General Admission

Anoka-Ramsey Community College follows an open-door admission policy for Minnesota residents. A person who has graduated from an accredited high school or who has successfully completed a General Education Development Examination (GED) is eligible for college admission. A person with neither a high school diploma nor a GED may be admitted if he/she demonstrates potential for college success. The lack of English skills is not a barrier to admission.

Submit your application for admission and the non-refundable $20 application fee. You may also apply online (not available for international students). Your acceptance letter will include your Student/Tech ID and PIN number. You will need your Student/Tech ID to sign up for Orientation, and to Register or Pay Online.

New students are required to complete placement testing to assess skill levels in English, mathematics, and reading. Exemptions are allowed for students who demonstrate successful completion of a college-level English composition and/or college-level mathematics course at another college. Official transcripts must be sent to the Records and Registration Office. Students may also be exempt if the College Board placement test was taking at another institution within the past two years. Official scores must be sent to the Records and Registration Office. In addition, new students who intend to register for eight or more credits during their first term are required to participate in orientation.

Admission to the college does not automatically qualify a student for all course and curricula of the college; some course offerings have special prerequisites and requirements. To reach an admissions representative, dial 763.433.1300.

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Minnesota Resident Admission

Per MN statute (M.S. 135A.031, subd. 2) and MnSCU Board Policy 2.2, MN resident status is determined at the time of application for in-state tuition and will be granted to the following students:

1. Students who resided in the state for at least one calendar year prior to applying for admission or dependent students whose parent or legal guardian resides in Minnesota at the time the student applies
2. Minnesota residents who can demonstrate that they were temporarily absent from the state without establishing residency elsewhere
3. Residents of other states or provinces who are attending a Minnesota institution under a tuition reciprocity agreement
4. Students who have been in Minnesota as migrant farm workers over a period of at least two years immediately before admission or readmission to a Minnesota public college, or students who are dependents of such migrant farm workers
5. Persons who were employed full time and were relocated to the state by the student’s current employer, or moved to the state for employment purposes and, before moving and before applying for admission to a public post-secondary institution, accepted a job in the state, or students who are spouses or dependents of such persons
6. Students who are recognized as refugees by the Office of Refugee Resettlement of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
7. U.S. military personnel serving on active duty assignment in Minnesota, and their spouses and dependent children

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Reciprocity Agreements and Admission

Students who are legal residents of Wisconsin or North Dakota may attend a Minnesota public institution and pay their home state’s resident tuition for coursework under educational compacts. Similarly, legal residents of Minnesota may attend a Wisconsin or North Dakota public institution and pay Minnesota resident tuition. Forms for the following year are available in April. Effective Fall 2007, South Dakota residents are automatically granted reciprocity at MnSCU institutions.

Application forms for tuition reciprocity must be completed in the home state of the student before tuition reciprocity rates are authorized.

Wisconsin residents may request applications from:

Higher Educational Aids Board
P.O. Box 7885, Madison, WI 53707-7885
608.267.2206 www.heab.state.wi.us

North Dakota residents may request applications from:

North Dakota University System
600 E Boulevard Avenue, Department 215
Bismarck, ND 58505-0230
701.328.2960 www.ndus.edu

Minnesota residents who wish to transfer to public colleges in Wisconsin, North Dakota, or South Dakota should apply to:

Minnesota Higher Education Services Office
1450 Energy Park Drive, Suite 350
St. Paul, MN 55108-5227
651.642.0567 or 1.800.657.3866
www.mheso.state.mn.us

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Midwest Student Exchange Program (MSEP) – Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska

The tuition cost for any student who is a legal resident of Michigan, Missouri, or Nebraska attending Anoka-Ramsey Community College is 150% of the Minnesota resident tuition cost. To apply for admission as an MSEP student, contact the Records and Registration Office at either ARCC campus. The college admission application should be prominently marked next to the “resident information” heading, indicating intent to seek admission as an MSEP student.

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Non-Resident Admission

In addition to general admission requirements, residents of states other than Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, North Dakota, and South Dakota and the Canadian provinces of Manitoba or Ontario require the applicant to meet one of the following requirements:

• Have a high school diploma or GED and based on high school rank, place in the upper two-thirds of the graduating class
• Have a high school diploma or GED and achieve a composite score on the ACT test or the SAT test, which results in placement at or above the 34th percentile on a national comparison
• Have been out of high school for at least three years or high school graduating class graduated three or more years ago and be able to prove ability to benefit from college attendance
• Have completed at least ten college semester credits or fifteen college quarter credits with an overall GPA of at least 2.0

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International Student Admission

An international student is a non-U.S. citizen or non-U.S. immigrant, who has been granted F-1 visa status from the U.S. Department of State (DOS) through a U.S. Consulate based upon the I-20 document (certificate of eligibility for an F-1 visa) issued by Anoka-Ramsey Community College to pursue full-time study at the College. Permanent residents, refugees and political asylees are not international students and should follow the general admissions process.

Persons pursuing international student status must complete all steps below by July 1 for Fall Semester admission and by December 1 for Spring Semester admission.

1. International Student Admission Application: Submit your completed application to the Admissions and Records Office with a $20 non-refundable fee.
2. Academic Requirement: Request your secondary school and any previously attended college or university to send your official academic records and exam results to the Admissions and Records Office. Documents in a language other than English must be accompanied by English translations from a certified English translation service. Copies of originals are not accepted. Academic records must demonstrate equivalent grades of "C" or better in a minimum of five academic subjects within a college preparatory tract. Academic subjects that can be used for this requirement include science, math and geography.  Vocational preparatory courses, English and theological courses may not be used for this requirement.
• Students wishing to transfer credit from post-secondary institutions outside of the U.S. must have their transcripts evaluated by an approved academic credentialing agency. Applicants to ARCC should order the course by course evaluation from either Educational Credential Evaluators or World Education Services.
3. English Proficiency Requirement: Demonstrate minimum English language proficiency by submitting one of the following:
   • TOEFL (Test of English Foreign Language) – minimum score of 500 if test is paper based, or 175 if test is computer based.
   • MELAB (Michigan English Language Assessment Battery) – minimum score of 75.
   • ELS (English Language School) – Academic level 109 successfully completed.
   • College Composition – recent completion of a college composition class from a U.S. college or university with a minimum grade of “B”.
4. Financial Requirement: Submit documentation demonstrating you have adequate financial support (see annual estimated expenses below) to cover all educational and living expenses while you study at ARCC. Your sponsor must submit a notarized Affidavit of Support and a notarized current original bank statement showing history of transactions. Copies of originals are not accepted.

Students seeking admission as an international student may visit the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service ( formerly the INS – Immigration and Naturalization Service), which is the regulating body for the international student admissions and registration process. International or foreign students may also want to additional information on living in the U.S. or social customs in the U.S.

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PSEO (Post-Secondary Educational
Options) Admission

The Post-Secondary Educational Options (PSEO) program is a state program for high school juniors and seniors, which offers the opportunity to enroll in and attend college-level courses and apply earned credits toward high school graduation requirements and a college degree. State funding covers the cost of tuition and required books for eligible courses.

ARCC follows the PSEO admission guidelines set forth by the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU). Students are admitted based upon their class rank or qualifying results from any nationally standardized norm-referenced test, such as the ACT or the PSAT.

• High school juniors – must be within the upper one-third of their class, or score at or above the 67th percentile on any nationally standardized, norm-referenced test.
• High school seniors – must be within the upper one-half of their class, or score at or above the 50th percentile on any nationally standardized, norm-referenced test.

Students interested in enrolling under the PSEO program need to:

1. Complete the PSEO Admission Application
   - Complete Department of Children, Families and Learning form - Notice of Student Registration (state form).
   - Submit documentation of qualifying class rank.
   Fall Semester application deadline is July 1.
   Spring Semester application deadline is December 1.
2. Take Placement Tests
3. Attend Orientation
4. Register for Classes
   

PSEO program funds cannot be used for developmental courses (all courses numbered below 1000), or for courses that have high activity or material fees. These courses include, but are not limited to: Applied Music (MUSC 1105, 2105), Business Seminars (BUS 1189, 2189), Ceramics (ART 2251, 2252, 2281), Glass Blowing (ART 1131, 1132, 2131, 2132), Photography (ART 1165, 1166, 1167), Sculpture (ART 2261, 2262), Stained Glass (ART 1121, 1122), Sailing (HPER 1179), Skiing (HPER 1132), Snowboarding (HPER 1134), Honors Experience (HUM 1172), and study abroad courses. PSEO students enrolling in these courses must pay for the credits and associated fees.

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Special High School Admission

High school students who are not enrolled at ARCC through the PSEO program and are at least 16 years of age may be admitted to enroll in courses outside of the PSEO program for any term, including summer session. Students are responsible for payment of tuition, fees and books. Interested students must complete ARCC’s general admission requirements, submit placement test results and receive written permission to enroll from a parent or guardian. High school transcripts may be required.

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Senior Citizen Admission

Minnesota resident senior citizens, 62 years of age or older, may enroll in credit courses on a space-available basis at a reduced fee of $20 per credit. Registration for Minnesota resident senior citizens at the reduced fee begins the first business day after the first class session. Minnesota resident senior citizens are not charged when auditing a credit course or taking a noncredit course. The request to audit a course must be made at the time of registration for the course. Regular and special fees, books and materials remain the responsibility of the student. Senior citizens wishing to guarantee their enrollment in a course may register earlier, but will be required to pay full tuition and fees.

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Immunization

Minnesota Statute (M.S. 135A.14) requires all students born after 1956 and enrolled in a public or private post-secondary school in Minnesota be immunized against diphtheria, tetanus, measles, mumps and rubella allowing for certain specified exceptions. No proof of immunization is needed from students who are assumed to be up-to-date with their immunizations due to requirements imposed by their previous school enrollment, such as students who graduated from a Minnesota high school in 1997 or later. Immunization forms are sent out from the Records and Registration Office. Students will not be able to complete registration a second time without this information.

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