Admission of First Time College Students

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First Time College Students

Applicants who have not previously attended a regionally accredited postsecondary institution will be considered first time college students. For admission to an Alabama Community College System institution, an applicant must provide the following:

  1. Admission Application 
  2. Official final high school transcript with proof of graduation or GED®. 
  3. Official transcript(s) –all college(s) attended (if applicable)

For admission to an Alabama Community College System institution, all international applicants must provide a VISA acceptable to the United States and an official translated copy of the student’s high school/college transcript, a copy of their original transcript(s), a minimum score on an approved English as a Foreign Language exam as specified in the guidelines, signed, a notarized statement verifying adequate financial support, and documentation demonstrating adequate health and life insurance which must be maintained during enrollment.

Note: The documentation identified above should be submitted along with the online application, in person, or by email to admissions@suscc.edu.

First time applicants seeking admission to Southern Union State Community College must provide an official high school transcript or an official copy of their GED.

1. Admission to Courses Creditable Toward an Associate Degree
To be eligible for admission to courses creditable toward an associate degree, a first time college student must meet one of the following criteria:

  1. The student holds the Alabama High School Diploma, the high school diploma of another state equivalent to The Alabama High School Diploma, or an equivalent diploma issued by a non-public regionally and/ or state accredited high school; or
  2. The student holds a GED Diploma issued by the appropriate state education agency.

Students who meet one of the above criteria shall be classified as “Degree-Eligible.”

2. Unconditional Admission of First Time College Students

Students who have applied and submitted all required documentation shall be admitted unconditionally. For unconditional admission, applicants must have on file at the College a completed application for admission and at least one of the following:

  1. An official transcript showing graduation date.
  2. An official GED Diploma

3. Conditional Admissions of First Time College Students

Students who have applied but not submitted required documentation shall be admitted as conditional status (excluding transient and international students). Failure to provide all required documentation by the end of the first semester, as determined by local institutional calendars, will prevent a student from future registration and official transcript release. 

Conditional admission may be granted to an applicant who does not have on file at the College at least one of the following:

  1. An official transcript showing graduation date.
  2. An official GED diploma.

   Note: Conditionally admitted students are not eligible for financial aid.​​​

  1. Policy on Placement Testing

    Students are required to take the Accuplacer placement test in English and math prior to enrollment in classes unless appropriate exemptions are on file with the Admissions Office (see the Accuplacer section of this catalog). Prospective students are strongly urged to schedule and complete the placement test prior to registration, as results are used to determine placement in courses at registration. Students whose Accuplacer scores indicate the need for developmental courses must register for the indicated developmental courses the first term. There is no fee for the first Accuplacer test, but students who retest must pay an $8 fee and complete remediation.

    The following students are exempt from taking the ACCUPLACER:

    1. Students who have the required scores on the ACCUPLACER, SAT, ACT, or GED test that are less than five years old.
    2. Students who have a 2.75 high school GPA or higher and a grade of “A”, “B”, or “C” in English IV and Math (Algebra II, Elements of College Math, Algebra II with Trigonometry, Pre-Calculus, or Calculus) that are less than five years old.
    3. Transient students who submit a completed transient form.
    4. Students who enroll as non-credit students (Training for Business and Industry and Continuing Education).
    5. Students who successfully completed a college-level English or math course with a “C” or better at a regionally accredited institution as verified by official transcripts, faxed transcripts, or student grade reports. (Unofficial transcripts or reports are only used for registration purposes. All official transcripts must be received before the end of the first term of enrollment.)
    6. Students scoring 510 or above on the SAT verbal or a 17 or above on the English component of the ACT are exempt from the ACCUPLACER for English.
    7. Students scoring 510 or above on the SAT math or a 17 or above on the math component of the ACT are exempt from the ACCUPLACER for math.
    8. Students who provide documentation of successful completion (“C” or higher) of developmental course(s) which determine eligibility for English 101 and/ or college-level math from a regionally accredited institution.
    9. Students who have an associate degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution that demonstrates successful completion of college-level English and/or math courses.
    10. Students who enroll to audit a course.
    11. Students who score 165 or higher on the Mathematical Reasoning or Reasoning Through Language Arts subject tests of the 2014 series GED.


      Re-Testing

    12. A student who has not attended a developmental English or math class may retest one time per calendar year provided there is evidence the student has completed test preparations and/or remediation activities. Additional preparation includes academic boot camps or online study aids.

      Southern Union will charge a one-time fee of $8.00 per retest assessment. Placement test scores will be valid for five years from the date of the retest assessment. Students may not retake the ACCUPLACER if they have previously been unsuccessful in the developmental course within the last five years.