ADMISSIONS
POLICY
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University is an equal opportunity institution committed to the equality of educational opportunity and does not discriminate against applicants based on race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age or disability. Moreover, its doors are open to people of all races and it actively seeks to promote racial integration by recruiting and enrolling a larger number of white students, as well as other ethnic minorities. Unless otherwise specified, admission to all undergraduate curricula is under the jurisdiction of the Director of Admissions.
PROCEDURES
Submission
of Application
Inquiries and applications for admissions should be made to the Office of Admissions, B. C. Webb Hall, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Greensboro, North Carolina 27411. A non-refundable fee of $35.00 is required with each application. The University does not accept fee waivers.
Application
Deadline
The recommended deadlines for submitting the application for admission is June 1 for the fall semester and December 1 for the spring semester. Applications received after these dates will be honored on a day-to-day basis as long as classroom space is available. Applications for early decision must be received by November 1 prior to the fall semester of the intended enrollment. In all cases, early application is encouraged because class space and housing facilities dictate to some extent the number of new students that can be admitted for each semester.
International students on non-immigrant visas are required to submit the application by May 1 for the fall semester and November 1 for the spring semester.
Supporting
Documentation
1. To be considered official, all transcripts from high school and/or college must be sent directly to the Office of Admissions from the sending institutions.
2. SAT or ACT scores, when applicable, should be official and reports sent directly from the testing agency. The University’s CEEB code for the SAT report is 5003; the code for the ACT report is 3060. Official scores listed on high school transcripts and student received reports may be utilized for admission consideration.
3. The submission of a final or complete transcript from the last school attended is the responsibility of the student. Thus, the University reserves the right to withdraw any offer of admission if the applicant fails to satisfy all requirements prior to the beginning of the first semester of enrollment. Students who have not fulfilled minimum admission requirements will be withdrawn from classes by the University.
Notice
of Admission and Confirmation
The University practices “rolling admission”; therefore, decisions are made as soon as a file is complete. Early decision notices are mailed between December 1 and December 15. Candidates who are offered admission must notify the University by January 15 of their intent to enroll. Students approved for admission are forwarded a “Certificate of Admission.” The candidate reply date of May 1 for freshman students for each fall term is honored by the University. Transfer students should confirm their acceptance within two weeks of the receipt of the admission letter. Failure to comply may adversely affect the candidate’s reserved space. Persons who are not approved for admission will also be notified in writing on a timely basis.
Prior to registration for each semester, the final official high school transcript showing the date of graduation must have been received for all new freshmen, and the final official college transcript must have been received for all transfer students. In addition, the Medical Health Form must be completed by the student’s physician and returned, along with a copy of his or her Immunization Record, to the Director of Health Services. North Carolina law requires the University to suspend students who have not satisfied immunization requirements within 30 days from the beginning of classes for that semester. An immunization record copy from your high school is acceptable.
Freshman
Applicant
An applicant for admission is considered individually in accordance with the following criteria:
1. Academic achievement in the English language and fundamental mathematical processes as evidenced by passing grades in all high school English and math courses;
2. Complete record from an accredited secondary or preparatory school with graduation based on no fewer than 16 units. (See subject matter requirements in next section.)
3. Submit official Scholastic Assessment or the American College Test Scores. (Students may be exempt from these tests if the high school graduation date is five (5) or more years at the point of matriculation to the University.);
4. Submit official high school transcript showing rank in class, GPA computed on a 4.0 scale and senior courses in progress.
These criteria and those which follow are applied flexibly to assure that people with unusual qualifications are not rejected in the admissions process. However, admission to the University is selective for out-of-state students. The University of North Carolina System has mandated that no more than 18 percent of the freshman class can be from out-of-state. Therefore, academic achievement and SAT/ACT scores must be competitive.
Minimum Undergraduate Admissions Requirements
For admission to all undergraduate programs, the applicant must present sixteen (16) units of high school credit in the following academic fields:
English 4 units Science 3 units (iii)
Mathematics 3 units (i) Electives 4 units (iv)
Social Sciences 2 units (ii)
(1) All students must present Algebra I, Algebra II and Geometry. Students who plan to major in Engineering, Mathematics, Chemistry and Physics should present an additional unit beyond Algebra II e.g., Trigonometry, Math Analysis, etc.
(2) United States History is required.
(3) A biological science, a physical science and a science with a laboratory are required.
(4) No more than 2 units in vocational subjects and 2 units in the disciplines of Music and Physical Education.
In addition to the above listed criteria, the minimum standards governing admission to the School of Nursing are as follows:
1) a combined Scholastic Assessment Test score of 800 or higher, or
2) a cumulative grade point average of “B” or better.
These requirements are the Minimum Admissions Requirements for all sixteen campuses of the UNC System. For the class of 1990 and beyond, the following courses will be required for admission, in addition to an institution’s own specific requirements:
In English, four course units emphasizing grammar, composition and literature; in mathematics, three course units including Algebra I, Algebra II, and Geometry, or a higher level mathematics course for which Algebra II is a prerequisite;
In science, three course units including at least one unit in a life or biological science (for example, biology), at least one unit in a physical science (for example, physical science, chemistry, physics), and at least one laboratory course; and
In social studies, two course units including one unit in U.S. history; however, an applicant who does not have the unit in U. S. history may be admitted on the condition that at least three semester hours in that subject will be passed by the end of the sophomore year.
In addition, it is recommended that prospective students complete at least two course units in one foreign language, and take one foreign language course unit and one mathematics course unit in the twelfth grade. “Course units” as defined in these requirements may include those high school level courses taken and passed by an applicant after graduating from high school, as well as those taken while enrolled as a high school student.
The University of North Carolina System and North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University may waive some of the minimum high school course unit requirements under the following categories:
1. Applicants who do not meet the minimum high school course unit requirements but who were awarded the high school diploma prior to 1988 and the interim admission requirements for applicants who were awarded the high school diploma in 1988 or 1989;
2. Applicants who are at least twenty-four (24) years of age prior to the first day of classes for the semester which the applicant is applying;
3. Transfer applicants who (a) have the associate of arts, the associate of science, the associate of fine arts, the baccalaureate or any higher level degree, or (b) are pursuing a degree under an approved articulation agreement, or (c) have completed six semester hours of degree creditable work in each of the following areas: English, Mathematics, the Natural Sciences, and the Social and Behavioral Sciences.
For specific requirements, students should refer to the respective schools/college section and to departmental listings in this bulletin. However, the University reserves the right to change admission standards for schools/colleges prior to the semester the student plans to enroll.
THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA
Appalachian State University, East Carolina University, Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, North Carolina Central University, North Carolina School of the Arts, North Carolina State University at Raleigh, University of North Carolina-Pembroke, University of North Carolina at Asheville, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Western Carolina University, Winston-Salem State University.
Transfer
Students
The University accepts qualified students by transfer from other accredited colleges. Applications for admission may be considered if the transfer student:
1) is not presently on social or academic probation at the last or current school of attendance;
2) has a cumulative average of at least a “C” at the institution from which transferring and is eligible to return to that institution; and
3) has not been suspended or dropped from another institution.
Transfer students who have attended another accredited college but have earned less than twenty four (24) semester hours of specific acceptable credit must meet all freshman requirements. Transferable coursework must include six (6) semester hours in each of the following areas — English, history, mathematics, science — in order to be exempt from any high school requirements. Transfer for programs in the School of Engineering requires a 2.5 GPA if transferring from a four year institution with an accredited engineering program or 3.0 GPA if transferring from other types of institutions. Applicants with a cumulative GPA of 1.7-1.9 may be admitted to the University’s undecided major category.
Applications from transfer students cannot be considered until all credentials are received from the high school and all other institutions previously attended. In addition, there must be a statement of good standing and honorable dismissal from these institutions. Previous college records must show a cumulative average of “C” or above. No course is accepted in transfer in which a grade below “C” was earned.
Transfer applicants may be exempt from sending high school transcripts and/or standardized test scores if they fall under the following categories:
1. Applicants who were awarded the high school diploma prior to 1988 and/or are at least twenty-four years (24) years old prior to the beginning of classes and have completed twenty-four (24) semester hours of degree creditable work;
2. Applicants who have the associate of arts, the associate of science, or the associate of fine arts, the baccalaureate or any higher level degree;
3. Applicants who have completed a degree under an articulation agreement; or
4. Applicants who have completed six (6) semester hours of degree creditable work in each of the following areas: English, Mathematics, the Natural Sciences, and the Social and Behavioral Sciences.
Accepted courses are recorded to the student’s credit, but grade points are not calculated on the transferred courses. The University does not accept transfer credit from challenge examinations or for course work where grades of P/F have been given. The maximum number of transferable credits is 80 semester hours from a 4 year college and 64 semester hours from a 2 year college.
Transfer applicants who are not covered by the above-stated policy are referred to the next section on special students. However, the University reserves the right to change admission standards prior to the semester the student plans to enroll.
Special
Students
Special students are those who are not candidates for degree at the present time. This category includes 1) visiting students and 2) persons who have not enrolled for one academic year and are ineligible for admission as a transfer student. The University welcomes into this admission status enrollment of persons who are pursuing degrees elsewhere, who possess a baccalaureate degree, or who desire to earn prerequisites for graduate work. Such students may register upon the presentation of a signed statement from the appropriate official of his/her institution, or certifying agency specifically listing and approving the courses to be taken. Such enrollment does not constitute regular admission to the University. To apply for this category of admission, the applicant must submit the application form for admissions with fee and provide supporting documentation as appropriate. Transcripts from all colleges and universities attended are required if the applicant plans to enter degree-seeking status at a later date. Visiting students must submit a transient course study form from the home institution that has been approved by the department chairperson, school or college dean and the University registrar. All others must provide evidence of readiness to pursue the courses desired and a statement of objective and purpose related to the request for special student admission.
Such persons may register for no more than 12 semester hours per academic term and may remain in this category until they have attempted a total of 24 semester hours.
After completing one semester of full-time study or its equivalent, the unclassified student may petition the Office of Admissions to be admitted to the University as a regular degree candidate on the basis of his/her academic accomplishments. All communications must be written and sent to the committee in care of the Director of Admissions.
International
Students
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University welcomes and accepts applications from qualified students who are not United States citizens. Such students must meet each of the following criteria:
1) Satisfy all requirements governing admissions for the School to which the application is made. The expected program of study from their feeder school should be university preparatory and the leaving school certificate marks must support academic promise.
2) Show proficiency in written and oral English usage. If English is not the first language of communication, the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required and a satisfactory level of English proficiency on both the total and part scores are required. A minimum score of 550 is required. An applicant may submit SAT/ACT scores in place of TOEFL scores.
3) Can conform to all contract regulations of the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service and be eligible for F-1 Student status as a freshman or transfer student from another school.
The I-20 Certificate of Eligibility will be prepared for all new international students who are admitted to the University and who have official documentation on file attesting to their ability to meet their school fees. The University has no financial aid for international students and permission to work is not usually granted by INS.
OTHER POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
Filing of Credentials
Applicants should take the proper steps to see that their credentials (transcripts, etc.), are sent to the Director of Admissions as early as possible, preferably not less than thirty (30) days before the beginning of the semester in which they plan to enroll.
Interviews and Campus Visits
Interviews are not required for admission; however, persons with unusual circumstances are welcome to schedule appointments to discuss these matters with an Admissions Counselor or the Director of Admissions. Campus visits are encouraged and campus tours are routinely given. Reservations for the tour are highly recommended.
Orientation, Registration and the Opening of the Semester
All newly admitted students are expected to attend Orientation, and freshman students living on campus must arrive the day preceding the freshman Orientation program (see University Calendar). Orientation for transfer and special students is scheduled for the day preceding registration. Placement testing in Mathematics, English and Reading is required for all freshmen. These tests are designed as aids for academic advising and scheduling. Students who fail to show proficiency in these academic areas will be assigned remedial course work. Transfer students for programs in Engineering, Mathematics, Computer Science, Animal and Plant Science, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, and Electronics Technology are required to take a special mathematics test.
Permission to Take Courses Elsewhere
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University degree-seeking students who desire to take courses elsewhere, i.e., summer, fall, or spring, are required to obtain approval from their school/college dean before registering at another institution. Course descriptions are needed in order for accurate evaluations to be done. Only the credit hours will transfer to A&T and a minimum grade of “C” is required for a course to transfer. The University does not accept credit from proficiency examinations or grades of P/F. Transient Study Forms and Guidelines for off-campus study are available in the Office of Admissions.
Regulations for Veterans and Children of Deceased and Disabled Veterans
Veterans and children of deceased and disabled veterans must meet regular admission requirements. Preliminary application for any educational benefits due them should be made to the nearest regional office of the Veterans Administration well in advance of the desired admission date in order that the necessary information and documents may be obtained. Veterans who have a minimum of one year of active service may receive credit for Health Education, Physical Education, and military science electives. A copy of the DD-214 must be submitted to the Office of Admissions.
Graduate Applicants
Graduate school admission is under the supervision of the Dean of the Graduate School, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Greensboro, North Carolina 27411. For information concerning admission, please write the Dean of the Graduate School, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Greensboro, NC 27411.
Continuing Education Applicants
Summer session, the evening and weekend college and continuing education, off-campus and non-credit courses, are under the supervision of the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. Information concerning admission and/or enrollment should be directed to that office. The address is:
Office of Continuing
Education and
Summer Sessions
1020 Wendover Avenue
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
Greensboro, NC 27411
Generally, admission requirements for continuing education classes are the same as those for comparable work in regular classes on campus. However, persons may enroll without being officially admitted for non-credit courses and programs not applicable to a University degree. A continuing education applicant is usually one of mature years, with special training along particular lines or of long experience in special fields of knowledge. Thus, such a person can be either a degree or unclassified applicant. Continuing education enrollees who have taken compatible courses for credit may later choose to change their status to degree seeking. At the time of application for admission to degree status, the continuing education applicant is required to satisfy the standard admission policies.
RESIDENCE STATUS FOR TUITION PURPOSES
The basis for determining the appropriate tuition charge rests upon whether a student is a resident or a nonresident. Each student must make a statement as to the length of his or her residence in North Carolina with assessment by the institution of that statement to be conditioned by the following:
Residence. To qualify as a resident for tuition purposes, a person must become a legal resident and remain a legal resident for at least twelve months immediately prior to classification. Thus, there is a distinction between legal residence and residence for tuition purposes. Furthermore, twelve months’ legal residence means more than simple abode in North Carolina. In particular, it means maintaining a domicile (permanent home of indefinite duration) as opposed to “maintaining a mere temporary residence or abode incident to enrollment in an institution of higher education.” The burden of establishing facts which justify classification of a student as a resident entitled to in-state tuition rates is on the applicant for such classification, who must show his or her entitlement by the preponderance (the greater part) of the residentiary information.
Initiative. Being classified a resident for tuition purposes is contingent on the student’s seeking such status and providing all information that the institution may require in making the determination.
Parents’ Domicile. If an individual, irrespective of age, has living parent(s) or court-appointed guardian of the person, the domicile of such parent(s) or guardian is, prima facie, the domicile of the individual; but this prima facie evidence of the individual’s domicile may or may not be sustained by other information. Further, nondomiciliary status of parents is not deemed prima facie evidence of the applicant child’s status if the applicant has lived (though not necessarily legally resided) in North Carolina for the five years preceding enrollment or reregistration.
Effect of marriage. Marriage alone does not prevent a person from becoming or continuing to be a resident for tuition purposes, nor does marriage in any circumstance insure that a person will become or continue to be a resident for tuition purposes. Marriage and the legal residence of one’s spouse are, however, relevant information in determining residentiary intent. Furthermore, if both a husband and his wife are legal residents of North Carolina and if one of them has been a legal resident longer than the other, then the longer duration may be claimed by either spouse in meeting the twelve-month requirement for in-state tuition status.
Military Personnel. A North Carolinian who serves outside the State in the armed forces does not lose North Carolina domicile simply by reason of such service. And students from the military may prove retention or establishment of residence by reference, as in other cases, to residentiary acts accompanied by residentiary intent.
In addition, a separate North Carolina statute affords tuition rate benefits to certain military personnel and their dependents even though not qualifying for the in-state tuition rate by reason of twelve months’ legal residence in North Carolina. Members of the armed services, while stationed in and concurrently living in North Carolina, may be charged a tuition rate lower than the out-of-state tuition rate to the extent that the total of entitlements for applicable tuition costs available from the federal government, plus certain amounts based under a statutory formula upon the in-state tuition rate, is a sum less than the out-of-state tuition rate for the pertinent enrollment. A dependent relative of a service member stationed in North Carolina is eligible to be charged the in-state tuition rate while the dependent relative is living in North Carolina with the service member and if the dependent relative has met any requirement of the Selective Service System applicable to the dependent relative. These tuition benefits may be enjoyed only if the applicable requirements for admission have been met; these benefits alone do not provide the basis for receiving those derivative benefits under the provisions of the residence classification statute reviewed elsewhere in this summary.
Grace Period. If a person (1) has been a bona fide legal resident, (2) has consequently been classified a resident for tuition purposes, and (3) has subsequently lost North Carolina legal residence while enrolled at a public institution of higher education, that person may continue to enjoy the in-state tuition rate for a grace period of twelve months measured from the date on which North Carolina legal residence was lost. If the twelve months end during an academic term for which the person is enrolled at a State institution of higher education, the grace period extends, in addition, to the end of that term. The fact of marriage to one who continues domiciled outside North Carolina does not by itself cause loss of legal residence marking the beginning of the grace period.
Minors. Minors (persons under 18 years of age) usually have the domicile of their parents, but certain special cases are recognized by the residence classification statute in determining residence for tuition purposes.
(a) If a minor’s parents live apart, the minor’s domicile is deemed to be North Carolina for the time period(s) that either parent, as a North Carolina legal resident, may claim and does claim the minor as a tax dependent, even if other law or judicial act assigns the minor’s domicile outside North Carolina. A minor thus deemed to be a legal resident will not, upon achieving majority before enrolling at an institution of higher education, lose North Carolina legal residence if that person (1) upon becoming an adult “acts, to the extent that the person’s degree of actual emancipation permits, in a manner consistent with bona fide legal residence in North Carolina” and (2) “begins enrollment at an institution of higher education not later than the Fall academic term following completion of education prerequisite to admission at such institution.”
(b) If a minor has lived for five or more consecutive years with relatives (other than parents) who are domiciled in North Carolina and if the relatives have functioned during this time as if they were personal guardians, the minor will be deemed a resident for tuition purposes for an enrolled term commencing immediately after at least five years in which these circumstances have existed. If under this consideration a minor is deemed to be a resident for tuition purposes immediately prior to his or her eighteenth birthday, that person on achieving majority will be deemed a legal resident of North Carolina of at least twelve months’ duration. This provision acts to confer in-state tuition status even in the face of other provisions of law to the contrary; however, a person deemed a resident of twelve months duration pursuant to this provision continues to be a legal resident of the State only so long as he or she does not abandon North Carolina domicile.
Lost but Regained Domicile. If a student ceases enrollment at or graduates from an institution of higher education while classified a resident for tuition purposes, and then both abandons and reacquires North Carolina domicile within a 12-month period, that person, if he or she continues to maintain the reacquired domicile into re-enrollment at an institution of higher education, may re-enroll at the in-state tuition rate without having to meet the usual twelve-month durational requirement. However, any one person may receive the benefit of the provision only once.
Change of Status. A student admitted to initial enrollment in an institution (or permitted to re-enroll following an absence from the institutional program which involved a formal withdrawal from enrollment) must be classified by the admitting institution either as a resident or as a nonresident for tuition purposes prior to actual enrollment. A residence status classification once assigned (and finalized pursuant to any appeal properly taken) may be changed thereafter (with corresponding change in billing rates) only at intervals corresponding with the established primary divisions of the academic year.
Transfer Students. When a student transfers from one North Carolina public institution of higher education to another, he/she is treated as a new student by the institution to which he/she is transferring and must be assigned an initial residence status classification for tuition purposes.