5.00 Admission to the College
See version historyI. General Rule
The College has an open-door admission policy for applicants who are either high school graduates or who are at least 18 years of age and whose admission eligibility conforms to State Board of Community Colleges Code 1D SBCCC 400.2 and North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS) directives. Admission to the College is open without regard to race, creed, disability, national origin, gender, or age to students who meet the graduation or age standard. Central Piedmont Community College also provides courses and programs designed to serve students who seek basic skills and high school credentials, high school students who wish to begin college-level work while in high school, and adults who wish to take non-credit classes to improve their knowledge and skills. The CPCC Board of Trustees does not allow the admission of any applicant during any period of time that the student is suspended or expelled from any other educational entity without the permission of the Vice President for Enrollment and Student Services.
II. Special Conditions
A. Emancipated Minors
A minor 16 years or older may be considered a student with special needs and may be admitted to an appropriate program at Central Piedmont Community College if the local public or private educational agency determines that admission to the program is the best educational option for the student. This requirement may be waived if the student has been out of school at least six months and the application is supported by a notarized petition of the parent, legal guardian, or other person or agency having legal custody and control. The petition shall certify the student's residence, date of birth, date of leaving school, and the petitioner's legal relationship to the student. The admission to Central Piedmont Community College of emancipated minors from Mecklenburg County may be further regulated by the provisions of the College's Affiliation Agreement with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.
B. High School Students
1. A high school student, junior or senior, may be admitted to Central Piedmont Community College in appropriate courses concurrently under the guidelines of the Career and College Promise program Memorandum CC11-026. The Career and College Promise program eligibility criteria can be found at http://www.cpcc.edu/hsprograms. High School students taking college-level courses at Central Piedmont Community College will earn college credit.
2. High school students 16 years and older may enroll in non-credit courses with the exception of adult basic skills. High school students are required to pay tuition and fees for non-credit courses, except for students that qualify for a public safety agency fee waiver.
C. Undocumented Immigrants
A. Emancipated Minors
A minor 16 years or older may be considered a student with special needs and may be admitted to an appropriate program at Central Piedmont Community College if the local public or private educational agency determines that admission to the program is the best educational option for the student. This requirement may be waived if the student has been out of school at least six months and the application is supported by a notarized petition of the parent, legal guardian, or other person or agency having legal custody and control. The petition shall certify the student's residence, date of birth, date of leaving school, and the petitioner's legal relationship to the student. The admission to Central Piedmont Community College of emancipated minors from Mecklenburg County may be further regulated by the provisions of the College's Affiliation Agreement with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.
B. High School Students
1. A high school student, junior or senior, may be admitted to Central Piedmont Community College in appropriate courses concurrently under the guidelines of the Career and College Promise program Memorandum CC11-026. The Career and College Promise program eligibility criteria can be found at http://www.cpcc.edu/hsprograms. High School students taking college-level courses at Central Piedmont Community College will earn college credit.
2. High school students 16 years and older may enroll in non-credit courses with the exception of adult basic skills. High school students are required to pay tuition and fees for non-credit courses, except for students that qualify for a public safety agency fee waiver.
C. Undocumented Immigrants
The North Carolina Community College System advised in Memorandum CC10-026 that, effective July 12, 2010, community colleges should admit or enroll undocumented or illegal immigrants only as follows:
1. Undocumented immigrants who are high school students may enroll in college-level courses consistent with the Career and College Promise program. Participation in these programs is not based on legal residence but on attendance in a North Carolina high school. These courses are open to all high school students attending high school (public, private, or home school) located in the state who meet the eligibility criteria.
2. Undocumented immigrants may enroll in non-college-level courses or programs including GED preparation courses, Adult Basic Education, Adult High School, English as a Second Language, and other continuing education courses less than college level.
3. Undocumented or battered illegal immigrants who have been determined to meet one of the qualifying conditions in Federal Law, 8 USC Section 1641, are eligible for college-level courses. It is the applicant’s responsibility to produce sufficient written documentation to satisfy the College that the applicant is eligible for post-secondary education benefits.
4. Undocumented immigrants must have attended and graduated from a United States public high school, private high school, or home school that operates in compliance with State and local law. Undocumented immigrants with a General Education Development (GED) diploma are not considered to be "graduated from a United States public high school, private high school, or home school" and therefore are not eligible to be admitted.
Undocumented immigrants who are registered into a class are required to pay the out-of-state tuition rate. The College shall not enroll undocumented students into a class or program of study for which there are waiting lists, nor register undocumented students for classes until the conclusion of the last published (i.e. late) registration period.
Additionally, when considering a program of study, undocumented immigrants shall take into account that federal law prohibits states from granting professional licenses to undocumented immigrants.
III. General Enrollment Regulations
A. Admission to the College does not imply that a student will be admitted immediately to a College program that has specified admission requirements. Before a student is admitted to a curriculum program, a series of placement tests is scheduled and an academic advising interview is arranged. Placement tests determine skill levels in mathematics, English, and reading.
B. All degree and diploma programs require high school graduation or the equivalent. The high school graduation requirement is considered to have been met by graduation from a high school recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE), from a high school accredited by an accrediting organization recognized by the Council for Higher Education (CHEA), a certified home school, by possession of a State High School Diploma Equivalency (GED Diploma), or by possession of an Adult High School Diploma.
C. Some degree programs have specific requirements for admission to the program. Such requirements can be obtained from the division director responsible for the program or a counselor.
D. Requirements for admission to the non-credit Continuing Education courses vary. Specific information may be obtained about these courses by contacting the office of the dean responsible for the course.
IV. Credit Transfer Regulation
Central Piedmont Community College accepts credits by transfer from accredited post-secondary institutions, from military service schools, and on the basis of certain CLEP exams. See Policy 5.01.
V. Admissions Procedures
A. Enrollment in a Curriculum Program
Applicants wishing to enroll in any curriculum program offered by the College shall do the following:
1. Submit a properly completed application to the Admissions Office at any campus.
2. Request that official transcripts of all high school, pre-college, and college work be sent to the College. The associate dean for Admissions and Registration may elect to waive the need for a student to furnish an official high school transcript so long as such waiver does not supersede any federal or state requirement. Written electronic waiver records will be maintained in the student's record.
3. Take the appropriate pre-enrollment test battery, if applicable.
4. Have an interview with a counselor and/or advisor during which the applicant's test scores and previous scholastic record will be evaluated and interests and aptitudes will be appraised. The applicant also will be advised regarding eligibility to enroll in the desired curriculum.
5. Register for the suggested schedule during the appropriate registration period. Each student must have his/her College-issued student ID number available at the point of registration.
6. Enrollment in a program is required for eligibility for a certificate, diploma, or degree.
B. Enrollment as a Non-degree Seeking Student
The College recognizes that many adults will wish to register for one or more courses without following a specific curriculum. In order to encourage this type of interest, a qualified person may be admitted to the College and enroll for courses provided the person satisfies the high school graduation and/or age 18 criteria, completes a pre-enrollment test battery, if applicable, and has the prerequisites required for each course in which enrollment is intended.
Cabinet approved changes on June 9, 2008; July 12, 2010; April 18, 2011; June 13, 2011; March 19, 2012
