Technical Certificate Students

Prospective students seeking admission to a technical certificate program at Volunteer State Community College must meet the following requirements:

Application:

A completed application for admission to Volunteer State Community College is required.

Application Fee:

Applicants are required to submit a one-time nonrefundable fee of $10.00 with their initial application for admission.

Citizenship:

Applicants who are not citizens of the United States or Permanent Residents should refer to the section entitled Admission of International Students. Applicants with permanent residency status 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. A PASSPORT IS NOT CONSIDERED TO BE IMMIGRATION AUTHORIZATION.

High School Credentials:

All applicants seeking a technical certificate from Volunteer State Community College should request an official transcript be mailed directly to the Office of Admissions from each high school attended. To be acceptable for admission to a technical certificate program, official transcripts must include credits earned and a date of graduation. Faxed or student issued copies of transcripts are not considered official.

To be admitted to a technical certificate program, applicants must graduate high school with a regular diploma or higher. High school certificates of attendance, special diplomas or the like are not sufficient for admission to a technical certificate program. Applicants falling into this category may substitute acceptable scores on the GED examination or apply as a non-degree student. See the Admission of Non-Degree Students section for admission requirements for applicants not seeking a technical certificate.

Public Tennessee High Schools: In addition to the above requirements, the transcript of graduates of Tennessee public high schools must include a notation indicating that the student passed the required proficiency exam beginning with the 1983 graduating class.

Non-Public Schools: Applicants who graduated from nonpublic high schools (including private schools, home schools, and church-related schools) must submit an official transcript showing credits earned and 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 which the student would otherwise attend. Applicants who cannot provide a satisfactory secondary school credential may substitute acceptable scores on the GED examination.

High School Equivalency Diploma: Applicants 18 years of age or over may be admitted with an average score of 45 or more on the General Educational Development (GED) Test. Official scores on the GED should be mailed directly to the Office of Admissions from the testing agency.

ACE Diploma: The American Council on Education External Diploma may be accepted in lieu of a high school transcript for students who completed high school requirements and received the ACE Diploma.

Transfer Credentials:

Applicants for admission seeking a technical certificate from Volunteer State Community College who have enrolled for any credit classes in another institution of higher education and do not wish to receive credit for coursework completed there do not have to submit official transcripts from other institutions for Admission purposes. Applicants wishing to receive transfer credit must submit a complete official transcript to the Office of Admissions from each institution attended. Faxed or student issued copies of transcripts are not considered official. In every case credentials must include a complete record of credits earned in all previous secondary schools attended and a complete record of grades from all collegiate institutions attended. Failure to indicate previous college attendance on the application for admission may subject a student to dismissal from the College.

Transfer students should refer to the Granting Transfer Credit section for information on course evaluation and credit transferability.

Applicant Age:

Applicants must be 16 years of age or older.

Draft Registration:

All male applicants, born in 1960 or later, who have attained the age of 18, must have proof of draft registration before registering for classes at Volunteer State Community College. 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 Volunteer State Community College.

MMR Immunization:

All applicants who enroll as full-time students who were born in 1957 or later must provide proof of immunization with two doses of measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines administered on or after their first birthday, unless they graduated from a Tennessee public high school in 1999 or later. If at any time an applicant becomes a full-time student at Volunteer State Community College, this admission requirement will go into effect.

Hepatitis B Immunization:

All applicants must complete and submit to the Office of Admissions the Hepatitis B Immunization Health History form. Applicants are not required to complete the shot series. For those students who have reached the age of 18, this form can be completed online at the time of registration. Students under the age of 18 must submit the form to the Office of Admissions with a parent or legal guardian's signature prior to registering for classes.

Placement Testing:

Certificate applicants wishing to take courses outside of their certificate program may be required to take a placement test. Applicants whose native language is not English may be required to complete a specialized placement test.