges. Study abroad may be arranged on an individual basis with a departmental chairman and the academic dean. Internship programs with credit, especially in the social sciences and professional studies, are available.
Academic Facilities
The age of the College (founded in 1876) is reflected in some of its stately old buildings, all of which have been renovated. The library, science building, physical education center, and Student Commons Center are newer additions.
Costs
Tuition, room and board (nineteen meals per week), and required fees for 200405 were $24,506 per year. This cost is reduced by $1800 annually for North Carolina residents through the North Carolina Legislative Tuition Grant program. Books and supplies average $750 per semester.
Financial Aid
College-administered aid comes from the full range of federal programsFederal Pell Grants and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, Federal Work-Study awards, Federal Perkins Loans, and Federal Stafford Student Loans. North Carolina students have access to state grant funds administered by the College. Scholarships based on academic promise are granted each year. About 90 percent of all students receive College aid in some form. All applicants for aid must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) with the Financial Aid Office at Belmont Abbey College by February15. The two criteria for receiving aid are financial need and academic promise.
Numerous companies throughout the region have employees in Belmont Abbey College's Adult Degree Program. Many of these companies provide some form of tuition reimbursement. Belmont Abbey offers a tuition deferment program for students eligible for employer reimbursement.
Faculty
The faculty-student ratio is 1:17. All faculty members engage both formally and informally in student advising and counseling. A professional counselor is also available. Faculty members teach all class levels without regard to academic rank or length of service.
Student Government
There is a student government elected by the student body. This organization, set up with executive, legislative, and judicial branches, is very influential in campus affairs. In addition, students have voting positions on most standing committees of the College.
Admission Requirements
An applicant's high school preparation should include 4 units in English, 3 in mathematics, 2 in social sciences, 2 in science, and 2 in foreign language. For science and math majors, 4 units in mathematics, 1 in chemistry, and 1 in physics are also recommended. The College requires each applicant to submit a completed application, high school transcripts, and SAT or ACT scores. For transfer students, a completed application and college transcripts are required. The combined SAT I scores of entering freshmen average 1012. Acceptance to Belmont Abbey is based on the high school record, grade point average, and SAT or ACT scores. A written recommendation relating to academic abilities and participation in extracurricular activities is helpful but not required. Advanced placement and credit are granted on the basis of the CLEP and AP tests of the College Board. A physician's statement of good health is required as well as documentation of all immunizations. An interview is preferred but not mandatory.
Belmont Abbey College does not discriminate against persons on the basis of sex, age, race, color, mental or physical challenge, religion, national or ethnic origin, or status as a disabled or Vietnam Era veteran in the recruitment and admission of students, the recruitment and employment of staff and faculty members, or the administration of its educational programs and activities as defined by federal laws and regulations.
Application and Information
An application, together with a $35 nonrefundable application fee, may be submitted for either the fall or spring semester; the deadlines are August15 and December31, respectively, but early application is advised. Notification of acceptance is given December1 and January15, then on a rolling basis upon completion of application data. A $400 tuition and room-reservation deposit for boarding students or a $200 tuition deposit for commuting students is due thirty days after the notice of acceptance is received.
For further information, prospective students should contact:
Baseball
