Admissions Policy and Requirements for Applicants

Augusta Technical College is committed to an "open door" admission policy in accordance with its stated mission and goals. The "open door" policy means that any qualified applicant able to benefit from the curriculum will be served by the College on a first-applied, first-qualified basis with the exception of programs that have competitive admission.

Eligible Applicants:  With the exception of programs noted below, individuals 16 years of age or older or dually enrolled high school students in the 9th, 10th, 11th or 12th grades are eligible to apply for admission. Cosmetology and Allied Health applicants must be at least 17 years old to apply; Basic Law Enforcement applicants must be at least 18 years old to apply.

Education:  To be admitted to Augusta Technical College, applicants must satisfy one of the following academic readiness paths below, submit an official transcript and acceptable placement test scores:

1. A high school diploma (verified by an official transcript, including graduation date) which has met the attendance, academic, and/or assessment requirements for the state’s board of education, or equivalent agency, or a state-authorized examination the state recognizes as the equivalent of a high school diploma will be required for admission to the Technical College unless otherwise specified by the program's standards.
   • Secondary schools must be accredited by an agency included on the TCSG approved accreditation agency list.
   • Students with diplomas from secondary schools located outside the United States must have their transcripts evaluated for equivalency by an approved outside evaluation organization.
   • High school Certificates of Attendance or other certificates, credentials or other documents where the student did not complete all required coursework or testing required for a high school diploma in that state are not recognized for admission purposes.
2. Submission of an official transcript reflecting the student has passed an examination the state recognizes as the equivalent of a high school diploma (e.g. GED).
3. The only exception to requirements 1 or 2 is for those students seeking enrollment into an approved basic workforce certificate that does not require a high school diploma or GED for admission.
4. Submission of an official transcript from each of one or more previously attended postsecondary institutions (accredited by an accepted accrediting agency) reflecting the successful completion (C or better) of a minimum of 30 semester or 45 quarter credit hours of coursework at the degree level.
5. Service members of the U.S. Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines, or Navy may submit an official copy of their DD Form 214 or other official documentation of military service indicating high school graduate or equivalent.
6. Applicants who were home schooled in the state of Georgia and did not attend a recognized accredited program must submit: 
   1. a. Certificate of Attendance form from the local superintendent’s office or a Declaration of Intent to utilize a Home Study Program from the Georgia Department of Education verifying that the parent or legal guardian complied with the requirements of home study programs.
   2. b. Annual progress reports or a final transcript for the equivalent of the homeschooled student’s junior and senior years (the final progress report or transcript must include the graduation date). 
7. Applicants who were home schooled outside the state of Georgia and did not attend a recognized accredited program must submit: 
   1. annual progress reports or a final transcript for the equivalent of the home-schooled student’s junior and senior years (the final progress report or transcript must include the graduation date); and one of the following:
      1. PSAT, SAT or ACT scores that meet or exceed the TCSG system and college minimum score requirements for program readiness.
      2. ACCUPLACER Next Generation placement scores that meet or exceed the TCSG system and college minimum score requirements for program readiness.

The following my be used in lieu of testing: HOPE GPA after completion of 10th grade of 2.6 or higher, High school GPA of 2.0 for approved Entry Level Workforce Certificates, Completion of GED® with a score of 145 or higher on each section for placement into any certificate, diploma, or degree program or a completed TCSG form documenting two years of work/career related experience for approved Entry Level Workforce Certificates. Official transcripts from a regionally or nationally accredited postsecondary institution recognized by the United States Department of Education documenting equivalent program-level English and math coursework successfully completed (C or better) may also be used in lieu of placement exams.

*A student possessing an Associate’s degree of higher from a regionally accredited institution shall be exempted from placement requirements.

Applicants with a learning or physical disability that may require testing accommodations must notify Counseling Services on the Augusta Campus or Student Services on the Thomson, Waynesboro Campuses, and the Columbia County Center at least two days prior to the scheduled tests to arrange testing accommodations. Appropriate documentation will be required before allowing test accommodations.

Applicants who score below the provisional cut scores in English, math, or reading on the ACCUPLACER Next Generation tests are referred to Adult Education for remediation. When remediation has been completed, as determined by Adult Education, the applicant will be eligible to retest.

Health:  Applicants should be able to attend school regularly and to perform necessary classroom and laboratory/shop activities.  Some programs require special immunizations or the submission of medical reports before a student attends clinical practicum/internship.

Background Check:  Conviction of a felony or gross misdemeanor may prohibit employment in field and may make a student ineligible to take licensing/certification exam(s) required by the profession. A background check and drug screen may be required by some agencies before a student attends a clinical practicum/internship. For more information, contact the appropriate program advisor.

Competitive Admission: Admission to the following programs is competitive: Associate Degree Nursing, Cardiovascular Technology, Dental Assisting, Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Echocardiography, Occupational Therapy Assistant, Practical Nursing, Radiologic Technology, Respiratory Care, Surgical Technology, and Vascular Technology. For more information regarding this process for a specific program, please contact the Augusta Campus Admissions Office (706) 771-4028, the Thomson Campus Student Services Office (706) 595-0166, the Waynesboro Campus Student Services Office (706) 437-6801, or the Columbia County Center (706) 651-7368 for details.

Note: Applicable Augusta Technical College exemption exam scores will be used for competitive admissions ranking in lieu of Defense Activity for Nontraditional Educational Support (DANTE), College Level Examination Program (CLEP), ARMY/AMERICAN COUNCIL ON EDUCATION REGISTRY TRANSCRIPT SYSTEM (AARTS), Exempt (EX), or Advanced Placement (AP) results, as well as results from similar exams.

Two TEAS scores may be submitted per ranking cycle with a 30 day waiting period between attempts and the highest score will be used for ranking purposes.

Deadlines for Competitive and Other Deadline Driven Programs

Completion of pre-admission criteria does not guarantee admission to competitive programs. Complete program requirements are given in the Program of Study section of this catalog and on the competitive program webpage.

Application Deadlines for Non-Competitive Programs

Non-competitive program acceptance is contingent upon successful completion of all admission procedures. Applications are accepted until the program slots are filled. Prospective students are encouraged to submit applications no later than 30 days before the start of each term. Complete program requirements are given in the Program of Study section of this catalog.