Admission Categories
NOTE: This page makes several references to the TASP exam and requirements. Effective September 1, 2003, TASP was replaced by the Texas Success Initiative. Contents of this page will be updated with the publication of the 2004 catalog.Vernon College (VC) offers an opportunity for all responsible adults to take advantage of the courses and programs available at the College. In general, any accredited high school graduate or otherwise qualified individual may be admitted to a semester hour credit program of study from which he/she may substantially benefit. A student may be admitted through one of the following categories:
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graduation from an accredited high school GED Certificate transfer concurrent enrollment foreign student individual approval continuing education (non-credit) courses |
Admission to the College does not mean admission to programs which have additional requirements, such as cosmetology, nursing, and others. For specific requirements, see section on special program admissions in the Vernon College catalog.
A graduate of an accredited high school is eligible for admission without regard to units or courses taken in high school. An official high school transcript showing graduation must be presented for admission.
A non-high school graduate who is at least sixteen (16) years of age and who has successfully completed the General Education Development Test (GED) is eligible for admission. A copy of the student's test scores must be presented for admission.See information about special GED Scholarships for 2001-2002.
Certificate and degree seeking students must submit official transcripts from all colleges or universities previously attended. Transcripts from other institutions submitted to Vernon College become property of the College and are not reproduced and/or mailed to other institutions, agencies, or individuals. Students applying for financial aid must also submit official transcripts from each college or technical school previously attended.Students who are not enrolling to complete a certificate or degree need only submit an official transcript from the last school they attended.
An applicant for admission by transfer must be in good standing and eligible to register in the last college attended. If a transcript is received which shows academic suspension from the last school attended after the student has completed enrollment at Vernon College, the student will be subject to administrative withdrawal with forfeiture of tuition and fees.
In the event that a student is in a status of suspension from the last college attended, the Admissions Committee will review the matter upon receipt of a written petition from the applicant and make a decision on his/her admission. Applicants approved by the Admissions Committee will be admitted on probation.
Normally all college-level course work satisfactorily completed at a regionally accredited college or university, including courses with a grade of D, will be accepted in transfer to Vernon College. The transferability of courses completed at a non-regionally accredited institution will be determined by the Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid/Registrar with assistance from qualified faculty members.A course-by-course evaluation of transfer work for students seeking a certificate or degree will be completed by the staff of the Admissions and Records Office and/or other appropriate college personnel. Notification of the amount of credit that will transfer will be sent to the student as soon as his/her admission file is completed and evaluated, preferably prior to enrollment, but at the latest, prior to the end of his/her first semester of enrollment.
Note: Acceptance of transfer courses does not imply applicability to degree requirements. Degree applicability will be determined by a department chairperson, instructional administrators, and/or Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid/Registrar.
Failure to disclose the name of each and every college or university previously matriculated (enrolled in) without regard to whether credit was earned or not will be considered as an intentional omission and may result in disciplinary action including, but not limited to, administrative withdrawal with forfeiture of tuition and fees.
High school seniors may be admitted to concurrent enrollment (taking college courses for credit before graduation from high school) by receiving permission from their high school principal and the Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid/Registrar. High school students below grade twelve may be admitted to concurrent enrollment in designated classes through permission of the high school principal and the appropriate dean of instruction.To be eligible for enrollment in a concurrent credit course in an associate degree, the high school student must present a passing score on the Texas Academic Skills program (TASP) test or a Board-approved alternative assessment instrument in at least one area (mathematics, reading, writing) as deemed applicable by the College for the intended concurrent course in which the student shall enroll. Students who are exempt from taking the TASP test or the alternative assessment are also exempt for purposes of concurrent course credit.
To be eligible for enrollment in a concurrent credit course in a TASP-waived College certificate program, the high school student must have passed all sections of the exit-level TAAS test or otherwise be meeting graduation requirements.
The Concurrent Enrollment Request and Approval Form is available online.
It is the goal of Vernon College to make educational opportunities available to all students who can benefit from its programs. With such a goal, however, is the commensurate responsibility to make every effort to assure that students can function within the institution with a reasonable chance for success. The purpose of the admissions policy for foreign students, therefore, is to recognize the difficulties students educated in a non-English speaking culture might have and to establish guidelines designed to afford foreign students a reasonable assurance that they can function in an institution of higher learning in the United States.
- Complete the application for admission. Instructions for applying online are available. If you apply online be sure to specify the country of your citizenship. An application fee of $10.00 must be paid before the application will be processed. Click here for payment options.
- Mail to the Office of Admissions and Records an official secondary school record and an official transcript of all college work. If the records are not recorded in English, an English translation of the records acceptable to Vernon College must also be included. All academic records and translations must be certified as true copies by a notary public, officials of the institutions attended, a representative of a U.S. counseling office, or a U.S. consular official.
- Furnish the Office of Admissions and Records a signed and certified statement of financial resources available in the U.S. in an amount not less than $7,500.00 per year of anticipated enrollment. Financial aid programs are not available to foreign students. The U.S. Immigration Service rarely approves a work permit for a foreign student.
- Request that the Educational Testing Service forward the results of the applicant's Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) to Vernon College. The institution requires a minimum TOEFL score of 550 for unconditional admission. Students scoring 500-549 may be admitted, provided the applicant submits documentation that is acceptable to the Vernon College Admissions Committee from an English language program showing successful completion. Foreign students must also meet the requirements of the Texas Academic Skills Program (TASP) as outlined in the Vernon College catalog.
- Applicants who have successfully completed at least 12 semester hours of college-level work at an accredited college or university in the United States may be admitted without the results of the TOEFL. Transfer applicants meeting this qualification should have an official college transcript forwarded to Vernon College in addition to the documents specified in items 1 and 3.
- The application for admission and $10.00 application fee must be received at least 90 days prior to the beginning of the semester. All admissions documents must be received by the Office of Admissions and Records at least 30 days prior to the beginning of the semester so that a decision can be made concerning the applicant's admission and an I-20 may be issued for a student visa for an applicant who is accepted for admission.
- Foreign students must provide proof of good health, proof of immunizations, and documentation of a health insurance policy, including repatriation within forty-five (45) days of registration.
A person who is 18 years of age or over and has no transferable credit from another college or university, has no GED Certificate, and did not graduate from an accredited high school may be admitted on individual approval to a workforce education program under the following conditions: The Dean of Admissions or Assistant Registrar is convinced that the applicant would be competent to benefit from the program, and the applicant's competency is demonstrated by the completion of a state-required TASP or local program assessment test. Students admitted under this category shall be subject to the same policies and regulations as all other students. Federal legislation requires that a student admitted under provisions such as individual approval pass a designed exam (TASP) to be eligible for financial aid.
Generally courses taught through the Continuing Education (Non-Credit) Division have no admission requirements, although some non-credit programs may require admittance or specific admission criteria. Students should review the Continuing Education section of the Vernon College catalog for further information. Applications for non-credit courses should be made through the Continuing Education Division.
Provisional (temporary) admission may be granted to applicants who have not provided all documents required by the registration date. Students so admitted must supply the required documents within a reasonable period, or face possible administrative withdrawal. A Provisional Agreement should be signed by the student prior to completion of the registration process. Provisional admission is not allowed during periods of early registration.All admission requirements must be met, however, before a student can receive financial aid, grades, or a transcript. Failure to complete admission requirements within a reasonable time period may result in disciplinary action including, but not limited to, administrative withdrawal with forfeiture of tuition and fees.
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