Admissions Policies

Admissions Philosophy

East Central College welcomes students to enroll in credit and non-credit classes without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, genetic information, or veteran status. Admission to the College does not guarantee admission to a specific academic program, as some programs have additional admission requirements, such as prerequisites, cumulative grade point averages, and/or test scores. (Board Policy 3.1)

 

Student Classifications

  • Degree or Certificate-Seeking Student
    • A post-secondary student enrolled for credit coursework with the intention of completing a college degree or certificate. Degree or certificate-seeking students are eligible for financial aid.
  • Visiting
    • A degree-seeking student from another college or university who attends ECC for one semester or for summer sessions only. An Application for Admission is required, but transcripts or grade reports are only requested to verify prerequisite coursework. A visiting student may also be asked to take an assessment test, depending upon course enrollment. Visiting students are not eligible to receive financial aid while attending ECC, and it is their responsibility to obtain permission from their home campus to apply their ECC courses toward their academic program.
  • Non-Degree or Non-Certificate-Seeking
    • A student enrolled for credit coursework who does not plan to receive a college degree or certificate. Non-degree or Non-certificate-seeking students are not eligible for financial aid and are limited to earning a maximum of 15 credit hours. Students with a bachelor’s degree or higher are exempt from the 15 credit hour maximum with verification of the degree.
  • Dual Credit
    • A current high school student enrolling in ECC coursework at their high school or through a career center. Dual credit is taught at the high school by a high school instructor or an ECC faculty member. Credit is earned for both high school and college simultaneously. Dual credit students are not eligible for financial aid.
  • Dual Enrollment
    • A current high school student who is concurrently enrolled at their high school and ECC. Dual enrollment coursework is taught on an ECC campus and the student may or may not receive credit at the high school for course completion. Dual enrollment students have not earned a high school diploma, a GED/HSE certificate, or a home school certificate and are not eligible for financial aid.
  • Non-Credit Adult Education
    • A student enrolled in the adult education program to complete the high school equivalency exam or prepare for college placement tests. Non-credit students are not eligible for financial aid.

 

Additional Applicant Information

  • Senior Citizens: In accordance with Section 173.091 of the Missouri Revised Statutes, the college allows a Missouri resident who is 65 years or older on or before August 1 of a school year to enroll in college credit courses tuition free, on a space available basis, after the regular students’ fees are due as a non-degree seeking student. Senior citizens are required to pay the associated general fees and course specific fees. Proof of eligibility will be required when registering. Courses must be taken on an audit basis, and all course prerequisites must be met prior to registration. The Senior Citizens Waiver does not apply to courses offered only on a non-credit basis or programs offered through educational partners.
  • Audit Students: A student auditing a course must complete the same admission requirements as a regular student and must enroll and pay regular tuition and fees. The student may or may not be required to take exams as determined by the instructor, but an audit student is subject to the same attendance requirements as regular students. An audit grade does not count toward credit hours for financial aid eligibility.
  • Returning Students: Former East Central College students are no longer considered active when they are not continuously enrolled in coursework at ECC. Returning students must reapply for admission. If the student has completed coursework at another institution since leaving ECC, they are required to submit official transcripts from all institutions attended. Students who are not continuously enrolled will be subject to the degree or certificate requirements in place when they return.

 

Photo Identification

A valid photo ID is required at the Student Service Center and the Testing Center. Acceptable forms of ID include current Driver’s License, State ID/Non-Drivers License, Permit, Military ID, Passport, or ECC Student ID Card. Please Note: The Student Service Center will issue an ECC Student ID card after a student has shown proof of acceptable ID and has registered for courses.

 

Placement Testing

To be admitted, all students are required to complete an assessment of basic reading, writing, and mathematics for placement in appropriate course levels. This can be demonstrated through one or more of the following:

  • Official transcripts from accredited colleges indicate successful completion of college-level reading, English composition, and mathematics courses.
  • Valid standardized test scores meeting minimum requirements
  • Minimum valid high school GPA
  • If a student has not completed previous college credit, chooses not to submit previously completed test scores, or takes the placement test, the student will automatically be placed in the entry-level developmental courses in the areas of reading, writing, and mathematics.

Once a student starts coursework in English and mathematics, at any level, they are unable to take or use a placement test to increase their course placement. If a student leaves East Central College and completes course credit at another institution, they may transfer it in. These credits will be evaluated to determine course placement.

See Board Policy Chapter 3 for additional Student Services Policies and Procedures.