3.4.1 Admissions Procedure

Part 1. Purpose. This procedure provides requirements and guidelines for the consistent administration of admissions policies at Central Lakes College

Part 2. Application Form and Fee.

Subpart A. Fee. Central Lakes College does not charge an Application Fee.

Subpart B. Application Form. A uniform, MinnState wide admission application form shall be utilized for Admission by Central Lakes College

1. An online application form and process shall be developed and implemented on the system website for use by all system Central Lakes College.
2. Central Lakes College may accept applications from commercial online services, but all such applications must be identical in format and content to the Central Lakes College online application form.
3. The Central Lakes College application shall also be available in paper form. The paper application must have the same format and content as the Central Lakes College online application.
4. Central Lakes College 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.

Part 3. International Students.

Subpart A. Academic Preparation and English Proficiency.

International students shall be eligible for admission if their academic preparation is judged equivalent to the admission requirements of the institution to which they are applying.
International students 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 shall be borne by the student.
International students who are not native speakers of English shall be required to demonstrate proficiency in English on a standardized test selected by the admitting institution. An international student may be admitted to attend a college or university intensive English as a second language program if the student attains a score of 400 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), or its equivalent. An international student may be admitted as a regular student if the student attains a score of 500 on the TOEFL, or its equivalent.

Subpart B. Economic Self-Sufficiency.

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

Part 4. Documentation of Admission Eligibility.

Subpart A. Individual Evaluation. Applicants may be required to document admission eligibility. Those who are unable to present transcripts or other traditional documentation of educational preparation shall be individually evaluated on the basis of guidelines consistent with the institution’s identity and mission.

Subpart B. English Language Competency. As a condition of admission, applicants whose primary language is not English, and applicants who have graduated from a high school where the language of instruction is other than English, may be required to demonstrate English language competency using the Combined English Language Skills Assessment (CELSA) or an equivalent instrument.

Subpart C. High School Students. Central Lakes College may admit persons who are currently high school students on the basis of readiness as determined by the college or university.

Subpart D. Special Student Status. Central Lakes College may allow students to enroll for courses in a special student status. These students are not candidates for diplomas, certificates or degrees at the institution where they have special student status.

Subpart E. Approved Ability to Benefit Test. The ACCUPLACER is the approved ability to benefit test referred to in Board Policy 3.4, Part 3 State College Admission Requirements. The approved passing scores on this test are as follows: Reading Comprehension (55), Sentence Skills (60), and Arithmetic (34). A student must attain passing scores on all three tests in order to be admitted under the provision in Board Policy 3.4, Part 3. At the time of admission, students admitted under this provision shall be informed in writing that they will not qualify for federal financial aid.

Part 5. Admission to an Academic or Career Program. The admissions standards in Policy 3.4 are meant to apply to admission to the institution only. Central Lakes College may develop a standard or standards for admission into a specific academic or career program that exceed or are in addition to the requirements for admission to the institution.

Part 6. Students Suspended from Other Institutions.

Subpart A. Students Suspended for Academic Reasons. Students on academic suspension from a Minnesota State College or University shall not be admitted to Central Lakes College during the term of that suspension unless they demonstrate potential for being successful in the particular program to which they apply.

Subpart B. Students Suspended for Disciplinary Reasons. Students who have been suspended or expelled for disciplinary reasons from any postsecondary institution shall be denied admission to Central Lakes College and be required to submit and appeal which must be approved for Admission into Central Lakes College.

Part 7. Financial Holds. Central Lakes College may admit a student who has a financial hold at another system college or university but shall not allow the student to enroll in courses until the financial hold has been removed.

Part 8. Visiting Student Status.

Subpart A. Students Not Admitted to a System College or University. Central Lakes College may allow a student who is not currently admitted as a student at any system college or university to enroll for eighteen (18) credits in any semester without submitting an application for admission and show evidence of completion of at least 10th grade in secondary environment.

Subpart B. Students Admitted to a System College or University. Central Lakes College shall allow a student who is currently admitted at another system college or university to enroll as a visiting student. A visiting student shall not be required to submit an application for admission, and is not a candidate for a degree, diploma or certificate at the System College or university attended in visiting student status. A visiting student may enroll for the maximum number of credits allowed by Central Lakes College’s enrollment policy; provided, that the student’s total number of enrolled credits at all system colleges and universities shall not exceed twenty-two in any semester.

Subpart C. Visiting student provisions.

Visiting students shall satisfy course prerequisites at Central Lakes College.
Central Lakes College may restrict enrollment in visiting student status to students who have earned twenty-four Minnesota Transfer Curriculum credits with at least a 2.0 cumulative grade point average and at least a 67% completion rate at a system college or university.
Central Lakes College may deny enrollment as a visiting student to any student who has an enrollment hold due to conduct or satisfactory academic progress reasons at any system college or university.
Central Lakes College shall deny enrollment as a visiting student to any student who has an enrollment hold due to outstanding financial obligations at any other system college or university.
Visiting students are eligible to register in the same registration windows as other Central Lakes College students
Central Lakes College may limit enrollment of visiting students in courses that historically have enrollment requests exceeding available seats.

Part 9. Appeals. Each college and university shall establish an appeal process that may be used by individuals who are denied admission or enrollment as a visiting student. Appeals of denial of admission or enrollment based on financial holds shall not be accepted.

Part 10. Immunization: Minnesota Law (M.S. 135A.14) requires that all students born after 1956 and enrolled in a public or private post-secondary school in Minnesota be immunized against diphtheria, tetanus, mumps, and rubella, allowing for certain specified exemptions (see below). Immunization information will be available for review by the Minnesota department of health and the local community health board. Unless exempt, students must be immunized for the following below.

Measles: Must be after 12 months of age
Mumps: Must be after 12 months of age
Rubella: Must be after 12 months of age
Diphtheria & Tetanus: Must be within the last 10 years.

Unless exempt, students will not be allowed to register for more than one course their second enrolled semester at Central Lakes College without record of the previously listed immunizations.

Subpart A. Exemptions: Students may be medically exempt or file to be exempt due to a conscientious exemption. Conscientious exemption requests require notarization.

Date of implementation/Presidential Approval: July 1, 2015

Date of last review: 2/2/2021