Admissions

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The College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability, political affiliation, genetic information or military/veteran status in any of its activities or operations.

Open Door Admissions

Except as otherwise specified herein, the Southeastern Community College maintains an open-door admission policy to all applicants who are legal residents of the United States and who are high school graduates or are at least eighteen (18) years of age. The college shall not solicit or use information regarding the accreditation of a secondary school located in North Carolina that a person attended as a factor affecting admission to the college or to any program of study, loans, scholarships or other educational activity at the college unless the accreditation was not conducted by a state agency. For purposes of this Policy, the term “accreditation” shall include certification or any other similar approval process. Student admission processing and placement determination shall be performed by college officials. Admission requirements for an emancipated minor shall be the same as for an applicant who is eighteen (18) years old or older. Non-emancipated minors may be admitted and allowed to attend the College pursuant to State Board Code 1D SBCCC 200.95.

The open-door policy does not mean there are no restrictions on admission into specific college programs. Students shall be admitted into specific college programs when they demonstrate aptitude for these programs as determined by personal interest, academic background, placement tests and personal interviews. If an academic deficiency exists, applicants will be given an opportunity to remove the deficiency by taking preparatory work. (Policy 5.1.1)

Admissions Denials

Basis for Denials

Suspension/Expulsion from another Educational Entity. If the College suspends or expels a student for non-academic disciplinary purposes, the college shall record the suspension or expulsion in the student's educational record. Upon receipt of a written request signed by the student and subject to all applicable privacy laws, the college shall, in accordance with the student's request, inform other colleges and universities of the term and circumstances of the student's non-academic disciplinary suspension or expulsion, if any. The College reserves the right to refuse admission to any applicant during any period of time that the applicant is under a period of suspension or expulsion from another educational entity for non-academic disciplinary reasons.

Safety Concern. The College reserves the right to refuse admission to any applicant if it is necessary to protect the safety of the applicant or other individuals. When making a safety determination, the College may refuse admission to an applicant when there is an articulable, imminent and significant threat to the applicant or other individuals. When refusing admission based on safety concerns, the dean of student services shall document:

Detailed facts supporting the rationale for denying admission;
The time period within which the refusal to admit shall be applicable and the supporting rationale for the designated time period; and
The conditions upon which the application that is refused would be eligible to be admitted.

Residency for Distance Learning. The College is not authorized to provide distance learning courses outside of North Carolina unless state authorization has been granted from the state in which the applicant resides. State authorization requires colleges to seek and secure authorization to offer instruction in that state.

Admission of applicants residing outside of North Carolina to an on-line degree, diploma, certificate program or individual on-line courses offered by the college is dependent on the college’s ability to secure authorization from the applicant’s state of residence.

State authorization does not affect the cost of attending the college. Tuition requirements, including those for out-of-state students, still apply. This requirement does not apply to non-credit continuing education courses.

Undocumented Immigrants. An undocumented immigrant is any immigrant who is not lawfully present in the United States. The College shall not admit undocumented immigrants unless all the following conditions apply:

The undocumented immigrant attended and graduated from a United States public high school, private high school or home school that operates in compliance with State or local law.
The undocumented immigrant must comply with all federal and state laws concerning financial aid.
The individual shall not be considered a North Carolina resident for tuition purposes and must be charged out-of-state tuition regardless of whether the individual resides in North Carolina.
When considering whether to admit the individual into a specific program of study, the College shall take into account that federal law prohibits states from granting professional licenses to undocumented immigrants.
Students lawfully present in the United States shall have priority over any undocumented immigrant in any class or program of study when capacity limitations exist.
An admitted undocumented student will not be permitted to register for a class or program of study or be placed on a waiting list until the conclusion of the last published registration date for the term.

Readmissions. The College reserves the right to refuse readmission to a former student who has unsettled financial obligations at the College or who has not complied with previous disciplinary requirements.

Criminal Justice Education and Training. The College requires students enrolled in courses mandated under N.C.G.S. § 17C and 17E, the North Carolina Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission or the North Carolina Sheriffs' Education and Training Standards Commission to be sponsored by law enforcement agencies until completion of the program. The student must be sponsored by a law enforcement agency to be admitted into the program. Failure to have such sponsorship shall result in an admission’s denial.

Non-Criminal Justice Education and Training Firearm Courses. Except for courses governed by Criminal Justice Education and Training, if the College has a program that requires students to possess a firearm, prior to admission, the student must provide proof of eligibility to possess firearms. For purposes of this Policy, “firearm” means a handgun, shotgun or rifle that expels a projectile by action of an explosion; “proof of eligibility” means: i) a current, valid State-issued permit to purchase a firearm; ii) a current, valid State-issued concealed carry permit from North Carolina; iii) a current, valid State-issued concealed carry permit from a state with a reciprocal concealed carry agreement with North Carolina; iv) proof of an exemption from permit requirements pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 14-415.25; or v) a background check to determine whether the applicant can lawfully possess a firearm in North Carolina pursuant to N.C.G.S. §§ 14-269.8; -404(c); -415.1; -415.3; and -415.25. See the North Carolina General Statues for more information.

Appeal for Admissions Denials

If an applicant is denied admission to the College for any of the reasons specified in the Basis for Denials section, within five (5) calendar days following the receipt of the reasons specifying the denial, the applicant may file a written appeal with the dean of student services for reconsideration. The written appeal shall contain the applicant’s reasons why he/she should be admitted and shall include any supporting documentation. The dean of student services shall also meet with the applicant and provide the applicant with an opportunity to respond. Within ten (10) calendar days from receipt of the applicant’s written appeal, the dean of student services shall make his/her determination and provide the applicant with a written response.

If the applicant does not agree with the dean of student service’s determination, within five (5) calendar days following the receipt of the dean of student service’s determination, the applicant may file a written appeal with the executive vice president. The executive vice president shall conduct an “on the record review” and shall make a determination within ten (10) calendar days after receipt of the applicant’s written appeal. The executive vice president’s decision is final.

General Admissions Procedures

Admission to the College does not guarantee immediate acceptance to the curriculum program desired by the applicant. Admission to certain programs may have additional specific entrance requirements. Students may have to complete basic skills or developmental level courses before being accepted into their desired academic curriculum program. The dean of student services administers all admissions requirements and enforces all college admission policies and procedures. (Procedure 5.1.1.1)

Curriculum Programs

Diploma and Degree Seeking Applicants

For curriculum diploma and degree seeking applicants, all applicants must:

Submit a completed application for admission.
Provide an official high school transcript or an official GED score from a regionally accredited institution. These transcripts must include the date the diploma was awarded, the type of diploma and have the institution’s official seal. It must be mailed or electronically transferred from the issuing institution or agency. Current applicants who are high school seniors should submit a transcript showing work through the end of the first semester of the senior year. A final official transcript must then be submitted upon high school graduation, and before enrollment, to be fully accepted. Applicants who have completed an associate’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited post-secondary institution may submit college transcripts with conferred degree awarded in lieu of high school transcripts.
High school transcripts will be evaluated to determine whether developmental courses are required before enrollment into college-level Math and English courses and other courses requiring college-level Math or English skills. Unweighted high school grade point average determines placement in most cases. Students whose unweighted high school grade point average is 2.79 or lower will be placed into developmental Math and English courses. Students whose programs require them to complete ENG 110 will be directly placed into the class with no minimum requirement. It is recommended that students complete their developmental requirements during the first two semesters of enrollment. If a student’s high school transcript does not show completion of NC Math 2, the student will be placed into developmental Math and English classes.
1. Students who score 22 or higher on the ACT Math Test (After March 2014) or 530 or higher on the SAT Math Test (after March 2016) will be placed in gateway Math courses.
2. Students who score 18 or higher on the ACT English test or 22 or higher on the ACT Reading test (after March 2014) or 480 or higher on the SAT English test (after March 2016) will be placed in gateway English courses.
3. Students who provide high school equivalency scores will be placed as follows:
  1. Students who score 15 or higher on all five HiSET tests and 4 or higher on the HiSET essay will be placed in gateway Math and English courses.
  2. Students who completed the GED in 2014 or later and who scored 165 or higher on all 4 parts will be placed in gateway Math and English courses.
4. Students who have graduated from a high school outside of the U.S.; who have graduated from an online high school; or who have completed the GED before 2014 will be placed using the ACCUPLACER Next Gen test. The placement test minimum scores below are aligned with the North Carolina Community College System Developmental Education Framework.
  1. For access to ENG 111, students must score 250-300 on the Reading test.
  2. For MAT 110, 143, or 152, students must score 249-300 on the Arithmetic test.
  3. For access to MAT 171, students must score 247-300 on the Quantitative Reasoning, Algebra, and Statistics test.
5. Students who have transfer credit (grade “C” or better) from a regionally accredited institution for college transferable Reading, Math, and English courses will not be subject to placement testing or high school GPA requirements. Developmental level courses may be considered for transfer credit if taken at a North Carolina community college within the last three (3) years. The student must submit an official transcript to receive transfer credit and to officially waive the need for placement testing. A maximum of seventy-five percent (75%) of the total semester credit hours in any program will be accepted in transfer.
Returning students who are eligible for readmission and who have not been enrolled at the College for two (2) academic semesters must submit a new admission’s application and update residency classification prior to registration. The student is required to meet the curriculum requirements in effect at the time of readmission according to the current college catalog.

Students who have been placed on academic or disciplinary suspension must fulfill the terms of their suspension before being considered for readmission. Students on disciplinary suspension must also submit a letter to the dean of student services requesting readmission.
The College reserves the right to deny readmission to a former student, including a student who has unsettled financial obligations at the college or who has not complied with previous disciplinary requirements. All the student’s debts to the college must be paid in full before registering for courses.
Students graduating from a home school. Students graduating from a home school will be considered for admission on the same basis as public school students, provided that:
1. The applicant provides evidence that the home school was registered with the state of North Carolina, or another state.
2. The applicant’s transcript includes the following:
  1. Name of the applicant
  2. Social security number and birthdate
  3. Courses taken and credits earned each year
  4. Cumulative grade point average or other measure of academic progress
  5. Date of graduation
  6. Signature of school administrator
Undocumented Immigrants. An undocumented immigrant is any immigrant who is not lawfully present in the Unites States. The College shall not admit undocumented immigrants unless all the following conditions apply:
1. The undocumented immigrant attended and graduated from a United States public high school, private high school or home school that operates in compliance with state or local law.
2. The undocumented immigrant must comply with all federal and state laws concerning financial aid.
3. The individual shall not be considered a North Carolina resident for tuition purposes and must be charged out-of-state tuition regardless of whether the individual resides in North Carolina.

Non-Degree Seeking Applicants

Non-degree seeking students are those students who enroll in one or more courses but do not desire to graduate from one of the established curricula. The student may register for any course which is open to all students and does not require a prerequisite. However, if a student plans to register for a course that requires a prerequisite course, the student must submit an official transcript from a regionally accredited institution showing completion of this requirement with a grade of C or better prior to registering. An applicant who plans to enroll in mathematics and/or English courses must satisfactorily complete the college placement test requirements. Non-degree seeking students may not register for courses in a program that has a waiting list or restricted admission (such as nursing).

Non-degree seeking students are not eligible for financial aid or veterans’ benefits nor are they permitted to earn any degree, diploma or certificate awarded by the college.

Continuing Education Programs

For applicants seeking admission to a continuing education program, all applicants must complete the college’s continuing education registration process and pay the applicable tuition and institutional fees.

Certificate Programs

For applicants seeking admission to a certificate program, all applicants must complete the college’s certificate program registration process and pay the applicable tuition and institutional fees. Students who change from certificate programs to diploma or associate degree programs must complete the additional requirements for admission to those programs.

Provisional Admissions

In certain situations, an applicant may be provisionally accepted by the College and permitted to register prior to completion of all admissions requirements. Students who are admitted on a provisional basis must complete all admission requirements within the first semester of attendance. Failure to complete the provisional requirements could result in the student being denied continued admissions for the next semester.

Changes in Residency Status

Rules and regulations concerning residency for tuition purposes are administered by the North Carolina Residency Determination Service. A student’s residency must be determined prior to registration and payment of fees during the semester in which the student wishes to have residency status changed to in-state. If the application is received after registration for the semester, the application, if approved, will be effective for the next semester.

To qualify for in-state tuition, students must have maintained domicile in North Carolina for at least 12 months immediately prior to enrollment. Individuals must establish that their presence in the state during the designated 12-month period was for the purpose of maintaining a bona-fide domicile and not to establish temporary residence. Special situations involving marriage to a North Carolina resident, out-of-state military assignment, or employment with a North Carolina employer should be brought to the attention of the registrar.

If a student’s residency classification changes, it is the student’s obligation to apply for reclassification with the registrar. A student who provides false residency information or knowingly withholds residency information shall be deemed to have submitted a fraudulent application. A student making a fraudulent application is subject to reclassification and, if appropriate, payment of the difference between non-resident and resident tuition for the enrolled semester(s) intervening between the fraudulent application and its discovery.