Admission to the College

Motlow State Community College (MSCC) subscribes to the open door policy for admission. All prospective students, including online students, seeking admission to the college must meet applicable admission requirements as determined by their selected applicant admission type.

I. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

1. Admissions Application
   1. All applicants, regardless of type, must submit an admissions application. Applicants are responsible for the accuracy of the information contained within the application. There is no application fee.
2. Residency Classification/Proof of Citizenship
   1. All applicants will be classified as in-state or out-of-state according to the TBR Residency and Lawful Presence policy (03:05:01).
3. Selective Service
   1. Applicants who are born male and are between the ages of 18 and 26 must certify registration with the Selective Service System (“the draft”) before they can register for classes.
4. High School Transcripts
   1. References in this policy to a requirement for an official high school transcript can be satisfied by:
      1. An official transcript showing graduation date from high school, as well as a final GPA. The high school transcript must be a “regular” or “honors” diploma. A special education diploma or certificate of attendance does not meet this requirement.
      2. A home school transcript showing a date of graduation and final GPA.
      3. An official record of high school equivalency (such as a HiSET test transcript). Most state-recognized equivalency exams are acceptable.
5. Immunizations
   1. All first-time students under the age of 18 at the time of registration must submit a completed Immunization Health History Form with a parent or guardian’s signature. This form provides detailed information concerning the recommended vaccines and immunization schedule by the Centers for Disease Control Advisory Committee.
   2. New students 18 years of age or older will acknowledge this information online before registering.
   3. TBR & Immunization Rules
      1. Immunization Rules
         1. MSCC shall ask all applicants for admission to provide health information that establishes the applicant’s compliance 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).
            1. Proof of prior or current military service shall be considered proof of the recommended immunizations.
            2. Students with proof of graduation from a Tennessee high school after 2014 shall not be required to submit evidence of the recommended immunizations, except as specified below.
            3. Students enrolling in a course of study that is exclusively online and does not involve any experiential component shall not be asked to provide immunization information.
         2. Except as otherwise required for specific programs of study, failure to provide documentation of recommended immunization shall not be a bar to admission, however, should MSCC 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.
         3. Notwithstanding the forgoing, 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.
         4. 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.
      2. Information Provided to Students
         1. MSCC shall provide each new incoming student with detailed information concerning the risk factors for hepatitis B infection and the availability and effectiveness of vaccine for persons who are at risk of the disease.
         2. MSCC shall provide each new incoming student with detailed information concerning the recommended immunization schedule for measles, mumps, rubella and varicella for adults issued by the Center for Disease Control Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, and the availability and effectiveness of the recommended vaccines.
         3. Each new incoming student shall return a completed waiver form indicating that MSCC has provided the information required in this section.
      3. Exemptions
         1. A student who is required to show proof of immunization under these rules may be exempted from the requirements only under the following circumstances:
            1. Where a physician licensed by the board of medical examiners, the board of osteopathic examiners or a health department certifies in writing that a particular vaccine is contraindicated for one (1) of the following reasons:
               1. The individual meets the criteria for contraindication set forth in the manufacturer’s vaccine package insert;
               2. The individual meets the criteria for contraindication published by the CDC-ACIP; or
               3. In the best professional judgment of the physician, based upon the individual’s medical condition and history, the risk of harm from the vaccine outweighs the potential benefit.
            2. Where 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.
6. ​Specialized Programs or Limited-Enrollment Programs
   1. In addition to the admission requirements of MSCC, applicants must also meet additional requirements to be considered for acceptance into certain specialized programs. These programs require an additional application and documentation before an applicant can be considered. The specific requirements for each specialized program, and that program’s admission process, are published by the respective program on the College’s website and College Catalog.
7. Readmission
   1. A student who has not attended MSCC for two consecutive terms must reapply for admission. If the student is reapplying for degree admission, and has attended any other college(s) since leaving MSCC, the student must submit official transcript(s) from the other college(s) attended. Failure to provide official college transcripts and report all institutions attended will result in delay of admissions and financial aid processing.
8. Placement Testing
   1. MSCC does not use standardized test scores for admissions purposes, but scores are used for advisement purposes. Degree-seeking applicants have the option to complete placement testing before registering for classes. Additional details on placement and testing are in the TBR Learning Support policy (2.03.00.02).

II. DEGREE ADMISSION

1. All degree-seeking and certificate-of-credit seeking applicants must provide official transcripts from all prior institutions attended, both high school and college, regardless of whether any credits were earned.
2. Any degree-seeking or certificate-of-credit seeking applicants who has attended another college or university shall be considered a transfer student. Transfer students who earned credits but not a degree at another college and are eligible for readmission to the last institution attended are eligible for admission to MSCC. Those who do not meet the readmission standards of the last institution attended may be admitted on academic probation or other established condition.

III. NON-DEGREE ADMISSION

1. Transient Admission (Summer Only)
   1. A transient student is someone who wishes to enroll at MSCC as a visiting student while primarily enrolled at another college (the “home institution”). Their intent is to take courses at MSCC to transfer back to their home institution.
   2. In addition to the admissions application, a letter of good standing from the home institution can permit summer term registration starting on May1; however, a current transcript is required in order to show they have met appropriate prerequisites for summer course(s) being taken at MSCC.
   3. An official transcript that includes spring term final grades from the home institution is required in order for a MSCC transcript to be issued back to the home institution at the conclusion of summer term.
   4. Transient students are not eligible for financial aid at MSCC, but may be eligible for aid through a consortium agreement with their home institution.
2. Audit Admission 
   1. An audit student wishes to attend a course but will not receive credit for the course or a grade in the course.
   2. Audit students are not eligible for financial aid.

   3. To take classes in audit status, a Non-Degree Seeking application must be submitted. Students must also file: (a) an Audit Form with the Admissions & Records Office specifying which classes they wish to take in audit status, (b) Proof of Citizenship documentation, and (c) the Immunization Form.

   4. Admission may be limited or denied based on the availability of space in the individual classroom.

3. Special Student for Credit
   1. A special student for credit wishes to enroll in a course for their own intellectual development without working toward a certificate-of-credit or degree.
   2. Unlike audit students, these students do receive credit and grades for each course in which they enroll.
   3. Personal enrichment students are not eligible for financial aid.
4. Dual-Enrollment Admission
   1. A dual enrollment student is a student currently in high school (including home school), enrolling simultaneously in college courses. 
   2. In addition to the admissions application, dual enrollment applicants must submit:
      1. An official high school transcript
      2. Valid placement test scores (this requirement may vary by high school/homeschool)
      3. Approval from an authorized official of the secondary institution (high school or home school)
      4. Approval from a parent or guardian if the student is under 18
      5. Proof of Citizenship
      6. Hepatitis B Form

IV. ADMISSION TO THE COLLEGE

1. All paper correspondence regarding admissions should be mailed to the Office of Admissions and Records, Motlow State Community College, Department 520, P. O. Box 8500, Lynchburg, TN 37352-8500.
2. Email correspondence regarding admissions should be emailed to admissions@mscc.edu.