Admissions Policies

Policy Number:

STSV_0004

Policy Statement:

Admission to Garden City Community College is granted by meeting one of the following requirements:

A graduate of a regionally accredited high school.
A transfer student, in good standing, from a regionally accredited university/college.
A successful completer of the General Education Development (GED) examination.
A graduate of an approved home-school program. The home-school must be in compliance with the regulations set forth by the state in which it is located.
A student 18 years or older.
Students who are enrolled in grade 9 and are classified by a school district as “gifted” and has the authorization from the high school principal.
A student enrolled in grades sophomore, junior or senior with written permission from the high school principal.

Applicants who do not meet one of the above requirements will be admitted with “special student” status and are considered non-degree seeking students.

Procedures:

Students concurrently enrolled in a high school or a home-school, who have not yet graduated, may be enrolled with “special student” status under one of the following conditions:

A high school sophomore, junior, or senior student with written permission from the high school/home school principal, counselor, and parent/guardian.
A student enrolled in grade 9 and in a recognized gifted program with written permission from the high school principal.

“Special student” status may be changed to “degree seeking” status upon graduation from an accredited high school program or upon the successful completion of a GED examination, or the successful completion of the designated “ability to benefit” assessment. The college reserves the right to deny admission or re-admission to any individual considered detrimental to the best interest of the college community or if the college is unable to provide the services, courses or program needed to assist any person in meeting his/her educational objectives.

SELECTIVE ADMISSIONS PROGRAMS:

Admission to GCCC does not guarantee enrollment in the following programs or Centers of Excellence: Nursing, Practical Nursing, Emergency Medical Services Technology, John Deere Agricultural Technology, Automotive Technology, Information Technology, Oil Production Technology and Industrial Maintenance Technology. Students seeking admissions to one of these programs should meet with the director of that program as early as possible. Additional requirements and/or an additional application are required for these programs.

NON-DEGREE SEEKING STUDENTS:

Students who are admitted as “non-degree seeking” are not required to submit transcripts. Should the classification of the student be changed to “degree-seeking” status, all transcripts must be received before financial aid, including scholarships and grant-in-aid awards, will be disbursed or a degree awarded.

FORMER STUDENTS:

Students who have not attended GCCC for one year or longer will be required to submit a new Application for Admission. Official transcripts of all college credits earned since last attendance for “degree-seeking” students must be mailed to the Admissions Office. Former students should refer to “Residency Defined” section of the academic catalog to determine current residency status.

HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS:

High school sophomore, junior and senior students, including home-study program students, may enroll concurrently in college courses with written permission of their high school principal. An annual cooperative agreement with the unified school district or the home-study school and the college must be on file in the Registrar’s Office for college credit to be granted. Individual student permission forms must be submitted each semester.

GIFTED PROGRAM STUDENTS:

Students who are enrolled in grade 9 and are classified by a school district as in a recognized “gifted” program may enroll in college courses with authorization from the high school principal. Written permission of their school principal and a copy of the student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP) must be on file in the college Registrar’s Office for college credit to be granted. The IEP must be renewed each academic year.

TRANSFER STUDENTS:

A transfer student who has attended any post-secondary institution must have an official transcript sent from all previous institutions to the Admissions Office. Transfer students are not officially enrolled until all college transcripts have been received and evaluated. Transfer credits will be accepted from colleges and universities starting from the year they are accredited or hold candidacy status with the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, New England Association of Colleges and Schools, Northwest Association of Colleges and Schools, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Western Association of Colleges and Schools, or other institutions with official documentation, approved by GCCC. All transfer credit will be converted to the semester hour system. All courses attempted/listed with an “F” grade or higher will be articulated and calculated in cumulative GPA Quality points. Grade points will be articulated and averaged into the cumulative grade point average earned at GCCC. Students on academic probation at their former colleges or with transfer cumulative grade point averages below 2.0 will be admitted on probation to GCCC. Students on academic dismissal at the last college of attendance must petition to the Director of Enrollment Management. If admitted, the student will be placed on probationary status until the grade point average meets regular college standards as outlined in the Academic Probation/Dismissal section. Note: It is the responsibility of the transferring student to inform the Admissions Office if he/she has previously been academically dismissed at any former college. Failure to do so or falsification of information requested by the college may result in immediate dismissal from Garden City Community College at the time the college becomes aware of the deception.

UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS AND OTHERS:

Effective July 1, 2004, the Kansas Legislature (HB2145) established eligibility regulations for certain undocumented immigrants and others to qualify for paying resident tuition and fees rates, for any enrolled class being after that date, under the following conditions: The student has attended an accredited Kansas high school for three or more years and Has either graduated from an accredited Kansas high school or has earned a GED issued in Kansas and (a) in case of a person without lawful immigration status: has signed and filed an affidavit with the institution stating that the person or person’s parents have filed an application to legalize such person’s immigration status, or will file such an application as soon as such person is eligible to do so or (b)in the case of a person with a legal, nonpermanent immigration status: has filed with the postsecondary educational institution an affidavit stating that such person has filed an application to begin the process for U.S. citizenship or will file such application as soon as such person is eligible to do so. Kansas has no accreditation standards for home schools; therefore, home-schooled students are not eligible for resident rates under this law. The law has no effect on the eligibility standards or requirements for any type of financial aid. Students who are eligible under HB2145 must contact the Admissions Office to complete the necessary requirements.

Policy History:

June 26, 2026: Revised to include policy number

February 5, 2025: Revised for accessibility format

July 1, 2016: Reviewed

July 31, 2013: Approved