Admissions

Admission to the College is open to students who are at least sixteen years of age, have completed their high school diploma, GED, or equivalent, or meet Ability to Benefit requirements, and who are able to benefit from the educational offerings of the College. Admission to the College does not guarantee admission into a specific program or college-level classes. Clear and accessible information regarding college program admission requirements shall be provided in Admissions Office and in other locations. Academic, fiscal and facilities considerations may limit admission to a particular program. The exception to this policy relates to those Minnesota high school students who meet the requirements of the Post-Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) Act of 1985 (See Minnesota State Policy 3.5) or other special high school programs.

Admission to courses is based on meeting validated course prerequisites. Students who are denied access to courses because of inadequate prerequisite knowledge shall be given reasonable opportunity to achieve those prerequisite skills.

The College is committed to the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities nondiscrimination policy.

​Reference: Minnesota State 3.4​

Levels of Admission
Two levels of admission exist within the College:

• Admission into the College in accordance with the admissions policy statement.
• Admission into a major. At this level, preferred skills and knowledge for the occupation or major as well as basic academic skills assessment information can be considered in the admission of a student into a desired major program.

Admission to a Major Program
Students are accepted into major programs for the purpose of obtaining a specific degree, diploma, or certificate. Students may change their major at the beginning of the term by meeting prescribed admission requirements for respective programs. Major programs will not be changed mid-term.

Undeclared Students
A student who has not applied for admission and has not been accepted into a major program area may register for many classes. Some classes may be limited to students admitted to a specific major. Undeclared students are not assigned a faculty advisor and do not qualify for financial aid (Pell grant, loans, college work-study) or veterans educational benefits.

If at a later date the student decides to pursue a degree, diploma, or certificate in the program area, the credits taken as an undeclared student may apply towards a program.

Re-Admission
Students who have interrupted attendance at the College must contact Admissions to apply for re-admission.

Admission Processing Procedure

1. If Records or Admissions has reason to believe that a student’s high school diploma is not valid or was not obtained from an entity that provides secondary school education we may check with the high school or relevant department or agency in the state to confirm the validity. 
2. Records reviews student application and if a student indicates they have a GED, does not have a high school diploma, or the high school entered does not have an associated ACT Code or HS ID in the College’s student information system, the College will request documentation to verify completion of GED or high school diploma. A hold is added to ensure that registration doesn’t take place until we have this documentation.
3. Admissions reaches out to the student to request this documentation and their next steps.
4. Records reviews the documentation for validity once received and end dates the hold.