Policy 3.11 - Admissions Policy

Date: June 8, 2026, Resolution #26-074

Supersedes:
June 26, 2023

Purpose

SUNY Schenectady County Community College (SUNY Schenectady) strives to provide affordable and accessible educational opportunities (both credit and non-credit) to all who apply to the College. The Admissions Policy is intended to support the success of applicants as they enroll at the College.

Policy

Ethical Recruitment and Admissions

SUNY Schenectady is committed to honesty and truthfulness in all public relations announcements, advertisements, recruiting and admissions materials, and practices. All communications and recruitment materials, including those produced by any third-party providers, must accurately represent the institution’s programs, costs, accreditation status, and outcomes. The College prohibits all forms of incentive-based compensation to any individual or entity involved in student recruitment, whether for domestic or international students, regardless of Title IV participation. This applies to all institutional staff, independent contractors, and any third-party agents.

Full Opportunity

Committed to the State University of New York (SUNY) policy on Full Opportunity for all County residents, SUNY Schenectady guarantees open admission to all high school graduates of the previous June and all veterans returning from service in the previous year. Additionally, the College admits high school graduates from previous years and other Counties who can profit from its programs and services, to the limits of the College’s capacity and subject to compliance with any deadlines established by the College in its admission procedures.

Admission Requirements

Applicants for degree or certificate programs must possess a high school diploma or its equivalent and meet any additional requirements specified in the College Catalog. Those applicants who have been accepted and have not met the admission prerequisites of the program for which they have applied will be notified as to the effect this will have on their prescribed program of study.

24 Credit Hour Program

Applicants for degree or certificate programs who are over 18 years of age, but have not graduated from high school or who do not have an HSE (High School Equivalency), formerly know as General Equivalency Diploma, may be admitted to the College under the College’s established 24 Credit Hour program that is in accordance with the New York Regulation 8 NYCRR §100.7(a)(2)(i)(c) and specified in the College Catalog.

Early Admissions

High School students may be admitted to the College under the College’s established Early Admissions Program that is in accordance with the State Education Department Guidelines specified in the College Catalog.

International Student Admissions

The College accepts applications for admission from international students for the Fall and Spring semesters. Students attending the College on a student visa (F1) as authorized by an I-20 Certificate of Eligibility are considered to be international students. Applicants who are permanent residents of the United States should follow the normal admissions procedures and are not considered to be international students. Acceptance of international students is based on the following factors:

  1. The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or Duolingo is required prior to Admission. The minimum acceptable score on the computer based TOEFL is 213. The minimum acceptable score on the internet-based test is 79. These are equivalent to the paper based TOEFL score of 550. The minimum score for the IELTS is 6.5. The minimum score for Duolingo is 110. The testing requirement may be waived for students from countries where English is the primary language or when a student has successfully completed English Composition courses at an accredited U.S. college.
  2. Students must have academic credentials at a level appropriate for entrance in college level study. The Full Opportunity Program regarding admission to the College does not apply to international students.
  3. Application Deadline for International Students - Due to the amount of time required to process international student applications and evaluate academic credentials, applications should be processed as early as possible to insure adequate time for acceptance to the College. For international students, the application process should be totally completed with all documentation prior to July 15th for the Fall semester and December 1st for the Spring semester.
  4. In order to verify that a student meets the admissions requirements of the college, the admissions office requires that an NACES member evaluation agency such as World Education Services (WES), Educational Credentials Evaluators (ECE), or Joseph Silny and Associates verify your secondary school records. Either equivalency to a U.S. secondary school graduation (completion of U.S. 12th grade) or completion of the equivalent of a U.S. college degree must be shown. The evaluation report, along with an official copy of the transcript must be in your file by the international student deadline. If the student holds an associates or bachelor degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution, an official copy of the transcript sent directly from the college to SUNY Schenectady will substitute for the above.
  5. Students must be able to certify the availability of funds in the equivalent of the current SUNY Schenectady full-time student Financial Aid Cost of Attendance, using the full-time Non-New York State Student Tuition rate, and all specific academic program and course fees, as applicable, in U.S. currency per each 12-month period to support their cost of tuition, fees, books, room, board, and other living costs while in attendance at the College.
  6. Health insurance coverage is required. Students must provide documentation of health insurance coverage while attending the College prior to registration. This is in addition to the accident insurance that is required for all students. In the event a student cannot provide proof of insurance, they are required to purchase annual International Student/Scholar Health Insurance, the cost of which is included on the SUNY Schenectady County Community College Tuition and Fee Schedule.
  7. International students are not eligible for any form of financial aid for attendance at the College. Students attending the College on a student visa must pay non-resident tuition (one and a half times the resident tuition) regardless of the length of time that they have resided in New York State. (See section on Tuition and Fees in the catalog).
  8. International students who entered the country with an F-1 Visa or who changed their immigration status to F-1 while in the United States are required to report to the Division of Student Affairs every semester to assure maintenance of status. All F-1 students who transfer to the College must also apply for a SUNY Schenectady I-20 (certificate of eligibility) within 15 days of registering for classes.
  9. Students are responsible for the SEVIS fees for F-1 students.
  10. International students must supply proof of all required immunizations.