3.00 Admission to the College Policy
I. General Rule
The College has an open-door admission policy for applicants who are legal residents of the United States and who are either high school graduates or are at least 18 years of age, and whose admission eligibility conforms to State Board of Community Colleges Code (SBCCC) 1D SBCCC 200.95, State Board of Community Colleges Code (SBCCC) 1D SBCCC 300.4, or State Board of Community Colleges Code (SBCCC) 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, unless otherwise provided by law or State Board of Community Colleges Code. 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, either through a Workforce Continuing Education Pathway or to improve their knowledge and skills. The Central Piedmont Community College 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 written permission of the Vice President for Student Affairs.
II. Special Conditions
A. Readmit Students
Students who previously attended Central Piedmont Community College but have not enrolled in curriculum courses for three or more consecutive terms must be readmitted to the College. The catalog in effect at the time of a student’s readmission, or any subsequent catalog, will govern that student’s academic status and graduation requirements.
Students seeking readmission based on the Student Code of Conduct should refer to the guidelines in Policy 4.00 Conduct of Students.
B. Emancipated Minors
The educational benefits provided by Central Piedmont Community College are intended primarily for students who have graduated high school or are beyond the compulsory age limit of a public or private school and have left school. However, a minor may seek admission to Central Piedmont subject to the conditions established in State Board of Community Colleges Code 1D SBCCC 200.95 and State Board of Community Colleges Code (SBCCC) 1D SBCCC 300.4(c).
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.
C. High School Students
- 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 on the Central Piedmont Career and College Promise site. High School students taking college-level courses at Central Piedmont Community College will earn college credit. Once a high school student is concurrently admitted, college policies and procedures are the same for both high school students as for all other college students.
- High school students 16 years old and older may enroll in non-credit courses, with the exception of Foundational 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. High school students shall not displace adults taking continuing education courses.
- High school students less than 16 years of age may enroll in a continuing education course section:
- In a self-supporting, safe driving section during any reporting term; or
- In self-supporting classes during any summer reporting term, which are not designated by the College to provide partial or full credit towards meeting high school graduation requirements.
D. Undocumented Immigrants
The North Carolina Community College System advised in Memorandum CC10-026, clarifying State Board Code Section 1D SBCCC 400.2(b), that effective July 12, 2010, community colleges shall admit or enroll undocumented immigrants only as follows:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Educational 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 registration period so as not to displace students are legal residents who seek to enroll in a class.
Additionally, when considering a program of study, undocumented immigrants should be aware that federal law prohibits states from granting professional licenses to undocumented immigrants.
III. 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.
Related Procedures
Changes
Changes approved by the Board of Trustees on May 6, 2020
Changes approved by Cabinet on June 9, 2008; July 12, 2010; April 18, 2011; June 13, 2011; March 19, 2012; August 18, 2014; July 27, 2015; March 27, 2017