VI.A. ADMISSIONS

VI.A.1.1. Admissions Policy

The College is an open-enrollment community college system. It identifies, attracts, enrolls, and retains students reflecting the community’s population. The College does not consider legally protected statuses in admissions or educational programs.

VI.A.1.02 Definitions

(a)   Academic Fresh Start means the College does not consider grades from courses taken 10 or more years before the start of the applicant’s first semester. The College may not give any applicant under this program course credit for courses older than 10 years. The applicant must be a Texas resident.

(b)   Active Military Service means active service as a U.S. Armed Forces or Texas National Guard member. A student withdrawing from the College to complete training exercises as a Texas National Guard member does not qualify.

(c)    Chief Student Services Officer means the official at each college or at Lone Star College-Online who has been designated as such in corresponding procedures.

(d)   Potential Students are people who may enroll in the College.

       1. High school, secondary education, GED, or home school graduates.

       2. High school or home school students enrolled in dual-credit or early-college programs.

       3. Special admissions may be granted for (a) students aged 16 years or younger, or (b) other applicants able to do college-level work according to the same general standards as high school graduates.

The College may enroll potential students with valid immigration visas if they qualify under (d)(1) through (d)(3).

This definition applies only to the College’s general admission policy. Special admission requirements are required for some specific College programs, degrees, and certificates. Special rules are detailed in the College’s annual course catalog.

 (e)    Texas Common Admission Application Form means the adopted Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board electronic common admission application form.

VI.A.1.03 Admission Grievance Policy

Admission rejections are rare because the College is an open-enrollment institution. However, individuals should direct admission grievances to a college’s Chief Student Services Officer.

VI.A.1.04 Returning from Active Military Service

The College has two duties under this policy: (a) provide the student a financial aid package similar to the one for which the student was eligible before withdrawing for military service. This assumes the student meets the current financial aid eligibility requirements and conditions; and (b) allow the student the same academic status the student had before the student withdrew for military service. This includes any course credit the College awarded the student.

VI.A.1.05. Military Service Recruitment and Outreach

College employees are prohibited from enrollment practices using high-pressure recruitment tactics. The practices include (but are not limited to) making multiple unsolicited contacts (3 or more), including contact by phone, email, or in-person, and engaging in same-day recruitment and registration for the purpose of securing Service member enrollments.

The College prohibits payment to employees, vendors, or contractors for securing enrollment of service members.

LSCS Policy Manual Section VI adopted by the Board of Trustees on March 3, 2016

VI.A.2.1. Health Occupation Programs Admissions Policy

Health Occupation programs do not consider applications from Prospective Students not at least 18 years old at the time of the program application’s deadline—except that LSC-Tomball may honor a current contractual obligation with Klein ISD requiring the admission of students below the age of 18 years old. Any applicant that willfully misrepresents Material Information on the application will not be accepted or conditionally remain in a Health Occupation Program.

 VI.A.2.2. Definitions

1. Health Occupation Programs means programs identified by the College that prepare students to enter the healthcare industry.  These programs include credit and non-credit programs.
2. Prospective Students means a student who is seeking to submit an application and who is not officially accepted into the health occupation programs.
3. Application Deadlines means the identified date provided and published by the health occupation program. Health Occupation Programs only consider applications fully completed by the Program’s application deadline.
4. Material information means any information that the College reports to a third party on behalf of the student—including but not limited to: hospitals, accrediting, or state agencies.

VI.A.2.3. Admission Grievance Policy

The Health Occupation Programs have competitive admission processes even though the College admits students through open enrollment. Admission denials include, but are not limited to: incomplete applications, misleading information, not meeting admission criteria, or lower admission scores that other cohort members.  Students may appeal admission denials to the Program Director and then to the appropriate Dean.  The Dean’s admission decision is final.  

LSCS Policy Manual Section VI adopted by the Board of Trustees on April 4, 2019