Admissions

Beaufort County Community College (BCCC) maintains an open-door admission policy. This policy provides admission to any person who has reached the age of 18 or whose high school class has graduated. High school student applicants who are 16 years of age or older may be admitted into credit and continuing education courses in accordance with the dual enrollment policies adopted by the State of North Carolina. Admission to the College does not imply immediate admission to the curriculum desired by the applicant. Placement in certain programs is limited, and admission into certain programs of study is based on guidelines developed to ensure student success. Applicants are admitted regardless of race, gender, age, religion, national origin, disability, or political views. International students may not be eligible for admission to BCCC. The College reserves the right to refuse admission to any student whose enrollment or continued presence is considered a risk for campus safety or a disruption of the educational process.

General Admission Requirements

1. An applicant must be a high school graduate or have a high school equivalency certificate. Applicants who are not high school graduates may arrange to take the high school equivalency examination by contacting the College and Career Readiness Office in the Division of Continuing Education. Please note: The College does not offer the Ability to Benefit test. Exceptions may be made for certain programs. See Part B below for specifics. 
2. Each applicant must complete the online application for general admission to the College.
3. Each applicant must have an up-to-date residency status.
4. Each degree-seeking applicant must submit an official high school/high school equivalency transcript to the Admissions and Records Office.
5. Official college transcripts from regionally accredited institutions are required if the applicant requests transfer credit from a previous college/university (See Advanced Standing in BCCC Catalog).

Exceptions to Requirements for General Admission

1. A student may enroll as a special credit student without specifying an educational objective. To be admitted, special credit students must submit the online application for general admission to the College and have an up-to-date residency status. It is to the student’s advantage to declare an educational objective and to complete the admissions process as soon as possible after enrollment. Special credit students are not eligible to receive financial aid nor Veteran’s benefits.  Verification of prerequisites, as applicable, is required for special credit students.
2. A student may enroll in associate degree courses under special admission without meeting all requirements for admission to the College. However, no more than 12 credit hours may be earned without complying with the College’s general admission requirements.
3. A student may enter a diploma or certificate program without being a high school graduate or possessing an equivalency certificate unless required by a specific program. However, students applying for financial aid/veterans’ affairs benefits must submit an official high school/high school equivalency transcript regardless of their program of study. In all cases, the final entrance eligibility of the applicant is determined by the appropriate division Dean.
4. An applicant who is a minor between the ages of 16 and 18 years may be considered as a person with special needs and admitted to appropriate courses or programs provided under these conditions:

a. The minor applicant left the public schools no less than six calendar months prior to the last day of regular registration for the College term.

b. The application of such minor is supported by a notarized petition of the minor’s parents, legal guardian, or other person or agency having legal custody and control of such minor applicant, which petition certifies the place of residence and date of birth of the minor, the parental     or other appropriate legal relationship of the petitioner to the minor applicant, and the date on which the minor applicant left the public schools. However, all or any part of the six-month waiting period may be waived by the superintendent of the public schools of the administrative unit in which the applicant resides.

c. Such admission does not pre-empt College facilities and staff to such an extent as to render the College unable to admit all applicants who have graduated from high school or who are 18 years of age or older.

5. Exceptions not addressed in items 2-4 are considered on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the Career and College Promise Program guidelines. High school students should discuss their interest in enrolling in the College with their principal before contacting the College.  High School students may not enroll as a traditional college student for the same term in which they graduate.
6. Beaufort County Community College may refuse admission to any applicant if it is necessary to protect the safety of the applicant or other individuals. When making a safety determination, BCCC may refuse admission/continued enrollment to an applicant when there is an articulable, imminent, and significant threat to the applicant or other individuals or for any reason consistent with the BCCC Prohibition of Sex Offenders Policy. If BCCC refuses admission on the basis of a safety threat, BCCC shall document the following:

a.   Detailed facts supporting the rationale for denying admission;

b.   The time period within which the refusal to admit shall be applicable and the supporting rationale for the designated time period; and

c.   The conditions upon which the applicant that is refused is eligible for admission to the College.

d.   Applicants denied may appeal this determination through the BCCC student appeals process.

7. There is an open-door policy UNLESS BCCC is enrolling students from a state the college is not authorized to deliver instruction. BOT approved August 5, 2014.
8. Students who have not graduated from high school but meet the criteria for admission under Education Services through Career and College Promise (1D SBCCC 400.11) may be admitted as a dually enrolled high school student.

Requirements for Home School Graduates

Home school graduates must complete the following procedures prior to their enrollment:

1. Home schooled students must provide evidence of attendance of a state approved home school program. For North Carolina home school students, this means that the home school administrator must have a school approval number, a charter for the school, or other documentation that denotes approval from the NC Department of Non-Public Instruction. Copies of the aforementioned documentation are required with the application.
2. The home school administrator must submit an official transcript from the home school.
3. If the home school does not have the proper certification, the student cannot register for classes at BCCC. Home school graduates without proper certification may enroll by obtaining the High School Equivalency. The student may arrange to take the High School Equivalency examination by contacting the BCCC Basic Skills Office in the Division of Continuing Education at 252-940-6298 or 252-940-6325.

Requirements for Transfer Students

1. Complete general admission and graduation procedures.
2. Refer to “Advanced Standing” for instructions on transferring credit from other institutions. BCCC does not penalize a transfer student who is on probation from another institution nor does the College practice provisional admission.

Additional Requirements for Allied Health Programs

Allied health programs have additional admission requirements because these programs are limited in the number of students admitted each year. Students are enrolled in pre-allied health AGE programs until accepted into the RN, LPN, or MLT program.

Note: Clinical sites may require a criminal background check and/or drug testing prior to your participation in clinical training. If denied access to a clinical site, the student shall not progress in the program due to the inability to complete the clinical portion of the program.

Specific guidelines and requirements for admission into allied health programs may be obtained from the Allied Health Admissions Coordinator.

Minimum Requirements for Allied Health Applicant Evaluation

1. Applicants must provide an official high school transcript or high school equivalency report. Official college transcripts are also required, if applicable.
2. A minimum GPA of 2.5 is required in allied health general education courses from all colleges.
3. Students applying to the Associate Degree Nursing program, Practical Nursing program, or LPN to RN Transition program must complete the Assessment Technologies Institute (ATI) TEAS test with a minimum proficiency score of 58.7. TEAS scores must be submitted by the published application deadline. 
4. Students have TWO attempts during the application cycle to obtain a proficiency composite score of 58.7 on the TEAS test. Students are encouraged to prepare for the TEAS test prior to their testing date. As well, remediation services are offered through ATI should a student score less than the required minimum composite (overall) score. Students completing TEAS testing at other facilities may have an official ATI TEAS transcript sent to the Allied Health Admissions coordinator, provided the scores are within three (3) years of the application deadline. LPN to RN transition applicant’s scores are valid for ten (10) years.

Allied Health Application Deadlines

In addition to the general application to the College, a separate application packet for an allied health program is required. Completed application packets are reviewed by the Allied Health Admissions Coordinator. Incomplete application packets are not considered.

Allied Health Evaluation Criteria

Admission into an Allied Health Program is competitive and based upon the selection of those candidates who possess the ability to succeed in a demanding academic program. Each student must complete a program application and meet all admission requirements in order to be ranked for admissions. For nursing programs, the number of available seats is determined by NC Board of Nursing guidelines, the number of available faculty, and the number of available clinical facilities. Each fall, the ADN program accepts up to 60 students and the PN program accepts up to 30 students. This number may be less due to the aforementioned factors. The MLT program generally accepts up to 15 students and the LPN to RN transition program accepts 15-20 students based on availability of seats.

At the end of the application period, each qualified applicant is evaluated and awarded points for ranking. If two or more students have the same rank, the highest GPA is the deciding factor. The application date is the determining factor if overall rank and GPA are the same. Individuals with the highest points are offered admission to the program. Progression through the admissions process is contingent on completion of onboarding activities, including, but not limited to: Physical and mental health exam by a physician or healthcare provider, immunization compliance record, CPR requirements, and completion of a criminal background check and urine drug screen. Please note, these activities, along with other onboarding costs, are not covered by financial aid. Therefore, applicants need to plan and prepare to pay for these expenses out of pocket. Please see the associated program’s expense sheet. Students that are offered admission are required to attend a mandatory program orientation session, which will provide direction on the onboarding process. Again, students must attend this mandatory session to maintain their admission status in the program.

Admission to Programs Designed for College Transfer

The Associate in Arts (AA) and Associate in Science (AS) degrees follow the curriculum standards instituted by the state of North Carolina through the Comprehensive Articulation Agreement (CAA). The CAA was developed by the North Carolina Community College System and the University of North Carolina System to create a seamless transfer program within the North Carolina higher education system. The CAA ensures that courses in the AA and AS programs are all approved for transfer between the state colleges without question upon completion of the general education core requirements with a minimum grade of a C in each course.

Readmission

Persons who have not attended for three (3) consecutive semesters or who have an expired residency status and an expired continuous enrollment date no longer enjoy the benefits of student status. Persons who fit this criterion must submit a new application for admission and update their residency status.

Curriculum students who have withdrawn in good academic standing may apply for readmission through normal registration procedures. If the application for readmission is for a different curriculum, standard admission requirements for new students apply.

There are specific additional guidelines for re-entry into allied health curricula. These guidelines may be obtained from the Allied Health Admissions Coordinator.

To be eligible for readmission in Allied Health programs, students must meet the following requirements:

1. Update admissions application and residency status.
2. Interview with an admissions counselor.
3. Satisfy all outstanding obligations to the College.

Readmission applications for students who have been suspended for disciplinary reasons are not considered until the period of suspension is completed. After the suspension period, readmission is secured as stated in the requirements above.

Applicant to Student Status

An applicant to Beaufort County Community College officially becomes a student of Beaufort County Community College 24 hours after their application is processed. Students who have not attended for three (3) consecutive semesters or who have an expired residency status and an expired continuous enrollment date no longer have an active student status.

Placement Guidelines for Students Based on GPA

Students are placed into curriculum courses based on their unweighted high school GPA. Most students are also eligible to take the RISE Placement Test for placement into curriculum courses. The following table specifies the placement of students based on unweighted high school GPA.

Additional placement measures are available. Please see the Office of Admissions and Records for more information.