Nondiscrimination
Southwest Georgia Technical College (SWGTC) under the policy jurisdiction of the State Board of Technical and Adult Education assures equal access to programs and services and that the College does not discriminate against any eligible applicant on the basis of race, color, creed, national or ethnic origin, gender, religion, disability, age, political affiliation or belief, disabled veteran, veteran of the Vietnam Era, or citizenship status (except in those special circumstances permitted or mandated by law).
Admissions Process
Admission to SWGTC is a multi-step process which consists of evaluation of prior academic experience and assessment for postsecondary readiness of eligible applicants.
SWGTC assures implementation of this policy to include consistent interpretation and administration of the following activities:
- recruitment;
- orientation to admission procedures, as needed;
- assessment of students;
- career counseling;
- financial aid counseling;
- procedures to assist persons with disabilities;
- program placement;
- placement into learning support courses or admission to a certificate/diploma/degree program on a provisional or regular basis; and
- advanced placement for program admission.
Activities shall encompass and support ancillary services including, but not limited to, financial aid, academic remediation, and job placement to assist students in attainment of their occupational objectives
.
Eligible Applicants
(a) Citizens 16 years of age or older who seek access to quality instruction designed to develop or improve occupational competencies.
(b) The President of SWGTC has the authority to waive the “16 years of age” requirement for secondary students who are participating in an articulated program of study.
Required Academic Criteria
a) A GED or high school diploma (verified by an official transcript including graduation date and diploma type) will be required for admission to SWGTC, 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. Applicants who have successfully completed (C or better) a minimum of 30 semester or 45 quarter 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.
b) The President of SWGTC has the authority to grant a waiver to the admissions requirement as it relates only to possessing a GED or high school diploma for secondary students who are otherwise eligible to enroll in a program of study that is agreed upon by the secondary school and SWGTC. However, prior to graduation from SWGTC, students in diploma, degree, and specified certificate programs must receive a GED or high school diploma.
c) In order to be accepted by SWGTC, the applicant must have been awarded a high school diploma from a secondary school that is accredited by a regional accrediting agency such as the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement, 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.
d) 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.
Assessment
The ability of a student to succeed in a program is greatly determined by the math and language skills possessed by that student. SWGTC is committed to assisting each student to achieve at their maximum potential. All students applying for diploma, degree, and certificate programs must be assessed prior to acceptance to a program of study. Students will then be admitted in accordance with the academic standards applicable to that program.
SWGTC utilizes the COMPASS or ASSET, the TCSG-approved assessment instruments, when evaluating students for program readiness. However, in the place of COMPASS or ASSET, SWGTC accepts a student’s official entrance score on a validated assessment instrument (such as SAT, ACT), or Georgia High School Graduation Test (GHSGT) in English/Language Arts if the scores meet the College program’s required minimums. A 235 or higher score on the ELA portion of the GHSGT will ONLY exempt testing in writing and reading for placement into diplomas and technical certificate of credit programs. This WILL NOT exempt testing for degree seeking students. If a student’s SAT, ACT, or GHSGT in English/Language Arts scores do not meet the College’s program minimums for regular admission, a student must be assessed using COMPASS or ASSET. Assessment results will be valid for placement purposes for a period of 60 months.
Official transcripts from a regionally or nationally accredited postsecondary institution recognized by the United States Department of Education documenting equivalent program-level English and math coursework successfully completed (C or better) may be used in lieu of completing the corresponding portion of SWGTC’s assessment instrument (ASSET or COMPASS).
Admissions Categories
Minimum admissions requirements shall be established for each program.
Students shall be admitted to SWGTC in one of the following categories: Regular; Provisional; Learning Support; Special Admit ; Transient; Dual, ACCEL, Joint, Move On When Ready, Audit, or Transfer.
Admission Appeal
Applicants have the right to appeal an admission decision to SWGTC. Appeals should be made in writing to the Vice President for Student Affairs of SWGTC within three (3) working days of receiving notification of the admission status. The written document must include specific details supporting the appeal.
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