Admission to the College

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Students who wish to enroll in credit courses offered by GSCC should follow these steps:

  • Complete an online application for admission, www.gadsdenstate.edu.
  • Submit at least one of the following:
    • An official high school transcript showing graduation date or;
    • An official GED transcript.  Alabama GED records can be obtained from www.ged.com.

The requirements and procedures for admission are determined by the Board of Trustees of the Alabama Community College System.  Persons seeking admission must complete the online application and submit appropriate documentation as required by student type.

Admission to the College does not guarantee acceptance or admission to certain Health Science selective admissions programs. Students should refer to the program descriptions in this Catalog for additional information. Any and all elements of admission requirements are subject to change without prior notice.

Military Transcripts: Veterans Affairs require all prior transcripts, including an official military transcript, be submitted to the College upon enrollment. Find information about the Military Joint Services Transcripts and how transcripts may be requested by current and former members of the Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, and Navy at their webpage. Current and former members of the Air Force can request transcripts from the Community College of the Air Force (CCAF).  Air Force personnel can obtain their transcript, even if they have not attended classes at the CCAF. More information about military transcripts can be found at https://www.va.gov/.   

Conditional admission may be granted to an applicant who does not have all required documents on file for admission.  Conditional admission is a strictly temporary status in which the student will be permitted to enroll and attend classes for one term but will not be eligible for federal student aid. Transcripts of completed work will not be issued until the admissions file is complete. Transient and international students are not eligible for conditional admission. 

First-time Freshmen are new students who have never attended any college since graduating from high school. To be considered for unconditional admission, first-time freshman must:

  • Complete an online application for admission
  • Provide an official high school transcript showing a final GPA and graduation date

Students with dual enrollment credit are considered first-time freshmen for admissions purposes if they never attended another college other than for dual enrollment credit. Students with dual enrollment credit MUST submit official college transcript(s).

Transfer students are those who have attended one or more colleges or universities other than Gadsden State since graduating from high school but wish to continue their education at Gadsden State. Transfer students must:

  • Complete an online application for admission
  • Provide an official transcript from high school and an official transcript from each college and university previously attended. Students who have earned an associate's or bachelor's degree are not required to submit a high school transcript but must submit official transcripts from all colleges attended.
  • Students who have earned an associate's or bachelor's degree are exempt from the high school transcript requirement. 

Transfer students must adhere to the same standards of satisfactory academic progress as those entering as a first-time freshman.  Those not meeting standards will be admitted on academic probation and noted as such on the transcript.

An applicant who has been academically suspended from another college or university may be admitted as a transfer student only after following the appeal process established at the College for first-time students who have been academically suspended. If the transfer student is admitted upon appeal, the student will enter the institution on academic probation. The transcript will read “Admitted upon Appeal – Academic Probation.”  Readmission upon appeal does not guarantee financial aid eligibility.  Refer to Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress for more information. 

Transient students are those enrolled at another college/university who desire temporary enrollment at Gadsden State to take courses but not enroll in a formal course of study leading to a credential.  For admission as a transient student, applicants must:

  • Complete an online application for admission
  • Provide a letter of Transience.  The letter must list Gadsden State courses approved for transfer by the home institution, and be received by Gadsden State's Admissions and Records Office before the student may register for the course.
  • Transient students are not eligible for federal student aid.

Re-admit students are former Gadsden State students who have not attended Gadsden State within the past full academic year.  To be re-admitted and cleared to register, applicants must:

  • Complete the online admission application.
  • If students have attended any colleges and/or universities since their original admission to Gadsden State, they must submit an official transcript from each institution to the Gadsden State Admissions Office. If the student has never submitted his/her high school transcript, this will also be required per new regulations.
  • Students who have earned an associate's or bachelor's degree are exempt from the high school transcript requirement. 

Students without a high school diploma or GED may be admitted on a restricted status. Students meeting this criteria are only eligible for programs listed in this catalog that indicate an age requirement for admission rather than a high school/GED requirement. Restricted students may be eligible for financial aid once additional federal requirements are met. 

International students, attending on an F1 student visa, may apply for admission at www.gadsdenstate.edu.  More information can be found in the "Admission of International Students" section of the catalog.

Senior adult students are persons age 60 and older who may qualify for the Senior Adult Scholarship Program (tuition assistance). Senior adult students must complete the same documents required of the first-time freshman and/or the transfer student.   The applicant must:

  1. Comply with the College’s admission standards as noted earlier in this catalog under “Admission,”  “First-time freshmen,” “Transfer Students,” or “Re-admit Students”;
  2. Be an Alabama resident; and
  3. Enroll for credit courses during the drop/add period only. (Non-credit programs not covered under these provisions.)

Current High School Students:

Dual Enrollment students are high school students that have completed at least the ninth grade and have been approved to enroll for dual credit (both high school and college credit) in Gadsden State courses while still attending high school. Students must have a 2.5 high school GPA to qualify for dual enrollment, however a 2.0 GPA may be accepted for certain approved programs. For the full details of Gadsden State’s dual enrollment program, visit Dual Enrollment.  For admission as a dual enrollment student, applicants must:

  • Complete an online application for admission
  • Submit a dual enrollment form signed by a high school administrator, prior to registration each semester.

Accelerated students are high school students who have completed at least the tenth (10th) grade and who have been approved to enroll for college credit in Gadsden State courses while still attending high school. To be eligible, the student must have completed the high school prerequisite(s) for the postsecondary course in which he/she wishes to enroll. Accelerated students are not eligible for financial aid. For admission as an accelerated student, applicants must:

  • Complete an online application for admission
  • Submit an accelerated student form signed by a high school administrator

Exceptions to the above policy may be granted by the Chancellor in the case that a dual enrollment or accelerated student is documented as gifted and talented according to the standards included in the Alabama Administrative Code 290-8-9.12. Exceptions apply only to requirements regarding admission at an earlier grade level and prerequisites for accelerated students.

High school students are not eligible for federal student aid.

Placement Requirements: Admitted students will be subject to placement requirements for Math and English courses.  High school grades (less than 5 years old), ACT scores, or the institutions placement test may be used to determine placement.