Admission to the College Policy

I. Introduction

Admission requirements are developed to ensure the integrity of the academic environment of the College. As an open-access institution, Volunteer State Community College (VSCC) strives to limit barriers in admission to the extent that compliance with Tennessee Board of Regents policies, the College mission, and state and federal regulations permits.

II. Definitions

1. Academically Talented/Gifted Applicants: An applicant in 9th or 10th grade who is considered academically talented or gifted and recommended by their school to take college courses.
2. Credential Seeking Applicant: An applicant who declares the intent to earn a VSCC degree or certificate.
3. Conditional Admission: An admission status allowing the applicant to enroll in classes before all requirements for admission have been submitted to VSCC.
4. Dual Enrollment Applicant: An applicant in 11th or 12 grade who wishes to enroll in college courses while still in high school.
5. ESOL Only Applicant: Applicants who wish to enroll only in English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes.
6. Fully Admitted: An admission status indicating all admission requirements have been satisfied.
7. Middle College Applicant: A Middle College applicant is one who has been identified as qualified by their school district to enroll in college credit courses as part of the County’s Middle College program.
8. Non-Credential Applicant: An applicant who is not seeking a VSCC degree or certificate.
9. Official Document: A document that was submitted to VSCC on behalf of an applicant directly from the issuing body. Student copies and documents to which the applicant has had direct access are not considered official.
10. Personal Enrichment Applicant: A personal enrichment applicant is one who is not seeking a credential but wishes to take courses for personal enrichment or professional growth. Personal enrichment applicants are not eligible for Financial Aid programs.
11. Visiting Student: A regularly enrolled student of another institution who desires to take only a limited number of hours during a term and who is not presently working toward a credential at VSCC.

III. General Policy

1. A completed application for admission must be submitted to VSCC by the applicant.
2. Except as specified elsewhere, applicants may be admitted conditionally to the College and allowed to enroll prior to their admission file being complete.
   1. Students admitted conditionally must submit all required documentation prior to being allowed to register for any succeeding semester beyond their initial term of admission and may not receive an official transcript of work completed until their admission file is complete unless otherwise required by law or policy.
   2. In extenuating circumstances, an extension of conditional admission may be granted by the Director of Admissions or their designee on a case-by-case basis.
   3. International applicants are not eligible for conditional admission. To be considered for admission, it is recommended an international applicant submit all required admission documentation by November 1 for the Spring semester, March 1 for the Summer semester, or June 1 for the Fall semester.
   4. Applicants wishing to earn college credit while still enrolled in high school are not eligible for conditional admission.
3. Pursuant to State law (T.C.A. §49-7-114), every male who is between the ages of eighteen (18) and twenty-six (26) and is a citizen of the United States or a resident of the United States must register with the Selective Service before registering for classes at VSCC. If a male applicant is under the age of 18 at the time of admission, the applicant must provide proof of registration with Selective Service upon turning 18 years of age if still enrolled at VSCC.
4. Credentials that are not in English should be accompanied by notarized or certified translations from companies with memberships in NACES (National Association of Credential Evaluation Services). In addition, applicants wishing to receive transfer credit for courses taken outside the United States may be required to submit course descriptions and have their educational credentials assessed by an evaluation service.
5. Applicants may be denied admission to the College or to a specific admission category if the applicant fails to provide the required documentation or if the applicant’s credentials fail to meet the requirements specified in the College Catalog for the term for which the applicant is requesting admission to the College.
6. Admission requirements may be waived with the approval of both the Director of Admissions and the Vice President of Student Services with notification to the Director of Financial Aid.

IV. Credential Seeking Applicants

1. High School Credentials: An official transcript must be submitted directly to the Office of Admissions from the high school where the applicant graduated. To be acceptable for admission to a degree or certificate program, official transcripts must include credits earned and a date of graduation.
   1. If an associate degree or higher from a postsecondary institution accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, has been earned by the applicant, high school credentials are not required.
   2. Applicants must graduate high school with a regular diploma or higher-level credential from an accredited post-secondary institution. High school certificates of attendance, special diplomas, or the like are not sufficient for admission to a degree or certificate program. Applicants falling into this category may substitute acceptable scores on the general high school equivalency credential examination or apply as a non-degree-seeking student.
   3. Applicants who graduated from non-public high schools (including private schools, home schools, and church-related schools) must submit an official transcript showing credits earned and the date of graduation. The transcript of a home school applicant must be an official copy from an affiliated organization as defined by state law (T. C. A. 49- 50-801) or be accompanied by a certification of registration with the superintendent of the local education agency where the applicant would otherwise attend. Applicants who cannot provide a satisfactory secondary school credential may substitute acceptable scores on the GED or HiSET examination.
2. Transfer Credentials (degree-seeking): Applicants for admission seeking a degree from VSCC who have enrolled for any credit classes in another institution of higher education, regardless of whether they wish to receive credit for it, must submit a complete official transcript from each postsecondary institution attended. In every case, credentials must include a complete record of courses and credit/grades.
3. Transfer Credentials (certificate-seeking): Applicants seeking to receive transfer credit or applying for Financial Aid must submit a complete official transcript from each institution attended.
   1. Applicants for admission seeking a certificate from VSCC are not required to submit official transcripts from each postsecondary institution attended.

V. Non-Credential Seeking Applicants

1. Visiting Students
   1. College Transcript: Applicants for admission as a visiting student must submit a complete official transcript from the applicant’s current higher education institution.
   2. Visiting Student Letter: A Visiting Student Letter/Permission Form (sometimes called a “Transient Letter”) may be submitted from the applicant’s current higher education institution in lieu of an official transcript. This document does not waive placement requirements for courses (see Section IX.C.).
2. Academically Talented/Gifted Applicants
   1. Applicant Grade: Applicants must be in grades 9 or 10 (completed 8th grade) in a public high school, private high school, or independent home school in Tennessee.
   2. Interview: In most cases a personal interview with the applicant and parent(s) is required. Applicants must, in the opinion of the Director of Admissions, be able to clearly profit from taking college courses.
   3. High School GPA Requirement: Applicants must have a minimum of a 3.2 GPA on a 4.0 scale.
   4. High School Credentials: An official transcript must be submitted directly to the Office of Admissions from the applicant’s high school.
   5. Letter of Permission: A letter from the applicant’s high school principal or counselor recommending them for Talented/Gifted admission is required.
3. Dual Enrollment Applicants
   1. Applicant Grade: Applicants must have achieved a minimum of junior status in high school (completed 10th grade) in a public high school, private high school, or independent home school in Tennessee.
   2. High School Credentials: An official transcript must be submitted directly to the Office of Admissions from the applicant’s high school.
   3. High School GPA Requirement: Applicants must have a minimum of a 2.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale or equivalent.
   4. Letter of Permission: A letter of recommendation for the applicant to participate in the dual enrollment program from the applicant’s high school principal or counselor, is required.
   5. Placement Testing: All dual enrollment applicants must submit ACT scores, or another approved examination, with scores sufficient to meet the placement requirement for the course in which the applicant wishes to enroll. A high school GPA sufficient to place the applicant at the college level may be submitted in lieu of placement testing.
   6. Dual Enrollment applicants who will not be 18 years old before the first day of their first term of enrollment are exempt from the EVEA requirement until such time as they reach the age of 18.
4. ESOL Only
   There are no additional requirements for this classification apart from those listed in Part III of this policy unless the applicant holds an F1 or M1 visa (see Section VI).
5. Middle College
   1. Approval: Applicants must receive approval from their participating school district to be admitted as a Middle College student.
   2. Applicant Grade: Applicants must have achieved a minimum of junior status in high school.
   3. Placement Testing: All middle college applicants must submit ACT scores, or another approved examination, with scores sufficient to place the student at the college level in reading, writing, and mathematics. A high school GPA sufficient to place the applicant at the college level may be submitted in lieu of placement testing.
6. Personal Enrichment
   There are no additional requirements for this classification apart from those listed in Part III of this policy.

VI. International Applicants Holding or Applying for F-1 or M-1 Visas

1. General Requirements – In addition to meeting admission requirements applicable for the type of admission for which they are applying, International applicants must meet the following additional admission requirements:
   1. Applicants holding or applying for F-1 or M-1 visas must apply as either degree-seeking students or ESOL program students.
   2. International applicants will be required to pay out-of-state tuition.
   3. Applicants must submit an Affidavit of Support form, available from the Office of Admissions. The form must be completed by the applicant and/or his/her sponsor and signed or notarized by the applicant’s and/or sponsor’s bank. The affidavit should indicate that the student and/or sponsor has funds equal to the estimated cost of attendance of full-time enrollment for one academic year at the out-of-state rate. Additional funds are required if the applicant plans to bring a spouse or dependent into the country.
   4. Applicants must submit a copy of their I-94 form, visa, and passport. If the applicant is currently enrolled in another United States higher education institution, the applicant must also submit a copy of their I-20.
   5. Applicants must submit proof of medical and hospitalization insurance.
   6. Applicants must submit a tuberculosis (TB) immunization certificate from a licensed physician or other qualified medical authority. Additionally, applicants must meet VSCC’s immunization requirements for admissions (see Section IX.b.).
2. Language Testing
   International student applicants, whose native language is not English and who are not permanent residents of the United States, are required to take a TBR-approved standardized examination prior to admission to VSCC.
   1. Degree-Seeking Applicants
      1. The minimum required TOEFL scores are 500 on the pen-and-paper test or 60 on the internet-based test.
      2. The minimum required score for the IELTS is 5.5.
      3. The minimum test score requirement does not apply to applicants who have already successfully completed all required ESOL courses at VSCC.
      4. The minimum required score on Duolingo is 110.
      5. Exceptions may be made for:
         1. Transfer applicants who have satisfied all freshman English Composition requirements with a grade of C or higher at another institution of higher learning.
         2. Applicants who completed high school in the United States.
      6. Language testing is not required for applicants whose native language is English.
   2. ESOL Applicants
      1. The minimum required TOEFL score is 425 on the pen-and-paper test or 38 on the internet-based test.
      2. The minimum required score for the IELTS is 3.5.
      3. The minimum required score on Duolingo is 55.

VII. Readmission

1. Any former student applicant, not enrolled at VSCC the previous semester (excluding the summer), who wishes to return to the College must file an application for readmission.
2. A readmission application may not be required when requesting a change of admission term. (See Section VIII below).
3. An applicant who is readmitted after completing a one-semester academic suspension will be readmitted as having Academic Probation Status.
4. Unless previously submitted, former applicants seeking readmission to the College must meet the appropriate admission requirements for the type of admission they are seeking as outlined in this policy.

VIII. Changes of Admission Term

1. An applicant may request to change their term of admission to enroll during a term subsequent to their initial term of admission.
2. Changes of admission term are only permitted where the applicant did not enroll in the term for which they were originally admitted or if the student stopped-out for a term in which they would have otherwise been eligible for enrollment.
3. Changes of admission term must be for the succeeding semester after which the applicant was admitted and did not enroll or the semester after which the student stopped-out.
4. Applicants admitted to the Spring semester may request a term change to the Summer or Fall semester of the same calendar year.
5. Unless previously submitted, applicants requesting a change of admission term must meet the appropriate admission requirements for the admission type they are seeking as outlined in this policy.

Additional Documentation

1. Eligibility Verification for Entitlements Act (EVEA)
   1. The Tennessee EVEA (T.C.A. §4-58-103) requires public colleges and universities to verify that any student seeking a state public benefit (in-state tuition and fees) is either a “United States citizen” or “lawfully present” in the United States.
   2. Permanent Resident applicants wishing to seek admission to the College must submit a photocopy of both sides of the permanent residency card (also known as the Form I-551 or green card), visa, or other immigration authorization.
2. Immunizations
   1. The College asks all applicants for admission to provide a health information form that documents the applicant’s status with the recommended immunization schedule for measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella for adults, issued by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).
   2. Applicants are not required to receive vaccination for enrollment. Furthermore, the institution is not required by law to provide vaccination and/or reimbursement for the vaccine.
   3. Except as otherwise required for specific areas of study, failure to provide documentation of recommended immunization shall not be a bar to admission, however, should the college experience an outbreak of a communicable disease, all students without documented immunization for the disease shall be presumed to be un-immunized and subject to immunization, quarantine, or isolation recommendations for the purposes of public health disease control.
   4. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any applicant to a program that involves interaction with children, such as a teacher education or early childhood education training program, must present proof of compliance with the recommended 2-dose immunization schedule for mumps, rubella, and varicella for adults, issued by the CDC-ACIP.
   5. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any applicant enrolling in a school of nursing, laboratory technology, or any other allied health profession must present proof of compliance with the immunization schedule for healthcare personnel issued by the CDC-ACIP.
   6. VSCC will provide each new incoming student with detailed information concerning the recommended immunization schedule for measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella for adults issued by the CDC-ACIP, and the availability and effectiveness of the recommended vaccines.
   7. Each new incoming student must return a completed waiver form indicating that VSCC has provided the information required in this section prior to the applicant registering the first time.
   8. An applicant is exempt from immunization requirements when a parent or guardian or, in the case of an adult student, the student provides to the institution a written statement, affirmed under penalties of perjury, that vaccination conflicts with the religious tenets and practices of the parent or guardian or, in the case of an adult student, the student.
   9. An applicant is exempt from immunization requirements when in the best professional judgment of a treating medical professional, based upon the applicant’s medical condition and history, the risk of harm from the vaccine outweighs the potential benefit or the individual meets the criteria for contraindication published by the CDC-ACIP.
3. Placement Tests
   1. VSCC will not use standardized scores for admission purposes but may use them for advisement purposes as well as a component in the placement decision in accordance with TBR Learning Support Policy No. 2.03.00.02.
   2. Unless otherwise exempt by ACT scores, high school GPA, transfer credit, etc., all applicants will be subject to placement testing for courses having placement requirements or will be required to enroll in the
      appropriate corequisite Learning Support course. The placement test is designed to measure skills in reading, writing, and math.
   3. Applicants with transfer credit who have not been assessed at a Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) institution or completed any college-level courses in English Composition and/or college-level math with a grade of C or higher will be exempt from placement requirements.
   4. Visiting applicants will be subject to placement requirements in the same manner as applicants with transfer credit.
   5. Applicants whose native language is not English may be required to complete a specialized placement test.

X. Limited Access Areas of Study

Certain areas of study are subject to special admission requirements which are in addition to the general admission requirements. Admission decisions for these programs are not made by the Office of Admissions.

XI. Area of Study Changes

1. Area of study changes will be made for the succeeding semester if submitted after the last day of drop/add for the earliest part-of-term in which the student is registered for the semester.
2. Applicants may request to change their area of study to or from a degree or certificate program. At that time, the applicant must meet the appropriate admission requirements for the area of study.
3. Coursework completed as a non-credential-seeking student may be applied to a degree or certificate if said coursework is applicable.
4. Permission to change to a limited access area of study must be obtained in writing from the appropriate decision authority for that area of study.
5. Upon recommendation of the Director of Financial Aid (or their designee), area of study changes may be made for the current semester if submitted after the last day of drop/add for the 15-week part of a term.

XII. Falsification of Documentation

1. Failure to indicate previous college attendance on the application for admission may subject the student to dismissal from the College.
2. Failure to answer questions on the application for admission truthfully, including intentional omissions may subject the student to dismissal from the College pursuant to VSCC Policy III.00.05.
3. Pursuant to T.C.A. §49-7-133, it is a Class A misdemeanor to misrepresent academic credentials. A person commits the offense of misrepresentation of academic credentials who, knowing that the statement is false and with the intent to secure employment at or admission to an institution of higher education in Tennessee, represents, orally or in writing that such person:
   1. Has successfully completed the required course work for and has been awarded one or more degrees or diplomas from an accredited institution of higher education;
   2. Has successfully completed the required course work for and has been awarded one or more degrees for diplomas from a particular institution of higher education; or
   3. Has successfully completed the required course work for and has been awarded one or more degrees or diplomas in a particular field or specialty from an accredited institution of higher education.

TBR Source: Policy 2.03.00.00: TBR Meeting, August 16, 1974; September 29, 1978; June 27, 1980, September 30, 1983; December 16, 1983; June 27, 1986; September 16, 1988; December 2, 1988; June 30,1989; December 7,1990; March 20, 1992; March 19, 1993; September 17, 1993; June 23,1994; December 8, 1994; December 15, 1995; March 7, 1997; June 19, 1998; September 22, 2000; April 2, 2004; December 8, 2006; June 28, 2007; June 24, 2010; Revised December 11, 2014. The admission policy was revised in its entirety on September 30, 1983, superseding the previous policy and all amendments thereto. Revised Jan. 1, 2014 per Tennessee Alternative Diploma Act to reflect change from General Educational Development (GED) Certificate to Tennessee High School Equivalency (HSE) Diploma. Revised at Board Meeting March 30, 2016, Revised at Board Meeting March 21, 2019, Revised at Board Meeting March 25, 2021. Policy 2.03.00.02: Approved at Presidents Meeting August 17, 2010 (Revised former guideline A-100, Basic/Developmental Studies Program (DSP) Operational Guidelines); Presidents meeting February 14, 2012. Revisions approved at Presidents Meeting November 8, 2016. Revised and changed to policy, Board Meeting March 21, 2019; August 9, 2022 updated Exhibit 2. Ministerial Changes April 13, 2023.

VSCC Sources: III: 01:02 signed by President, November 30, 2007; II:09:40 signed by President, March 26,1999; II:09:18 signed by President, July 27, 1997; II:09:15 signed by President, July 25, 1997; December 16, 2008, President's Cabinet; January 28, 2019, President’s Cabinet; February 22, 2023, President’s Cabinet.