3.1 Admissions

(Adopted 2-6-1989; Revised 12-4-2000, 6-23-2003; Reaffirmed 8-25-2014; Revised 12-6-2021, 11-3-2025)

The administration of the College will develop and implement admissions procedures for credit hour courses and programs in accordance with the Revised Statutes of Missouri, guidelines of the Coordinating Board for Higher Education and the Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development, and best practices recommended by The Higher Learning Commission. Some programs and majors have specific admission requirements, such as educational prerequisites, cumulative grade point averages, and/or test scores. Admission to the College does not ensure a student’s admission to a specific program. 

Procedures (Revised 5-12-2008; Revised 8-25-2014, 12-6-2021, 11-3-2025)

3.1.1 All graduates of accredited high schools and those who hold a High School Equivalency (HSE) certificate are eligible to enroll in undergraduate courses at East Central College.

3.1.2 Graduates of high schools not accredited by a regional accrediting agency or appropriate state agency must, before admission, present evidence to Enrollment Services of a High School Equivalency certificate. In the event of extenuating circumstances, the applicant should discuss their application with the Director, Early College & Admissions.

3.1.3 Graduates of home schools must present a final high school transcript from a parent, guardian, or external correspondence program with evidence of final cumulative GPA and a graduation date or a High School Equivalency certificate. 

3.1.4 Students who have not graduated high school or home school are eligible to enroll as a dual credit or dual enrollment student as long as they are 19 or under before the first day of August of the school year beginning in that calendar year. Dual credit students earn both college and high school credit simultaneously. Dual credit classes are taught by ECC-certified high school faculty in the high school. Dual enrollment students enroll in classes taught by ECC faculty, either on campus or online. Dual enrollment also includes the Early College Academy, a program in which students enroll during junior year in high school and complete an associate degree at the same time as their high school diploma. Students in the Academy are selected for participation by their high school.

Upon enrollment, dual enrollment and dual credit students are also subject to the Coordinating Board of Higher Education Student Eligibility Criteria outlined by grade level, which includes specific grade point average requirements, permissions from school administrators and/or parent/legal guardian, or ACT or SAT scores. 

3.1.5 Upon admittance, all students are subject to the placement guidelines in place at that time, which will include review of the high school or home school transcript, college transcripts, and/or placement testing.

3.1.6 East Central College requires all students answering “Yes” to one or more of the tuberculosis (TB) screening questions on the Application for Admission to complete the TB Test Form prior to enrolling in coursework (per Missouri Senate Bill 197). If the student has completed TB testing within the last 12 months, they can provide a copy of those results in lieu of completing this form. Military students may have already undergone TB testing as part of their military service. If a military student has not deployed internationally or otherwise left the United States for over a year, they may be exempt from the TB testing requirement. In lieu of a new test, they can submit a written statement from their military healthcare provider verifying the following: (1) their current TB status (negative or history of latent TB infection with successful treatment) or (2) the date of their most recent TB test.