System Procedure 3.4.1 Undergraduate Admissions

System Procedures
Chapter 3 - Educational Policies

Part 1. Purpose
To establish requirements for the consistent administration of undergraduate admission processes at Minnesota State colleges and universities.

Part 2. Definitions
For the purpose of this procedure only, the following definitions apply.

Ability to Benefit
The Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act of 2015 amended the Higher Education Act of 1965 to partially restore what is known as the “ability to benefit (ATB) alternatives.” The law went into effect December 16, 2014, and allows for a student who did not receive a high school diploma or its equivalent, or who did not complete a secondary school education in a homeschool setting, to be eligible for Title IV financial aid meeting a combination of ATB alternatives and enrollment in an eligible career pathways program.

Academic program
A cohesive arrangement of college-level curricular requirements leading to an academic award.

Applicant
An individual applying for admission to a Minnesota State college or university. The individual has not yet been admitted.

Eligible career pathways program
Any Title IV Higher Education Act eligible program offered at a postsecondary institution in which a student is enrolled in the postsecondary program to earn at least one recognized postsecondary credential and participates in an adult education component that enables the student to attain a high school diploma or its recognized equivalent. The career pathways program must include:

accelerated programming that is aligned to a specific occupation or occupation clusters;

a counseling and supportive service component;

alignment with the education and skill needs of the state or regional economy; and

the ability to prepare students to be successful in any of a full range of secondary or postsecondary education options, including registered apprenticeships.

First year applicant
An individual who has not attended a college or university after completion of a secondary education.

International applicant
Non-US citizen who seeks to enter the United States through a formal process to complete part or all their post-secondary education. These applicants are seeking a nonimmigrant visa (F-1 or M-1) or an exchange visitor visa (J-1) to study at the college or university.

Non-Degree seeking applicants
An individual who intends to take courses at a college or university without the intent to complete a certificate, degree, or diploma. They are not admitted at another Minnesota State college or university. They may be attending a non-Minnesota State college or university, or not attending any college or university.

Transfer applicant
An individual who has attended a college or university (demonstrated by their college/university transcript) after completion of secondary education and is seeking admission to a university as an undergraduate student to earn a certificate, diploma, or degree from the university.

Visiting student
A Minnesota State student who takes courses at another Minnesota State college or university without intent to transfer or seek a certificate, degree, or diploma from the other college or university.

Part 3. Registration Limitations after Admissions
Admission to a college or university does not guarantee that a student is allowed to enroll in college-level courses as provided in System Procedure 3.3.1 Assessment for Course Placement.

Academic programs may have additional admission requirements. Admission to a college or university does not guarantee subsequent admission to such programs.

Part 4. Admissions Requirements for Degree Seeking Applicants
Colleges and universities shall set minimum admission requirements for applicants seeking to earn a certificate, diploma, or degree. To be considered for admission to a college or university, an applicant must submit an application for admission through the universal application or programs such as the Minnesota Office of Higher Education’s Direct Admissions.

Subpart A. Colleges
Colleges are committed to open-access admissions.

Secondary Education Completion – All Applicants
Colleges shall accept applicants who demonstrate completion of secondary education through one of the following:

a high school diploma,

a standard adult diploma, or

an equivalent high school diploma, such as a General Education Development (GED) certificate.

Ability to Benefit (ATB)
If seeking admission to the college for the purpose of pursuing an eligible career pathway program applicants must meet the following:

Must be 17 or older. If the applicant is 17-18, they must be formally released from high school before enrolling.

Do not have a high school diploma, adult standard diploma, or GED,

Have the federally mandated ATB test, ACCUPLACER, scores of:

Reading Comprehension – 233

Writing – 235, and

Arithmetic – 230.

If an individual is admitted to the college and into an eligible career pathways program through this process, they must be informed in writing that they may apply and possibly qualify for federal financial aid.

Exceptions
A college may set other requirements to evaluate readiness for a person who has not completed secondary education. The applicant must be 17 or older. If they are 17-18, you must be formally released from high school before enrolling.

Subpart B. Universities
Admission to universities must be based on the completion of secondary education and the achievement of preparation standards.

Secondary Education Completion – All Applicants
University applicants demonstrate completion of secondary education through one of the following:

a high school diploma,

a standard adult diploma, or

an equivalent high school diploma, such as a General Education Development (GED) certificate.

Preparation Standards for First-Year Applicants
To be considered for admission to a university as a first-year student, applicants will be evaluated for completion of the Academic Core and Academic Performance. Individual universities may set higher or combination of test score, grade point average, or class rank requirements.

Required Academic Core. If an applicant completed or earned (or in the process of completing or earning) a high school diploma, the completed high school courses must include:

4 years of English (including composition, literature, and speech),

3 years of mathematics (2 years of algebra, of which one is intermediate or advanced algebra, and 1 year of geometry),

3 years of science (at least 1 year each of a biological and physical science in which all courses include significant laboratory experience),

3 years of social studies (including 1 year each of geography and U.S. history), and

1 year of arts (visual arts and the performing arts of theater, music, dance, and media arts).

Applicants who completed a standard high school adult diploma or an equivalent high school diploma, (such as a GED certificate) are exempt from this requirement. Applicants exempted from this requirement must still meet the requirements of section 2b below.

Academic Performance Requirement. Applicants shall meet at least one of the following:

ACT or SAT composite score at or above the 50th percentile on the national norms,

GED with subject area scores of at least 165 in all areas,

HiSET exam with scores of 15 on each multiple-choice subtest and a 4 on the language arts-writing,

MCA with reading score of at least 1042 and math score of at least 1156,

TABE with reading and writing scores of at least 537 and mathematics score of at least 538,

a rank in their high school graduating class in the top 50%, or

a high school cumulative grade point average of at least 2.5.

Preparation Standards for Transfer Applicants
Transfer applicants will be evaluated against the standards of first year applicants until they reach a threshold of credit completion at the college or university level. Students transferring to a university must have a level of academic achievement that is at least equal to the standard required for good academic standing at the receiving university. Applicants shall have completed at least one of the following standards:

Completion of an Associate’s degree or higher,

Completion of the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum,

Each university shall identify the postsecondary course-taking standards by which an applicant demonstrates readiness for admission to the university. Postsecondary course standards must be at least 12 attempted credits.

Exceptions
Individual universities may make exceptions to the requirements set forth in Subpart B, 2 and 3 on an individual student basis. If individuals are admitted who do not meet the stated requirements, the university shall document the reasons for granting exceptions and maintain adequate records to determine the academic success of the students admitted under these exceptions.

Subpart C. International Applicants
International applicants must be evaluated against the admissions criteria set forth in Part 4, Subpart A or B. International applicants may need to demonstrate English Language proficiency and economic self-sufficiency.

English proficiency
International applicants who are not native speakers of English shall demonstrate proficiency in English on a standardized test selected by the admitting college or university. English language proficiency may be demonstrated by standardized test, educational achievement at an Intensive English Program or in an English-speaking education system, or through the campus-based English as a Second Language assessment for course placement practices. Minnesota State colleges and university shall accept the following TOEFL scores as English proficiency:

Traditional Academic Program – TOEFL iBT score of 61

English as a Second Language Program – TOEFL iBT score of 20

Economic self-sufficiency
Prior to being admitted to a college or university, an international applicant shall demonstrate economic self-sufficiency to be able to afford the costs of tuition and fees, books and supplies, room and board, transportation, health insurance, and any other costs necessary for the completion of the academic year.

Part 5. Admissions Requirements for Non-Degree Seeking Applicants and Visiting Students

Subpart A. Non-Degree Seeking Student A college or university may require a non-degree seeking applicant to submit an application for admission.

Subpart B. Minnesota State Visiting Student
A college or university shall not require a student who is admitted to another Minnesota State college or university to submit an application for admission in order to take courses. If the student intends to earn a certificate, degree, or diploma, or receive financial aid from the receiving college or university, the student must meet the requirements for admission for degree seeking applicants in Part 4.

Part 6. Application Fee and Form

Subpart A. Fee Each college and university may charge an admission application fee as provided in Board Policy 5.11. A college or university shall not charge an application fee to an applicant who has previously been admitted to that college or university as a candidate for a certificate, diploma, or degree. When the college or university chooses to charge an admission fee to all undergraduate applicants:

The college or university shall not communicate an admissions decision until the fee is paid. The application may be reviewed pending payment.

In accordance with Minnesota law, the admission fee may be waived if the president or designee determines the fee would impose an economic hardship on the applicant or the applicant’s family.

The president or designee may choose to waive the fee for enrollment-focused initiatives.

The college or university may charge a higher fee for additional admissions processing for international student applicants.

Subpart B. Application form
The system office, in consultation with the colleges and universities, shall maintain the universal Minnesota State admission application form.

The online application form and process must be accessible on the Minnesota State website for use by all colleges and universities.

Colleges and universities may accept applications from commercial online services, but all such applications must be identical in format and content to the Minnesota State online application form.

The system office shall make the Minnesota State application available in paper form. Colleges and universities may use a paper form customized with their own branding, but it must have the same format and content as the Minnesota State application.

Part 7. Documentation of Admission Eligibility
Applicants may be required to document admission eligibility. Applicants unable to present transcripts or other required documentation of educational preparation must be individually evaluated on the basis of college or university requirements consistent with the college’s or university’s identity and mission.

Applicants who completed secondary or post-secondary education outside of the United States may be required to submit high school or other transcripts to an evaluation service designated by the admitting college or university. Cost of the evaluation must be borne by the applicant.

Each college or university shall develop a process to evaluate the validity of a student's secondary completion if the institution has reason to believe that the high school diploma, adult standard diploma or GED certificate is not valid or was not obtained from an entity that provides secondary school education.

Part 8. Applicants and Students Suspended from Other Colleges or Universities

Subpart A. Applicants suspended for academic reasons
Applicants on academic suspension from a Minnesota State college or university must not be admitted to another college or university during the term of that suspension unless they demonstrate potential for being successful in the particular program to which they apply.

Subpart B. Applicants suspended for disciplinary reasons
Applicants who have been suspended or expelled for disciplinary reasons from any postsecondary institution may be denied admission to a Minnesota State college or university.

Part 9. Financial holds
Colleges and universities may admit an applicant who has a financial hold at another Minnesota State college or university.

Part 10. Appeals
Each college and university shall establish an appeals process that may be used by individuals denied admission to their college or university. The college or university shall communicate the appeals process to an applicant denied admission.

Part 11. Registration

Subpart A. Financial holds and enrollment in courses
Colleges and universities shall not allow students to enroll in courses until the financial hold has been lifted. Exceptions must be made for students:

whose tuition and fees are eligible to be paid for by the North Star Promise Scholarship Program offered by the State of Minnesota,

enrolling in non-credit and closed-credit courses offered through Continuing Education and Customized Training (CECT),

currently incarcerated and enrolling in a college or university prison partnership program*,

who are veterans, service members, and their dependent family members, in courses paid for by federal military educational benefits,

who are enrolling in any for-credit courses paid for by their employer, organizations such as community-based organizations (CBOs), government agencies, or

enrolling in federal, state, county, or other public or non-profit sponsored academic programs.

* Upon formal request by a college or university administrator responsible for a prison partnership program, a student may have a hold lift continued after release for a period of up to one calendar year. During this time period, the student must make progress in resolving the financial issues causing the hold.

Subpart B. International Students Health Insurance
International students shall purchase the system-approved student health insurance, except those students whose sponsoring agency or government certifies that the student is covered under a plan provided by the sponsoring agency or government.

Subpart C. Registration

Visiting students shall satisfy course prerequisites of the college or university where a course will be taken.

Universities may restrict enrollment in visiting student status to students who have earned 24 Minnesota Transfer Curriculum credits with at least a 2.0 cumulative grade point average and at least a 67% completion rate at a Minnesota State college or university.

Colleges and universities may deny enrollment as a visiting student to any student who has an enrollment hold due to conduct or academic progress reasons at any college or university. A visiting student who has an enrollment hold due to conduct or academic progress reasons at the visiting college or university shall complete the appropriate appeals process at the college or university where the hold is located.

Colleges and universities shall deny enrollment as a visiting student to any student who has an enrollment hold due to outstanding financial obligations at any other college or university.

Each college and university shall establish a registration window that provides a reasonable opportunity for visiting students to register for courses.

Colleges and universities may limit enrollment of visiting students in courses that historically have enrollment requests exceeding available seats.

Colleges and universities may use alternative forms for registration/enrollment of students in limited enrollment, customized training courses. These forms must comply with format guidelines provided by the system office and with applicable federal and state statutes and regulations.

A visiting student may enroll for the maximum number of credits allowed by each college’s or university’s enrollment policy, provided that the student’s total number of enrolled credits at all Minnesota State colleges and universities does not exceed 22 in any semester.

System Procedure History:

Date of Adoption: 08/13/06
Date of Implementation: 08/13/06
Date of Last Review: 08/07/24

Date & Subject of Amendments:

08/07/24 – Full review, reorganized the procedure’s content, added and/or modified definitions for clarity, clarified Ability to Benefit admissions requirements, added additional options for academic standards for university admissions, and clarified application fee and waiver of application fee.

08/09/22 – Added a catch-all language in Part 3, Subpart A to capture changes coming from the U.S. Department of Education, updated the Ability to Benefit test scores in Part 6, Subp D, and the financial hold language in Part 9 to allow registration holds to be temporarily lifted for currently incarcerated and enrolling in a college or university prison partnership program, or students enrolling in federal, state, county, or other public or non-profit sponsored academic programs. Expanded availability of appeals in Part 11.

Additional HISTORY.

System Procedure 3.4.1 Undergraduate Admissions

Related Documents:

System Procedure History: