Admissions Policies
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 person 18 years of age or older.
- 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.
- Students who are enrolled in an eligible career pathway program, on or after July 1, 2014, and who are not high school graduates, may be eligible to receive Title IV aid if the student meets one of the Ability-To-Benefit (ATB) alternatives listed in the ATB section in this catalog.
- Applicants who do not meet one of the above requirements are admitted with “special student” status and are considered non-degree seeking students. 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:
- Concurrent Enrollment Partnership student, a person who is in grades 10, 11, or 12, or who is gifted and is in grade 9; has been admitted to an eligible postsecondary education institution as a degree-seeking or non-degree seeking student; and is enrolled in courses at a high school at which approved high school faculty teach college credit courses during the normal school day.
- Students who are enrolled in grade 9 and are classified by school district as “gifted” according to the State Department of Education’s definition, K.A.R. 91-40-1 (bb), as amended, may be admitted as concurrently enrolled students provided all other applicable requirements as outlined above are satisfied.
“Special student” status may be changed to “degree-seeking” status upon graduation from an accredited high school or approved home-school or approved home-school program, or upon the successful completion of a GED examination, or the designated “ability-to-benefit” assessment.
The College reserves the right to deny admission or readmission to any individual considered detrimental to the best interests 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: Cosmetology, Nursing, Practical Nursing, Emergency Medical Services Technology, John Deere Agricultural Technology, and Automotive Technology. Students seeking admission to one of these programs should meet with the director of that program as early as possible. Additional requirements and/or an additional application is required for these programs.
Admissions Procedure
New Students
Students must obtain, complete, and submit the following:
- An Application for Admission.
- An official high school/home-school transcript, including final grades, grade point average, class ranking (if available), and graduation date, or an official copy of GED scores.
- An official transcript from each university/college attended, including any dual credit courses taken while in high school.
- All first-time students are required to provide high school transcripts or GED scores for placement purposes. For placement purposes, unofficial transcripts are accepted. The following guidelines are used to determine tool used for placement.
- Students who provide high school transcripts with a graduation date within the last three (3) years are encouraged to use their cumulative high school GPA instead of placement exams.
- Students who have completed the GED (Version 2014) within the last three (3) years are encouraged to use their GED scores instead of placement exams.
- Students may also use ACT or SAT scores that are within the last three (3) years for placement.
- Students who have graduated from High School or completed their GED more than three (3) years ago will need to take the ACCUPLACER placement test.
- Official transcripts are required and must be mailed or transmitted electronically by the issuing institution directly to GCCC Admissions Office. Hand-carried, faxed, or emailed copies are not acceptable.
- Student Health Requirement - Tuberculosis (TB) In accordance and compliance with the TB Risk Assessment Law (Kansas Statute K.S.A. 65-129e), all Garden City Community College students who have traveled, resided in for more than three months, or were born in any country where Tuberculosis (TB) is endemic as identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must provide TB test results prior to attending classes/completing enrollment. Any student who is not in compliance with the applicable State of Kansas Statute is not eligible to attend classes or enroll for classes, or obtain an official academic transcript or records until the student is compliant with the requirements. All students must complete the TUBERCULOSIS SCREENING QUESTIONNAIRE and if required, obtain a completed/approved Certificate of Health Form from the Finney County Health Department or other approved Health Care Provider.
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, are disbursed.
Former Students
Students who have not attended GCCC for two years or longer are 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 this 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 and parent or legal guardian. A yearly 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 school district as “gifted” according to the State Department of Education’s definition, K.A.R. 91-40-1 (bb), as amended, may be admitted as concurrently enrolled students provided all other applicable requirements as outlined above are satisfied.
Written permission of their school principal and a copy of the student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP) must be on file in the 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 credits are 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 approved with official documentation,by GCCC. All transfer credit are converted to the semester hour system. All courses attempted/listed with an “F” grade or higher are articulated and calculated in cumulative GPA Quality points. Grade points are articulated and averaged into the cumulative grade point average earned at GCCC. Refer to the Transfer Credit Policy on the GCCC website.
Students on academic probation at their former colleges or with transfer cumulative grade point averages below 2.0 are admitted on probation to GCCC. Students on academic dismissal at the last college of attendance must petition for a hearing before the Academic Review Committee before they may be admitted to GCCC. If admitted by the committee, they are placed on probationary status until their grade point average meets regular college standards as outlined in the Academic Probation/Dismissal section of this catalog.
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.
Transfer Credit Policy
Garden City Community College’s transfer credit policy, including its appeals process, follows.
Refer to the Transfer Credit Policy on the GCCC website.
- For students transferring credit to Garden City Community College
- Students seeking to transfer credit earned at another college to Garden City Community College must provide an official transcript from the other college to the GCCC Admissions Office. GCCC must receive these transcripts directly from the other college. Students may not submit the transcripts in person. The transcripts must bear the official seal of the other college. Photocopies and facsimiles are not acceptable.
- The GCCC Records Office will evaluate transcripts based on the program to which GCCC has admitted the student. GCCC will grant transfer credit only to courses that apply to students’ programs of study at GCCC, or meet degree and certificate requirements.
- Students who change their major program of study or degree plan at GCCC may request that the Records Office reevaluate their transcripts based on the new program of study.
- GCCC will generally grant credit only for courses in which students earn a grade of D or higher. GCCC will not grant credit for courses in which students earn lower than a grade of D. GCCC will grant credit for courses in which students earn a grade of D or higher whenever a grade of D is allowed for native GCCC students. A specific class or program, however, may require a higher grade as a prerequisite for a course or as a requirement for admission to the program.
- GCCC will grant credit either for the equivalent courses at GCCC, if they exist, or for courses within a comparable department at GCCC, if the departments exist. Courses for which no equivalent course exists, but which are acceptable as transfer credit, are designated with the most appropriate department codes and listed as elective.
- All grades and credits on an incoming transcript are included in the evaluation at GCCC and included on the GCCC transcript for computation into the cumulative grade point average.
- GCCC grants transfer credit only for credit earned at regionally accredited colleges in the United States. Please check the GCCC Catalog for information on accreditation accepted by GCCC. Additionally, GCCC reserves the right to evaluate courses based upon the syllabi and competencies of similar courses instructed at GCCC. If incoming courses do not meet the same competencies and criteria as native courses, equivalency will not be established.
- GCCC follows the guidelines established by National Association of Credit Evaluation Services (NACES) for credits earned from international institutions.
- GCCC follows the American Council on Education’s (ACE) published recommendations on the transfer of non-accredited institutions, including military and other training programs. These guidelines are published at http://www.acenet.edu
- Students may check with the Records Office within two weeks of receipt of official transcript for a listing of credits transferred.
- Appeal Process: Students who disagree with the transfer credit decisions at GCCC may appeal those decisions as follows. Students should provide evidence, such as course descriptions and syllabi, that the courses in question are either the equivalent of or comparable to courses offered by GCCC.
- Students first must appeal the transfer credit decision in writing to the Registrar.
- If the disagreement is not resolved with the Registrar, students may appeal in writing to the Vice President for Instruction.
- The decision of the Vice President for Instruction shall be final and not subject to appeal.
- For students transferring credit from Garden City Community College
- Students seeking to transfer credit earned at Garden City Community College to another college must submit a signed Transcript Request Form to the GCCC Registrar’s Office. Transcripts cost $5.00 each. Signed requests are necessary to send transcripts.
- The Records Office will send transcripts within three days of receiving the signed request and fee to the college or colleges indicated on the Transcript Request Form. Whenever possible, students should indicate a specific person or office to which the transcripts should be sent.
- Students who want their transcripts to include certificates and degrees earned must request that those transcripts be sent after the appropriate graduation date for those certificates and degrees.
- GCCC will not send transcripts for students who have outstanding financial or property obligations to the College. All obligations to the College must be cleared before transcripts are sent.
- Transfer credit granted by other colleges are governed by the policies and procedures of those colleges.
- Appeal Process: Students who disagree with the transfer credit decisions of other colleges may appeal those decisions as follows.
- Students first must appeal to the transfer credit evaluator at the other college. Students should provide evidence, such as course descriptions and syllabi, that the courses in question are either the equivalent of or comparable to courses offered by the other college.
- If the disagreement is not resolved with the transfer credit evaluator at the other college, students may consult with the Director of Advising at GCCC, who may contact colleagues at the other college to investigate the situation and advocate on students’ behalf.
- Initial contacts at Garden City Community College
Out-of-State Students
Residency Defined
Out-of-state and foreign residence: Persons enrolling in a community college who have not been domiciliary residents of the State of Kansas if they are adults, or, if they are minors, whose parents have not been domiciliary residents of the State of Kansas for six months prior to enrollment for any enrollment term or session are not residents of Kansas and are charged out-of-state tuition. Residence of minors shall be determined as provided in K.S.A. 72-1046 and acts amendatory thereof and of adults as provided in subpart Twenty-three of K.S.A. 66-201 and acts amendatory thereof.
The Kansas Board of Regents may adopt rules and regulations governing the determination of residence of students for student tuition and out-of-state and foreign student tuition purposes. (L. 1972. ch. 271. Sec.1; April 11.)
Students who have not resided in Kansas for six months prior to the first day of the semester (or the summer session) are determined to be non-resident students and must pay out-of-state tuition rates. The six-month requirement maybe waived, upon appeal to the Registrar, if the student (or parent of a dependent student) was transferred or recruited by a Kansas company as a full-time employee to work in the state and he/she has established a residence in Kansas.A letter of verification from the company is required.
After a student has continuously resided in Kansas for six months, he/she may petition for in-state residency status by securing and completing an Affidavit of Residency form from the Registrar prior to the first day of the semester or the summer session. A student can be a resident of only one state. If a student leaves the state and claims residency in another state, he/she forfeits Kansas residency regardless of the time spent out of the state.
The responsibility of enrolling under proper residence classification for tuition purposes is that of the student. If there is any question of residency classification, as regulated by the Kansas Board of Regents, the student must raise the question to the Registrar prior to the first day of classes of any given semester. If a student enrolls incorrectly as a resident of Kansas, and it is determined at a later date that the student was a non-resident for tuition purposes, payment of non-resident tuition are required for all terms during which the student was incorrectly registered.
A student who is classified as a non-resident for tuition purposes when enrolling and who disagrees with that classification shall be entitled to an appeal, provided that a written appeal is filed with the Registrar within 10 days from the date of the enrollment. A student who is classified as a resident for tuition purposes at the time of enrollment and who subsequently is reclassified as a non-resident for such purposes and who disagrees with that reclassification may make an appeal provided that a written appeal is filed with the Registrar within 10 days of notification of reclassification. The payment of tuition in full as originally assessed shall be a condition to the right to appeal from residency classification or reclassification. If a student fails to file an appeal in the allocated time and manner stated above, the classification or reclassification determined by the Registrar shall, upon expiration of the appeal period, become final.
International Students
Garden City Community College is a two-year community college located in Garden City, Kansas. GCCC encourages enrollment of qualified international students as a means of enriching the campus environment. International students who wish to attend must follow procedures outlined in this section in order to meet admission requirements. GCCC is authorized under Federal Law to enroll nonimmigrant alien students.
International students are advised that the College does not provide special language training and employment opportunities are limited. International students must also obtain a TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score of at least 500 paper/61 ibt for admission to GCCC.
The time needed to complete the admissions process varies from country to country due to embassy policies and mailing times. Therefore, GCCC recommends that a completed Application for Admission, International Student Application Fee of $150 (non-refundable), and all required documents be submitted by:
- Fall Semester (August): July 1
- Spring Semester (January): November 1
Documents, other than the Official TOEFL score report and Course-by-Course Transcript Evaluation, may be initially submitted electronically to the International Student Advisor at international@gcccks.edu. Original documents may need to be hand-carried to the United States once the approved international student arrives on-campus to start a program-of-study.
Before we begin to review application files, the nonrefundable $150 application fee must be paid in full.
Payments can be made by contacting the Business Office at 620-276-9619. If paying over the phone is not an option, you can also make online payments through Flywire: International Payments Solution (https://www.flywire.com/).
Before acceptance is granted and a Certificate of Eligibility (Form I-20) is issued, the following items must be approved by the International Student Advisor and on file in the GCCC Admissions Office:
- Admissions Application: International students must complete the online application and the $150 nonrefundable fee must be paid. This fee must be paid in full prior to accepting the required documents for admission. The online admissions application can be found at https://www.gcccks.edu/admissions/admission_app_landing.aspx
- Housing Payment/Housing Arrangements: Student must pay a non-refundable $100 housing payment. This fee must be paid in full prior to accepting the required documents for admission. The housing paymentis due with your housing application to secure your room. Housing arrangements must be secured. Any student interested in living on-campus must complete the appropriate Residential Life Contract/Documents. Housing information can be found at https://www.gcccks.edu/student_life/residential_life.aspx Students interested in living off-campus must make a written request to the International Student Advisor.
- Paid on Account: A payment of $1000 needs to be paid on account before the I-20 are issued. Any remaining charges each semester that are not paid at registration are set up on a monthly payment plan.
- Proof of Ability to Meet Financial Obligations: Applicants must document ability to meet full-year expenses through a combination of bank statements and/or approved notarized statements of support. All financial documents must be produced in English and submitted within 6 months of the student’s arrival date.
Estimated Expenses
| International Tuition - 30 credit hours (2 semesters) @ $100/credit hour |
$3,000 |
| Fees - 30 credit hours (2 semesters) @ $55/credit hour |
$1,650 |
| Room & Board - West Hall or East Units/19 meals (2 semesters) |
$5,930 |
| Travel/Miscellaneous Supplies |
$1,000 |
| Total Cost |
$11,500 |
- Proof of English Proficiency - Garden City Community College does not have an intensive English language program. GCCC English courses are designed only for students who have already reached a certain level of English proficiency. An official score report showing that the “Test of English as a Foreign Language” (TOEFL) has been completed within the 18 months immediately preceding application to GCCC with a minimum score of 500 (paper-based) or 61 (internet-based, iBT). Students whose country’s official language is English may not be required to complete the TOEFL.
- Proof of High School Graduation - GCCC requires proof of graduation from an accredited high school or the equivalent, or a transcript of credit from another accredited institution of secondary level or above. All documents must have English translations and must include a graduation date and be properly certified. Google translations are not acceptable. Only original documents or certified copies are acceptable. Faxed copies will not be accepted.
If the graduation date cannot be determined, an official evaluation may be required.
Where translation of foreign transcripts is required, acquiring translation is the responsibility of the student.
College or University Information:
GCCC also requires official transcripts from all colleges or universities attended.
All foreign college academic documentation must be evaluated by an official transcript evaluation service.
For example, below are links to a few companies that provide Course-By-Course Transcript Evaluations with U.S. equivalencies, institutional accreditation status and date of graduation. There are a fee charged by the evaluation company for this service.
- Proof of International Student Insurance with Repatriation Clause: International Students must purchase International Student Insurance coverage annually. The policy must include a Repatriation/Return of Moral Remains Clause. It is the student’s responsibility to research and purchase a plan that suits his or her individual needs and meets the requirements. Approval of the policy are determined by International Student Advisor.
* International students must provide for their own health insurance coverage. The student may purchase coverage in his/her home country and carry evidence of coverage applicable in the U.S.
- Personal Health History and Immunization Record: Students must complete a TB questionnaire to determine if further screening is required. Test must be taken inside the USA and is required before enrollment in classes at GCCC. Applicants must complete the GCCC Health and Immunization Record and work with the GCCC Health Nurse to ensure that all health requirements are complete and current.
- Copy of Passport: A color scanned copy of passport of the photo/personal information page must be sent to the International Student Advisor at international@gcccks.edu.
- Before applying for an F-1 visa at the US Embassy, an I-901 application must be completed and the $350 fee must be paid. Information regarding this governmental policy can be found at the following web address: http://www.ice.gov/sevis/i901/index.htm.
*A properly executed I-20 form are issued by the College and mailed to the international student in his/her home country upon completion of the above.
*The I-20, signed by a college official, is required by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for the student to enter the United States. Students who leave the U.S. for holidays must have their I-20 forms properly endorsed by a college official before they leave the U.S. in order to assure their re-entry into the country to attend GCCC.
Refer to the International Students Policy on the GCCC website.
Resident Aliens
Resident Aliens are international students who have been granted permanent resident status by the U.S. Department of US Customs and Immigration Services (USCIS). To qualify for in-state tuition rates, a student must have resided in the state of Kansas for at least six months and present his/her resident alien card, or another official document issued by the USCIS, showing the student’s Resident Alien Registration Number, to the Registrar prior to the first day of the semester (or the summer session). If a student cannot provide this documentation, he/she are classified as a non-resident and are required to pay out-of-state tuition. The student has the right to appeal residency classification. (Refer to out-of-state student section in this catalog for appeal procedure.)
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 beginning after that date, under the following conditions:
- the student has attended a regionally 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
- in the 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
- 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.
Retention of Records
Credentials of applicants who do not register for the term to which they have been admitted are normally retained by the Admissions Office for one year. Students registering after one year are required to update application information.
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