Admissions Requirements

Admission of Transfer Students

Any degree-seeking applicant who has attended another college or university shall be considered a transfer student. Transfer students who earned credits but not a degree at another college and are eligible for readmission to the last institution attended are eligible for admission to Jackson State. Those who do not meet the readmission standards of the last institution attended may be admitted on academic probation or other established condition.

Transfer students must meet the criteria outlined above for degree admission and must submit to Admissions and Records official transcripts from each school previously attended.  If you've already earned a degree, we only need your college transcripts.

Readmission to Jackson State

A student who has not attended Jackson State continuously (not counting summer term) must complete a new admissions application. If the student has attended any other college(s) since leaving Jackson State, he or she must submit complete official transcript(s) from the college(s) attended in addition to the admissions application. Failure to provide official college transcripts and report all institutions attended will result in delay of financial aid processing.

Placement Testing

For placement in college level courses, applicants must meet one of these criteria:

• Applicants who do not present valid ACT, SAT, or other approved valid assessment scores, that demonstrate college readiness based upon established cut scores, or other documentation to the contrary, will be placed into the appropriate co-requisite learning support course(s) or interventions for reading, writing, and/or mathematics as defined by the academic program requirements.
• Transfer students whose previous academic records from a college or university indicate college-level English, Mathematics and Reading proficiency will be considered for regular admission. Students whose records do not include transfer credit in English, Mathematics or reading intense courses will be placed in correlating corequisite learning support and college-level courses with an opportunity to take the Accuplacer to challenge that placement.

International High School/College Transcripts

Students who have attended an international high school, college or university must provide all transcripts and other credentials written in English or accompanied by an English translation and certified as official copies.  If transfer credit is requested, the academic transcripts must be evaluated by an educational credential service that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). Transfer credit awarded will take into consideration the credit recommendations provided by the educational credential service.

General Requirements For All Non-Degree Applicants

A non-degree-seeking student is one who is not working toward a degree. To be admitted as an undergraduate non-degree-seeking student, a person must hold a regular high school diploma or a high school equivalency diploma. Exceptions may be made as listed in the high school section below. Non-degree-seeking students must (1) meet entry-level standards for each course in which they enroll, (2) be able to complete assignments, and (3) be able to read and write at the required level.

Non-degree students who wish to take college-level English or math courses or to take another college-level course that is the second course in a two-course sequence (e.g., Accounting I and II) must (1) provide evidence that they have successfully completed all college-level prerequisites or (2) provide evidence of other equivalent experiences before enrolling. Non-degree students are not eligible for financial aid.

High School Students

Dual Enrollment Of High School Students

Dual enrollment is the enrollment of a high school student in one or more college courses for which the student is eligible to earn both high school and college credits. The Dual Enrollment program is a cooperative effort between Jackson State and high schools in our designated service area counties and qualified home school students. Qualified high school students may accelerate their college education through dual enrollment courses; all requirements of both the high school and Jackson State must be met by students participating in the program. 

Dual enrollment students are classified as non-degree seeking students who must meet entry-level standards for each course in which they enroll.

Residency Classification

Upon a student’s admission to the College, Admissions and Records classifies each student as resident or nonresident.

In order to comply with the Tennessee Eligibility Verification of Entitlements Act, Jackson State must verify the citizenship or lawful presence of students who apply for admission and are assigned a residency category that is eligible for state benefits. State benefits include in-state tuition, lottery scholarship, academic scholarship, or any other form of tuition assistance or waiver funded with state-appropriated funds.

If the initial assessment of records indicates nonresident status, an application for in-state residency is available on the Admissions and Records website.  Proof of relevant facts regarding residency must be included with the application. See Citizenship Verification

Special Admission or Non-Degree Seeking:

Non-Degree seeking students are not pursuing a degree at this time. You must have earned a regular high school diploma or passed the GED test. Non-degree seeking students are not eligible for financial aid.

Although official transcripts are not required, you may need to supply unofficial versions to prove eligibility for most courses that have prerequisite requirements. Eligibility is validated by one of the following:

• Acceptable ACT or Accuplacer test scores
• A copy of college transcripts showing a passed college-level English and math course or earned college level degree

Medical Requirements:

Tennessee law requires that students enrolling in any of the following academic program areas are required to submit proof of compliance with the recommended immunization schedule:

1.  Programs that involve interaction with children, such as a teacher education or early childhood education training
2.  Programs in the school of nursing, laboratory technology, or any other allied health professions  

For all other academic areas of study, students who provide proof of one of the following are considered to be compliant with the recommended immunization schedule:

1.  Prior or current military service
2.  Graduation from a Tennessee high school after 2014

Students enrolling in all other academic program areas who fail to provide health information that establishes the applicant’s compliance with the recommended immunization schedule for measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella for adults, issued by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) shall be presumed to be un-immunized and subject to immunization, quarantine or isolation recommendations for the purposes of public health disease control.

A student may be exempted from immunization requirements if vaccination conflicts with the religious tenets and practices of the student or if a licensed physician determines that the risk of harm from the vaccine outweighs the potential benefit.

For more information, visit the Tennessee Department of Health's College Immunization Requirements web page.

Dual Enrollment High School Students:

1. Submit a dual enrollment application
2. Passing score on ACT/SAT/PLAN or Accuplacer test in subject area
3. Provide high school transcript
4. Signature approval form from principal, parent and counselor/teacher
5. Contact the Recruiting Office (731) 425-2601 for information

Audit Students:

• May attend class to observe but will not receive college credit
• Must be at least 17 years old unless written permission given by instructor and academic dean within the area
• Neither faculty nor JSCC academic support services have obligation to provide instruction or evaluation
• Admissions application only required

Senior Citizens:

Credit classes

• Available to persons at least age 65 and disabled persons as defined in Chapter 28 of the Public Acts of 1977
• May enroll for credit without paying tuition or registration fees
• $75 service fee for record keeping
• Must meet admissions requirements for class

Audit classes

• Available for Tennessee residents who are at least age 60
• Will not pay tuition, maintenance, student activity, or registration fees
• Admissions application only required

Additional Admissions Requirements:

• HiSET for GED recipients must provide an official diploma or copy of official scores
• Official transcripts for home schooled students must provide an official copy for an affiliated organization as defined by state law (TN Code Annotated 49-50-801), or be accompanied by registration certification with the superintendent of the local agency which students would otherwise attend. Students unable to provide a satisfactory secondary credential may substitute acceptable GED scores.
• Out-of-state residency: Students classified as out-of-state for fees purposes documents received for the admissions application may appeal that decision with the Residency Application and supporting documents to the Admissions and Records Office. Residency Application
• Selective Service: All US males between age 18 and 26 must register with selective service. Visit Selective Service System
• Undocumented noncitizens must pay out-of-state fees per Tennessee Board of Regents policy

Fraudulent Academic Records:

Effective July 1, 2003, the misrepresentation of academic credentials is classified as a Class A misdemeanor. This occurs when a person knowingly represents, either orally or in writing a "false statement" to obtain employment at or admission to an institution of higher education in Tennessee. Public Acts, 2004 (Chapter 825).

Academic Fresh Start:

Readmitted students who were formally enrolled in the institution, as well as transfer students who meet institutional requirements for admission and who have been separated from all institutions of higher education for a minimum of four (4) years, are eligible for Fresh Start.  Fresh Start allows the calculation of the quality point average (QPA) and credit hours toward graduation to be based only on work passed and work done after returning to college. This plan of academic forgiveness is provided for students who have demonstrated academic responsibility following their return.

To apply for Fresh Start:

At the time of readmission or transfer admission, as a degree seeking student,

• Obtain a Fresh Start Application online or in the Admissions and Records Office
• Meet with an advisor in the area you wish to return to seek a degree
• Submit a completed Fresh Start Application, a plan of study and a transcript showing any coursework with passed grades being requested to include in this Fresh Start to the Admissions and Records Office

All TBR institutions will honor a Fresh Start provision granted at another TBR institution. However, non-TBR institutions may not accept the QPA as it is calculated with the Fresh Start.

Terms of the Academic Fresh Start

Once the student has satisfied the above requirements, Jackson State may grant the Academic Fresh Start.

The student's permanent record will remain a record of all work; however, the transcript will note that the Fresh Start was made and the date of the Fresh Start. The courses included in Fresh Start will be marked as excluded from the QPA and hours. 

Academic Fresh Start Application

Special Admission Programs

Certificate seeking students:  Must prove high school graduation by making sure an official copy of the high school transcript is sent to the Admissions and Records Office. If you previously attended another college or university, submit transcripts from undergraduate colleges you have attended.

EMT students: You will be required to meet degree seeking requirements which means submitting an ACT, Accuplacer placement test scores or completing required learning support labs before beginning the Basic Emergency Medical Technician program if you are a first time student.

Health Sciences & Nursing

Admission to Health Sciences Programs:

Medical Lab Technician

EMT/Paramedic

Radiologic Technology

Physical Therapist Assistant

Respiratory Care

Contact Health Sciences at (731) 425-2612 or visit the Health Sciences web page for details.

Admission to Nursing Program

Contact the Nursing Department at (731) 425-2622 or visit the Nursing web page for details.

Note: All medical programs have selective admission policies and application deadlines.