POLICY 03:11:00

Pellissippi State is committed to serve the post-secondary educational needs of the community. The College develops specific admissions policies consistent with the TBR policy. The College provides opportunities for collegiate education to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, gender, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, age, veteran status, or disability. In order to be admitted as a credit student, individuals must meet the requirements of admission to the category for which they are applying. The requirements reflect the academic background and/or basic academic competencies required to succeed in the various courses and programs.

Applicants seeking admission to Pellissippi State to enroll in credit courses for a degree must comply with the following requirements:

• Submit a completed application for admission.
• Provide official academic transcripts and test scores as applicable.

Admission of First-time Freshmen

Graduation from high school

Exce pt as provided in the section below on the high school equivalency diploma , applicants for degree admission as first-time freshmen must provide an official transcript showing graduation from high school. The high school transcript must be a “regular” or “honors” diploma. A special education diploma or certificate does not meet this requirement. A Tennessee public high school graduate’s transcript must include a notation that the student passed the required proficiency examination.

High School equivalency diploma

Applicants for degree admission as first-time freshmen may present a high school equivalency diploma in lieu of a high school diploma provided that their composite scores meet the College’s requirements.

Standardized examination scores

Applicants for degree admissions as first-time freshmen must submit valid ACT or SAT scores or be placed into the appropriate co-requisite learning support courses with the option to take the Accuplacer challenge test. Valid ACT or SAT scores are those earned within five years prior to the first day of the first term of enrollment.

Admission of Transfer Students

Any degree-seeking applicant 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 who are eligible for readmission to the last institution attended are eligible for admission to Pellissippi State. Those who do not meet the readmission standards of the last institution attended may be admitted on academic probation or other established condition. People who have a degree or certificate equivalent to the associate degree in a particular field who wish to take additional courses are eligible for admission.

Transfer students must meet the criteria outlined above for degree admission and must submit to Enrollment Services official transcripts from each school previously attended.

Readmission to Pellissippi State

A student who has not attended Pellissippi State continuously (not counting summer term) must complete a new admissions application. If the student has attended any other college(s) since leaving Pellissippi State, he or she must submit complete transcript(s) from the college(s) attended in addition to the admissions application. Failure to provide official college transcripts and report all institutions attended will result in delay of financial aid processing.

Placement Testing of Degree Admission Students

For regular admission to a degree program, applicants must meet one of these two criteria:

• Applicants who have not attended college previously must submit valid ACT or SAT scores. Valid ACT or SAT scores are those earned within five years prior to the first day of the first term of enrollment. Students who do not show proficiency in reading based on the reading challenge test must enroll in corequisite reading/College Success courses. Students who do not show proficiency in math or English must enroll in corequisite/college-level math and/or English courses.
• Transfer students whose previous academic records from a college or university indicate college-level English and/or mathematics proficiency will be considered for regular admission. Students whose records do not include such transfer credit in English and mathematics will be placed in corequisite learning support and college-level courses with an opportunity to take the Accuplacer to challenge that placement.

General requirements for all non-degree applicants

A non-degree-seeking student is one who is not working toward a degree. To be admitted as an undergraduate non-degree-seeking student, a person must hold a regular high school diploma or a high school equivalency diploma or have the approval of the assistant vice president of Enrollment Services. Exceptions may be made as listed in the high school section below. Non-degree-seeking students must (1) meet entry-level standards for each course in which they enroll, (2) be able to complete assignments, and (3) be able to read and write at the required level.

Non-degree students who wish to take college-level English or math courses or to take another college-level course that is the second course in a two-course sequence (e.g., Accounting I and II) must (1) provide evidence that they have successfully completed all college-level prerequisites or (2) provide evidence of other equivalent experiences before enrolling. Non-degree students are not eligible for financial aid.

High School Students

Dual enrollment of high school students

Dual enrollment is the enrollment of a high school student in one or more college courses for which the student will be awarded both high school and college units. The Dual Enrollment program is a cooperative effort between Pellissippi State and high schools in Knox and Blount counties and qualified home school students. Qualified high school students may accelerate their college education through dual enrollment courses; all requirements of both the high school and Pellissippi State must be met by students participating in the program.
Students enrolling in General Education courses must meet the requirements specified for admission of degree-seeking students and the requirements of the appropriate course syllabus, available on the Master Syllabi webpage.

Joint enrollment of high school students

Joint enrollment is the enrollment of a high school student in one or more college courses for which the student will earn only college units. High school students who meet the following criteria as specified in Chapter 395 of the Public Acts of 1983 are eligible for special admission:
With the recommendation and approval of the high school principal and the assistant vice president of Enrollment Services, academically talented/gifted students enrolled in grades 9, 10, 11 or 12 in public or private high schools in Tennessee may enroll in and receive regular college degree units from Pellissippi State if the students have a grade point average equivalent to 3.2 on a 4.0 maximum basis and if such placement is a part of the students’ planned Individual Education Program (IEP) as established by the multidisciplinary team process.

Early admission of first-time freshmen

The following procedures apply to the admission of applicants who have completed their junior year in high school. The minimum requirements for admission of this category of applicants shall be the following:

• Completion of grades 9, 10 and 11 with a minimum grade point average of 3.2 based on a 4.0 scale or the equivalent.
• A valid ACT composite score of at least 22.
• Written endorsement for each semester of attendance from the applicant’s high school principal specifying the college courses that will be substituted for the remaining high school courses needed for high school graduation.
• Written endorsements for each semester of attendance from the applicant’s high school counselor and from the applicant’s parents or guardians.

Upon a student’s admission to the College, Enrollment Services classifies each student as resident or nonresident.

Enrollment Services may require proof of relevant facts regarding residency. Students who disagree with the initial residency decision may appeal to the manager of Admissions. Students who still disagree may appeal in writing to the assistant vice president of Enrollment Services. The application for in-state residency is available on the Admissions website.

In order to comply with the Tennessee Eligibility Verification of Entitlements Act, Pellissippi State must verify the citizenship or lawful presence of students who apply for admission and are assigned a residency category that is eligible for state benefits. State benefits include in-state tuition, lottery scholarship, academic scholarship, or any other form of tuition assistance or waiver funded with state-appropriated funds.

Proof of Language Proficiency for Non-native Speakers

To be eligible for admission to Pellissippi State, all non-native speakers of English are required to submit proof of one of the following:

• A minimum score on the paper, computer or Internet based TOEFL(Test of English as a Foreign Language) or
• A minimum score on the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) or
• A passing score on the Michigan test or
• A C grade in college English composition

For up-to-date TOEFL and IELTS score requirements, please see the Admissions webpage for international students.
Admission of International Applicants

A person who is a citizen or a permanent resident of a country other than the United States is classified as an international applicant. In addition to the admissions procedures for beginning freshmen or transfer students, international applicants must comply with the following:

1. All transcripts, test scores, and other credentials must be written in English or accompanied by an English translation and certified as official copies. Students who have attended international colleges or universities and request to be awarded transfer credit must have their academic transcripts evaluated by an educational credential service that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). Copies of the credit recommendations from the educational credential service must be provided, in addition to copies of English-translated transcripts from colleges/universities attended. Transfer credit awarded will take into consideration the credit recommendations provided by the educational credential service.
2. International applicants who plan to study in the United States on an F-1 student visa must:
   • Provide evidence of sufficient financial resources to pay for the cost of one full year of school attendance and 12 months of living expenses in U.S. currency. The financial verification documentation must be current within six months, and must be issued by a financial institution.
   • Provide documentation substantiating official status with the United States Customs and Immigration Service.
   • Provide a copy of their passport, which must be valid for at least 6 months from the first day of classes.
   • Submit within 30 days from the first day of classes a certificate from a licensed physician or other qualified medical authority verifying freedom from tuberculosis. Failure to submit such certification shall result in denial of admission or denial of continued enrollment. In the event that a student has tuberculosis or has potential tuberculosis requiring medical treatment, continued enrollment will be conditional upon the determination by a licensed physician that further enrollment is not a risk to others and upon the student’s compliance with any prescribed medical treatment.
   • As a condition of admission and continued enrollment, students must provide proof of enrollment in an approved health insurance policy by the end of the first week of classes.
   • Meet with the international student coordinator in Enrollment Services on arrival in the United States, and attend an International Student Orientation session.

Source: Tennessee Board of Regents, Policy No. 02:03:00:00 and 02:03:01:01
Tennessee Board of Regents, Guideline A-015

Approved: Executive Council, March 4, 1991
Executive Council, June 9, 1993
Editorial Changes, Oct. 27, 1992, April 19, 1993, July 11, 1994
Executive Council, July 25, 1994
Reviewed/ Recommended: President’s Council, December 18, 1995
Approved: President Allen G. Edwards, December 18, 1995
Reviewed/ Recommended: President’s Council, May 13, 1996
Approved: President Allen G. Edwards, May 17, 1996
Approved: President Allen G. Edwards, September 9, 1997
Approved: President Allen G. Edwards, October 7, 1998
Approved: President Allen G. Edwards, June 21, 2001
Approved: President Allen G. Edwards, October 8, 2001
Approved: President Allen G. Edwards, January 22, 2002
Approved: President Allen G. Edwards, February 25, 2002
Approved: President Allen G. Edwards, November 11, 2002
Approved: President Allen G. Edwards, February 10, 2003
Approved: President Allen G. Edwards, November 3, 2003
Approved: President Allen G. Edwards, January 10, 2004
Reviewed/Recommended: President’s Staff, August 28, 2006
Approved: President Allen G. Edwards, August 28, 2006
Editorial Changes, July 2008, May 4, 2009, July 1, 2009
Reviewed/Recommended: President’s Council, September 30, 2013
Approved: President L. Anthony Wise, Jr., September 30, 2013
Reviewed/Recommended President’s Council, April 16, 2018
Approved: President L. Anthony Wise, Jr., April 16, 2018
Editorial Changes, February 15, 2019
Reviewed/Recommended: President’s Council, March 27, 2023
Approved: President L. Anthony Wise, Jr., March 27, 2023