Admissions Policy

Admission to the College
The academic mission of Hagerstown Community College is to offer a diverse array of courses and programs to address the curricular functions of university transfer, career entry or advancement, adult basic skills enhancement, and general and continuing education. In support of the mission, HCC has established an inclusive open door admissions policy for those who have the requisite skills to benefit from the educational programs offered by the college.

The College President oversees the impact of the admissions policy and student enrollment patterns on institutional planning, funding, and staffing.

Students are admitted without regard to race, gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, national origin or disability.
 

The specific admissions provisions relating to credit, non-credit, and oversubscribed programs at the College are as follows:

Admission to Credit Degree Programs
Entering students receive assistance in selecting courses based on placement test results and academic advising. All students seeking a degree must complete a basic skills assessment, unless exempted. New students are required to consult with an academic advisor individually, in a group, and/or on-line to select courses based on their educational goals and academic skill level. Supportive services are available to help students succeed academically.

Students who are 16 years or older and can benefit from the learning experience at the college as well as students under the age of 16 with exceptional academic ability are admitted to credit programs. Those individuals who meet any of the following criteria and are pursuing a degree qualify for admission to developmental or college-level coursework and programs at HCC:

• High school diploma
• GED or EDP certificate
• Ability to benefit criteria on COMPASS scores established by the federal Department of Education
• ESSENCE or early entry criteria
• Home school criteria
• Gifted and talented criteria

Admission to Credit Certificate and Letter of Recognition Programs
Students who are pursuing a certificate or letter of recognition program must meet specific program prerequisites and demonstrate requisite ability.

Individuals who are not pursuing a degree, certificate, or letter of recognition program may take developmental or college-level coursework as long as they meet course prerequisites.

Admission to Non-Credit Programs
Students are free to take non-credit courses and programs as long as they are able to profit from the educational experience and meet specific course prerequisites. There are no academic criteria established for admission.

The non-credit Adult Education and Literacy Services Program is available for students who need to develop basic academic skills or earn a high school diploma. If they have earned a high school diploma, they are not eligible for the program with the exception of the ESL sessions. In addition, students who would like to pursue a certificate or letter of recognition may be referred to the Adult Education Program to meet specific program prerequisites if they have not previously received a high school diploma.

Admission to Oversubscribed Programs
Oversubscribed programs have more eligible applicants than available capacity. The policy for admission to these programs is based on a uniformly designed point system. Eligibility requirements for these programs must be met before applications can be submitted for consideration. Each of the following criteria will have the same approximate weight in every oversubscribed program admission point system:

• Grade point average (15-25%)
• Residency (5-10%)
• Course or Skill Requirements (65-80%)

The program chair/director and the Director of Admissions, Records, and Registration determine admissions procedures based on these guidelines in order to maximize student success.

Appeal Process
A student may appeal an admissions decision by submitting a written rationale to the Director of Admissions, Records, and Registration within fifteen work days after receiving notification of non-acceptance. Within ten work days, the Director will render a decision.

A student may submit an additional written appeal to the Dean of Student Affairs within five work days. The Dean shall render a decision within five work days after the appeal is submitted. The decision of the Dean shall be final.