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Admissions Requirements for Applicants

Age

Applicants must be 16 years of age or older for college admission. The minimum age for admission in certain programs is greater than 16 years of age. Age requirement for certain programs may be different because of professional accreditation standards or because of applicable state or federal laws. Consult the Program Descriptions section for specific age requirements for each program of study.

High School Diploma/GED Requirements

A GED or high school diploma (verified by an official transcript including graduation date and diploma type) will be required for admission to West Georgia Technical College unless otherwise specified by the program’s standards. Certificates of Attendance or special education diplomas are not recognized for admission purposes. Students with diplomas from secondary schools located outside the United States must have their transcripts evaluated for equivalency by an approved outside evaluation organization (suggested agencies). Applicants who have successfully completed (C or better) a minimum of 30 semester or 45 credit hours at the degree level may submit official transcripts from all previously attended colleges accredited by an accepted accrediting agency in lieu of a GED or high school diploma.

In order to be accepted by West Georgia Technical College, the applicant must have been awarded a high school diploma from a secondary school that is accredited by regional accrediting associations that are part of the Commission on Colleges (such as the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools), the Georgia Accrediting Commission, the Georgia Association of Christian Schools, the Association of Christian Schools International, the Georgia Private School Accreditation Council, the Accrediting Commission for Independent Study, the Southern Association of Independent Schools, the Florida Council of Independent Schools and the Distance Education Training Council, or from a public school regulated by a school system and state department of education.

Applicants of home schools who did not attend a recognized accredited program must adhere to the following alternative path for admission:

• Submit a letter from the local superintendent’s office verifying that the parent or legal guardian notified the superintendent of intent to home school and must also verify that the parent or legal guardian submitted the required attendance reports to the superintendent’s office on a monthly basis as required by O.C.G.A. 20-2-690.

• Annual progress reports or final transcript for the equivalent of the home-schooled student’s junior and senior years. The final progress report should include the graduation date.

Placement Testing

All program applicants must meet minimum placement testing requirements to determine regular, provisional, or developmental admission status. Most program applicants will take the ASSET or COMPASS placement test offered by West Georgia. Applicants may submit recent (within the last five years) SAT, ACT, ASSET or COMPASS scores for review for placement status. Previous college or technical school course work completed at an accredited institution may be submitted for review of placement status.
Non-program seeking students are required to meet placement test score requirements per individual course registration.

West Georgia offers the ASSET and COMPASS placement test to evaluate the applicant’s basic skill level in reading, writing, numerical skills and algebra.

The free ACT, Inc. COMPASS study guide is available at www.act.org/compass/sample/index.html.

Applicants must submit a student application to complete placement testing.  Applicants may submit a student application and complete the COMPASS placement on a walk-in basis in the Office of Student Affairs at each campus location.

Health

All applicants should be physically able to perform ordinary class and laboratory functions that are required by the program of study. Some programs require special immunizations or the submission of medical reports.

Transfer from Other Institutions

Any student wishing to transfer from another institution to West Georgia must have been in good standing at the former institution. An exception may be granted permitting a student provisional/probationary admittance pending satisfactory completion of the first quarter’s work. Students admitted in probationary status must make satisfactory academic progress their first quarter ofattendance. Students not making satisfactory academic progress the first quarter of attendance will be academically dismissed.

In-State Residents

A student must be a resident of the state of Georgia for 12 months before initial enrollment at the college to qualify as an “in-state resident” for admission and tuition purposes. Students must be able to provide appropriate residency documentation to the college.

Out-of-State Residents

An out-of-state resident shall be enrolled on a space available basis and shall not displace any student desiring to enroll who is a resident of the State. An out-of-state resident will be charged tuition at two times the rate of in-state residents. A student initially enrolled as an out-of-state resident may complete a Change of Residency Request Form with the Office of Student Affairs 12 months after becoming a resident of the state. Official documentation of state residency will be required. In-state residency for admission and tuition purposes will begin the academic quarter following the one-year anniversary date of documented initial Georgia residency.

Residents of Chambers, Cleburne and Randolph counties in Alabama will be considered “in-state residents” for admission and tuition purposes.

International Students

Persons residing in the United States on permanent residency status may qualify as an “in-state resident” or “out-of-state resident” for admission and tuition purposes as defined in the In-State Residents and Out-of-State Residents sections of this catalog. Permanent residents must submit documentation of their permanent residency status. West Georgia Technical College is not approved by the Office of Immigration and Naturalization Services (INS) to accept students residing in the United States while on a student visa. Any other international student, determined eligible for admission, shall be enrolled on a space available basis and shall not displace any student desiring to enroll who is a resident of the State. An international student will be charged tuition at four times the rate of in-state residents.

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