Martin Community College maintains an open-door admission policy to all applicants who are legal residents of the US and who are either high school graduates, at least 18 years of age, or an emancipated minor.

For curriculum programs, applicants are admitted if they are legal residents of the United States and are either high school graduates or possess the equivalent (i.e. GED, HiSET, or Adult High School Diploma). MCC also admits high school students who meet the eligibility requirements established by the State of NC. Students considered as undocumented immigrants are eligible for admission to MCC if they earned a High School Equivalency Diploma or attended and graduated from a US public high school, Adult High School, private high school, or home school that operates in compliance with State or local law. International students may not be eligible for admission to MCC. MCC is responsible for performing student admission processing and placement determination. (1D SBCCC 400.2) Prospective students are encouraged to contact the Office of Admissions, Counseling, and Student Support Services for more detailed information regarding admissions as well as support with the admissions process.

Admission to a curriculum program is based on criteria established to ensure students have a reasonable chance of success in their program. To be eligible for admission to a curriculum program or to enroll as a special credit student, an applicant must have an official high school diploma from a regionally accredited school, GED, HiSET, or an Adult High School Diploma, or a transcript from a state approved (registered) home school or private high school, or a diploma from a correspondence or online school that is regionally accredited, or accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC), or is part of a regionally accredited college or university. Pursuant to 1D SBCCC 400.2(a), the college will not solicit or use information regarding the accreditation of a secondary school (high school) located in NC that a person attended as a factor affecting admissions to the college or to any programs of study, loans, scholarships, or other educational activity unless the accreditation was conducted by a State agency. When considering whether to admit an undocumented immigrant into a specific program of study, community colleges shall take into account that federal law prohibits states from granting professional licenses to undocumented immigrants; and students lawfully present in the United States shall have priority over any undocumented immigrant in any class or program of study when capacity limitations exist.

For continuing education programs, any adult 18 years of age or older or an individual between the ages of 16 and 18 who has officially withdrawn from high school is eligible to enroll in Continuing Education courses. High school students, 16 or older, are permitted to enroll under the dual enrollment policy with approval from the appropriate school officials. Contact your local school counselor for additional information.

Safety Exception to Open-Door Admission

Pursuant to 1D SBCCC 300.2(a)(1) and 400.2(e) and (f), MCC will refuse admission to any applicant to the College if there is an articulable, imminent, and significant threat to the safety of the applicant and/or another individual. The College defines “admitted” as the end of the application process, which begins with an application and ends when a student attends his/her first class. Once the application process is completed and a student is attending one or more classes, the Student Code of Conduct will apply.

If an applicant is denied admission based on a safety threat, the College will document the following:

• Detailed facts supporting the rationale for denying admission.
• The time period within which the refusal to admit shall be applicable and the supporting rationale for the designated time period; and
• The conditions upon which the applicant that is refused would be eligible to be admitted.

The applicant will have the right to appeal the decision by submitting a written request to the President. In all cases, the President’s decision shall serve as the final governing authority of the College.

Suspension or Expulsion Exception to Open-Door Admission

Pursuant to 1D SBCCC 400.2(d), Martin Community College may refuse admission to any curriculum applicant during any period of time that the applicant is suspended or expelled from any other educational entity.

The applicant will have the right to appeal the decision by submitting a written request to the President. In all cases, the President’s decision shall serve as the final governing authority of the College.

Residency Determination Service (RDS) Effective February 2017

Session Law 2013 – 360 directed the University of North Carolina (UNCGA), the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS), the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority (NCSEAA), and the North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (NCICU) to create a centralized, uniform process for determining residency for tuition purposes and for administration of state financial aid. Following passage of the law, the Residency Determination Service (RDS) was created to provide accurate, consistent, timely, and cost effective residency determination in support of the admissions application process for North Carolina colleges and universities. RDS also supports establishing residency eligibility for NC state grant consideration.

To complete the RDS process and to gain a residency determination, students should utilize the online tool available through College Foundation of North Carolina (available at www.cfnc.org). Students may be required to provide documentation to RDS to validate student-provided information. RDS informs each student of his/her residency determination at completion of initial classification and/or reconsideration, and at the conclusion of appeals processes. First-time, transfer, and non-degree seeking students must utilize RDS. Students who reapply for admission due to a gap in continuous enrollment (defined as an absence of two (2) consecutive semesters or more, not including summer sessions) may need to update their RDS status.

Determining Residency Status

The specific requirements for establishing residency for tuition classification purposes are prescribed by state law. A North Carolina resident for tuition purposes is a person or a dependent person who has established and maintained legal residence in North Carolina for at least 12 months. Residence in North Carolina must be legitimate and be a permanent situation rather than just for the purpose of maintaining a residence prior to enrollment at an institution of higher education. For more information about determining residency status, visit www.ncresidency.org.

Curriculum Programs and Admission Regulations

An official high school, GED or HiSET certificate, Adult High School Diploma (AHSD), or home-school transcript is required for admission to a curriculum program or to take courses as a special credit student. Transferring students may also submit official transcripts of all postsecondary work completed at other institutions; transcripts will be evaluated for transfer credits. Postsecondary transcripts may be required for some financial aid determinations and admission determinations for some programs. Students who fail to submit the required transcripts will not be allowed to register for subsequent semesters until all required transcripts have been received.

Students must meet all curriculum program standards for full acceptance and subsequent degree requirements. Detailed information on the various educational programs offered at the College may be obtained online at www.martincc.edu.

Steps to Curriculum Program Admission

1. Complete an official Martin Community College application. Applicants for admission to Martin Community College are encouraged to complete admission requirements as early as possible prior to their initial enrollment. High school students are encouraged to apply during their senior year. Others may apply at any time preceding their enrollment with the exception of specialized or limited enrollment programs which may require specific deadlines and have additional requirements that must be met before a student may be admitted. Applicants may apply online at www.martincc.edu or www.cfnc.org.
2. Submit an official high school, GED, HiSET, AHSD, or home-school transcript. To be considered official, mailed transcripts must be sealed and include the student’s graduation date. Home-school transcripts must also include a copy of the school’s approved registration from the state in which they are registered. All transcripts become the property of Martin Community College and cannot be reproduced or returned to the student. Faxed copies are not considered official transcripts. The following will be accepted by the College:

• High school diploma from regionally accredited public high schools or private high schools and home-schools that are regionally accredited and/or registered with the State.
• Diplomas from correspondence or online schools that are regionally accredited, accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC), or part of a regionally accredited college or university.
• The GED, HiSET, or Adult High School Diploma.

3. Take any required placement tests (assessment) as part of the enrollment process for advising, guidance, and course placement purposes.

Prerequisites, Placement, and College Readiness

Admission to a curriculum program is based on criteria developed to ensure students have a reasonable chance of success in their program. When evaluations of applicants’ records indicate a lack of readiness in English or math, applicants will be required to enroll in the appropriate transition or corequisite classes as determined by the prerequisites of their program. Applicants can also choose to take a placement test to satisfy English and math prerequisite requirements. Selected health-related programs require that certain prerequisites be met prior to students being considered for admission to those particular programs.

Students entering Martin Community College will be placed by unweighted, high school GPA (requires successful completion of high school Math 2). Additional guidelines: no time limit when the GPA was earned and graduation from a USA High School.

• 2.8 or Above – Students with a GPA of 2.8 or above may enroll in curriculum gateway English and math courses without additional support.
• 2.2-2.799 – Students with a GPA of 2.2-2.799 may enroll in curriculum gateway English and math with a mandatory corequisite course; the corequisite courses are MAT 001 and ENG 011.
• 2.199 or Below – Students with a GPA below a 2.2 must enroll in transition courses; the transition courses are MAT 003 and ENG 002.