Admission Policy - Requirements and Procedures

Admission Procedures

1. Submit a completed Application for Admission along with a $25 non-refundable application fee. If paying by check or money order, make payable to Georgia Northwestern Technical College.
2. Submit an official transcript from an accredited high school, official GED® transcript, or official documentation of an approved high school equivalency assessment. If transfer credit is desired for courses taken at other post-secondary institutions, official transcripts must be sent directly from the issuing school or agency to Georgia Northwestern Technical College. In an effort to remove hurdles for our students during the COVID-19 pandemic, an unofficial transcript will be accepted until the official copy can be obtained for Summer and Fall 2020 semesters.
3. For Summer and Fall 2020 applicants,testing on campus has been suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Information on other placement score options can be obtained from any Student Help Center.
4. Applicants for certain health programs are required to complete additional admission procedures. These requirements are outlined in the individual program curriculum under Academic Affairs, Divisions of Health Technology and Nursing and Allied Health.
5. All new students and all returning students who have been out over one year must attend a virtual orientation. Students must register online to attend a virtual New Student Orientation.  After new students have submitted all required documents needed for admissions to GNTC and have been accepted to attend the college, information about the orientations, and about how to register for an orientation session, will be provided to them via their student email account.

Note: Test scores submitted must meet standard program stipulations and program level requirement. If scores are not appropriate, applicants will be required to take a scheduled placement test.

Admission Requirements

Admission to a Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) college is a multi-step process which consists of evaluation of prior academic experience and assessment for postsecondary readiness of eligible applicants.

General admissions requirements for admission in to the degree, diploma, or certificate programs are listed below.

Note:

All Nursing, Allied Health, and Health Technology programs have additional admission requirements. These requirements are outlined in the individual program curriculum under Academic Affairs, Divisions of Health Technology and Nursing and Allied Health.

Age:

Individuals 16 years of age or older or dually enrolled high school students in the 9th, 10th, 11th or 12th grades who seek access to quality instruction at the post-secondary level are eligible for admission. The minimum age for admission in certain programs is greater than 16 years of age.

Education:

To be admitted by Georgia Northwestern Technical College, applicants must satisfy one of the following academic readiness paths:

• High school graduates must submit an official high school transcript (including graduation date) that reflects the student has met the attendance, academic, and/or assessment requirements for the state’s board of education or equivalent agency.
  • Secondary schools must be accredited by an agency included on the TCSG approved accreditation agency list.
  • Applicants with diplomas from secondary schools located outside the United States must have their transcripts evaluated for equivalency by an approved outside evaluation organization.
  • High school Certificates of Attendance or other certificates, credentials or documents where the student did not complete all required coursework or testing required for a high school diploma in that state are not recognized for admission purposes.
• Submission of an official transcript reflecting the student has passed an examination the state recognizes as the equivalent of a high school diploma (e.g. GED).
• Submission of an official transcript from each of one or more previously attended post-secondary institutions (accredited by an accepted accrediting agency) reflecting the successful completion (C or better) of a minimum of 30 semester or 45 quarter credit hours of coursework at the degree level.
• Applicants who were home schooled in the state of Georgia and did not attend a recognized accredited program must submit:
  
  • Certificate of Attendance form from the local superintendent’s office or a Declaration of Intent to utilize a Home Study Program from the Georgia Department of Education verifying that the parent or legal guardian complied with the requirements of home study programs as referenced in O.C.G.A. § 20-2-690.
  • Annual progress reports or a final transcript for the equivalent of the home-schooled student’s junior and senior years (the final progress report or transcript must include the graduation date).
• Applicants who were home schooled outside the state of Georgia and did not attend a recognized accredited program must submit:
  
  • Annual progress reports or a final transcript for the equivalent of the home-schooled student’s junior and senior years (the final progress report or transcript must include the graduation date); and one of the following:
    
    • SAT or ACT scores that meet or exceed the TCSG system and college minimum score requirements for program readiness.
    • ACCUPLACER or Compass placement scores that meet or exceed the TCSG system and college minimum score requirements for program readiness.
• Service members of the U.S. Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines, or Navy may submit an official copy of their DD Form 214 indicating high school graduate or equivalent.

Foreign Secondary Education:

Graduates of secondary schools or colleges outside the United States must have his or her transcripts translated and evaluated for equivalency by an approved evaluation organization or meet accreditation as specified in the approved list of agencies. The cost of the translation and evaluation of the student’s transcript is the responsibility of the student. The evaluation report must be received by the Office of Admissions directly from the evaluation organization and may not be submitted by the student directly. If a foreign secondary transcript is not attainable, possession of a GED® is acceptable.

Admission Status

Admission to Georgia Northwestern Technical College will be in one of the following categories: Regular (Program Ready), Provisional, Special or Transient.

Regular (Program Ready): All admission requirements have been met to enter a selected program. The student is eligible to take all the courses in the program curriculum. Regular admission of transfer students is contingent upon his or her meeting all the regular admission requirements and being in good standing at a regionally accredited diploma or degree granting institution.

Provisional Status: Students who do not meet all requirements for regular admission into a selected program are granted provisional admission status. Provisionally admitted students may take learning support classes and certain specified occupational courses as long as class pre- and co- requisites are satisfied.

All certificate, diploma, and associate degree program students initially admitted on a provisional basis must have satisfactorily completed the necessary prerequisite and learning support course work to progress through the State Standard Curriculum.

Pending Admit Status (High School Seniors Only): High school seniors who are expected to graduate at the end of the current academic year may be admitted early pending other admissions requirements being met.

Special Admit Status: Applicants who wish to take credit coursework, but are not seeking a certificate, diploma, or associate degree are granted Special Admit status. The following specifics define the parameters of this status:

• May apply up to a maximum of 25 quarter or 17 semester credit hours into a specific program for credential seeking purposes after achieving regular admit status. The number of hours taken as a special admit student in no way waives the requirements of the regular admission process.
• May enroll in classes only on a space-available basis.
• Should adhere to the specific institutional prerequisite requirements when selecting courses.
• Will not be eligible for any financial aid.

Transient Status: Students who submit a Transient Agreement Letter from their home institution are granted Transient admission status. The Transient Agreement Letter should verify that the student is in good standing and should list the courses the student is eligible to take. A current Transient Agreement Letter is required for each term of enrollment.

Application Deadlines

Applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible to meet each semester application deadlines.

Exemption from Placement Testing

Applicants providing official documentation of acceptable ASSET, COMPASS, ACCUPLACER, ACT or SAT scores, or official documentation of a course grade of “C” or better in credit-level English and mathematics taken from an accredited college or postsecondary institution, may be exempt from testing.

MyGNTC System

MyGNTC is the online tool that allows students access to personal and academic information at Georgia Northwestern Technical College. Students may register for courses, pay tuition and fees online, view unofficial transcripts, view schedules and financial aid information. All students can access MyGNTC from the Georgia Northwestern Technical College homepage at www.gntc.edu.

Placement Test

The purpose of placement testing is to ensure that a student has the academic skills necessary to succeed in the chosen program of study. Minimum test score requirements are established based on statewide standards. Applicants for all degree, diploma, and selected certificate programs must take the COMPASS, ASSET, or ACCUPLACER placement exam unless they can provide exemption documentation. (See Exemption from Placement Testing.)  Students who do not meet the minimum score requirements upon initial testing may request to retest on each part of the test in an attempt to meet the necessary requirements.  After the approved retest, students will be allowed to retest one time the following academic year for up to three academic years.  Exceptions to this retest policy may be made on a case-by-base basis for students enrolling in the Basic Law Enforcement program.  Students must pay the published retesting fee*. Failure to achieve scores at program level requirements in one or more subjects will require taking learning support classes in the deficient areas. A link to a list of test preparation websites is available on the GNTC website under the “Admissions” tab on the “Testing Center” page.

Reasonable accommodations are made during testing for those who have a documented need. The examinee should meet with the campus Accessibility Services Coordinator and provide documentation supporting the request for accommodation. The coordinator will notify the director of the testing center of the approved accommodations. The examinee should make an appointment for testing with the testing center when paperwork is completed.

*Students participating in dual enrollment are excluded from the retest fee.

Program Entrance Requirements

Unless otherwise indicated in a specific program, the following entrance requirements will be adhered to for each program offered at GNTC:

Entrance Date: Beginning any semester

Age: Minimum of 16 years of age

Education: High school diploma or GED®, or approved high school equivalency assessment is required

Assessment Results: Applicants must achieve minimum scores in reading, writing, and numerical skills on the placement test. Two attempts to achieve the necessary scores are allowed. Applicants not achieving the minimum scores will receive remedial instruction through the Learning Support program at GNTC. Previous training and/or education may be evaluated to provide advanced placement into the program.

Readmission of Former Students

Students who are absent from Georgia Northwestern Technical College for one full year or more will be required to complete the following steps:

1. Submit a completed application form to the Office of Admissions;
2. Meet the college’s general admission requirements at the time of readmission; and
3. For course credit from any other post-secondary institution, students must submit official transcripts from those institutions. 

GNTC adheres to all federal regulations regarding readmission requirements for returning Service members seeking readmission to a program that was interrupted due to a Military service obligation, and applies those provisions to Service members that are temporarily unable to attend classes for less than 30 days.

Time Limitation for Program Completion

Georgia Northwestern Technical College will accept course credits from regionally and nationally accredited institutions of higher education without time constraints, except in some health programs. The institution does not limit the amount of time it will honor coursework taken at the college, except in some health programs. However, at the discretion of a student’s advisor, students may be required to repeat coursework where the course content has changed significantly. There is no minimum amount of time in which a program of study must be completed. The typical minimum program length is listed in the Curriculum section of this catalog. A student must take 25 percent of his or her program at Georgia Northwestern Technical College; however, the 25 percent requirement will be waived if the student completed a program for which standards have been implemented within the Technical College System of Georgia.

Transfer Student Admissions

Applicants to Georgia Northwestern Technical College who have previously been enrolled in one or more institutions of higher education and who wish to enroll in a credit program will be considered for transfer admissions. Applicants for transfer admission must meet the following requirements prior to their planned enrollment. A transfer student must submit the following to the college’s Office of Admissions:

1. A completed application form;
2. A $25 non-refundable application fee;
3. An official high school transcript or GED® diploma; (See Education section of Admissions Requirements.)
4. Official transcripts from previous institutions of higher education attended that document coursework for which applications seek credit with passing grades of C or better; and
5. Satisfactory scores on the ASSET, COMPASS, or ACCUPLACER placement tests; satisfactory scores on the SAT or ACT. A student who has satisfactorily completed, with a C or better, transferable English or mathematics courses may be exempt from taking a placement examination. These courses must be equivalent to the entry-level English or mathematics courses required in the applicant’s chosen program of study.

Transient Student Admission Requirements

A student in good standing at another accredited institution may be permitted to enroll as a transient student on a space-available basis in order to complete work to be transferred back to the student’s parent institution. Transient students must do the following:

1. Submit an application for admission and pay a $25 application fee to Georgia Northwestern Technical College.
2. Present a transient letter from the Registrar or Academic Dean of the parent institution verifying that the student is in good standing and noting the specific course(s) to be taken at Georgia Northwestern Technical College, is program ready, and is eligible to return to that institution. Note: A transient letter is good for one semester only.