Admissions & Testing

General Admission Requirements

Fletcher has an open‐admissions policy and serves persons on an equal priority basis. Any person above the age of 16, regardless of prior academic preparation may be fully admitted to Fletcher as long as the following criteria are satisfied: (1) the person has completed and submitted an application for admission; (2) the person has provided proof of selective service registration as required by Louisiana R.S. 17: 3151; and (3) the person has satisfied the requirements of Louisiana R.S. 17:170 related to the immunization of persons entering school.

Any persons 16 years of age or younger must, in addition to the requirements stated above, provide proof of graduation from a state‐approved high school or high school equivalency to be fully admitted to Fletcher.

Admission to all programs is made without regard to race, religion, national origin, gender, or qualifying disability. A high school diploma or general education development (GED or HiSET) is required for admission into Nursing and Allied Health programs.

This policy does not apply to dual enrolled high school students.

Application For Admission

Applications for admission may be completed online at https://www.fletcher.edu/admissions/apply

Incomplete application packets will not be processed.

Applicants must also submit the following items to complete the application process:

Mandatory Items for Full Admission:

• Proof or waiver of Immunizations. Louisiana Law (R.S. 17:170) requires each person entering any school within the state for the first time, shall present either:
  • Satisfactory evidence of immunization against vaccine-preventable diseases according to the schedule approved by the Office of Public Health, Louisiana Department of Health, or shall present evidence of an immunization program in progress; or
  • Sign a waiver indicating they have chosen not to be vaccinated. By completing this form you are submitting a waiver and you will not need to send us your immunization records.
• Proof of Selective Service Status. In accordance with the requirements of Louisiana Law R.S. 17:3151 and the Federal Selective Service Act, male applicants who are between the ages of 18 and 25 must provide written evidence that they have registered with Selective Service before they will be fully accepted. Acceptable documentation may be a copy of the applicant’s Selective Service Registration card or a printout from the Selective Service web site indicating the applicant’s status. The following categories of applicants are exempt from this requirement:
  • Males currently on active duty in the military.
  • Veterans who submit a copy of their DD214 discharge certificate.

Supplemental Items for Admission: (Not Mandatory)

• College Transcripts. Official and final transcripts can be submitted to Enrollment Services if the student is wanting to transfer credit or use credit to satisfy course requirements. All credits from Louisiana Community and Technical College System institutions will be evaluated and articulated. For non-regionally accredited institutions outside of the LCTCS, a student may request credit by supplying an official copy of the transcript to Enrollment Services. If credit can be granted, only the course or courses for which the credit is being granted will be entered and articulated. These official transcripts must be submitted to Enrollment Services in a sealed envelope or electronically directly from the previous institution.
• Placement Test Scores. If an applicant in a non-technical program is a first-time freshman, attended a non-accredited or out-of-state institution, they can provide ACT or Accuplacer scores, or use the College’s self-placement tool to determine placement in English and math courses. Placement scores are not required for students in technical programs.
• High School Transcript. An official transcript is needed for financial aid eligibility from a private, parochial, or out-of-state high school. Fletcher will obtain the transcript for students who graduated from a Louisiana public high school or successfully completed the HiSET from 2003 to the present.
• Other Documents as Requested. Some programs may require additional documents.

Entrance/Placement Exam Scores

Fletcher provides a self-placement test option to aid students in determining their placement into English and math courses.

Fletcher’s entrance/placement exam, the ACCUPLACER test, is administered for program and course placement only and is not used in determining admission to the college except when academic achievement levels are required by a licensure board.

Basic grade-level scores are set for each occupational program offered. The purpose of these score levels is not to prevent students from entering into programs, but to enroll students in programs at an academic level at which they can successfully perform the work required and realistically achieve personal goals. The established grade level scores are set according to the academic levels at which the course material will be presented.

ACCUPLACER placement testing is offered at various times throughout the year. Anyone wanting to ensure an ACCUPLACER placement test date by going to https://www.fletcher.edu/student-services/testing/index or visiting the Testing Center. Testing fees are based on the number of sections for which a test registrant needs to test. The tests a student must take will be determined by the Testing Center. For a full test, which includes reading, mathematics and English, the fee is $30. Testing fees are non-refundable. If a student cannot make the originally scheduled date for testing and contacts the Testing Center prior to the date of the test, the student will be permitted to reschedule and will not have to pay the testing fee again. If the student fails to notify the Testing Center that they cannot attend a test date, the student will need to register for the test and pay the fee again. A student/applicant may only take the ACCUPLACER test a total of 3 times at Fletcher. ACCUPLACER test scores are valid for three years.

ACT scores may be substituted for the entrance/placement exam. An applicant wishing to substitute the entrance exam with ACT scores must submit the original score sheet to Enrollment Services. An applicant who needs to send ACT scores can do so through ACT’s website: www.act.org. The College’s ACT code is 5033.

Official transcripts from postsecondary educational institutions accredited by one of the six regional accrediting agencies may be substituted for the ACCUPLACER/COMPASS exam for all programs. The transcript must contain sufficient information for placement. The transcript may be mailed to Enrollment Services from the issuing institution, or it may be hand delivered by the applicant. If it is hand delivered, it must be in a sealed envelope from the issuing institution.

Immunization Policy

Enrollment Services must have on file a copy of the student’s immunization records. All applicants should submit the LCTCS Immunization Compliance (available at www.fletcher.edu) or an electronic copy of immunization records. If a student chooses not to have immunizations for medical or personal reasons, a written dissent must be signed by a physician, the applicant, or the applicant’s parent or guardian if the student is a minor.

Students enrolling in nursing and allied health programs are not allowed to sign a dissent, and depending on the program, may be required to have one or more of the following:

• MMR (or acceptable titer)
• Tetanus/Diphtheria
• Meningitis (two doses or one dose if first dose was given on or after age 16)
• TB Skin Test or Negative Chest X-ray
• Hepatitis B Series

Residency

The residence status of an applicant or student is determined by Fletcher’s Enrollment Services Office. A Louisiana driver’s license, vehicle registration, voter’s registration, state income tax forms, license for professional practice in Louisiana, documentation of marriage to a Louisiana resident, documentation of reliance on Louisiana resources for financial support, or designation of Louisiana as his or her permanent address on all school and employment records including military records, etc. are acceptable proof of residency. A resident student is a student who has lived or worked in Louisiana for at least one full year (365 days) immediately preceding the first day of class of the term for which classification as a resident is sought.

Veteran’s Residency, Tuition and Fees Guidelines

The following individuals shall be charged a rate of tuition not to exceed the in-state rate for tuition and fees purposes:

• Tuition and fees for members of the armed forces, their dependents, and certain other individual residents who are permanently stationed in Louisiana as a member of the United States Armed Forces who enrolls as a student at Fletcher shall be classified as a resident for tuition purposes.
• Any individual who is an honorably discharged veteran or other individual eligible to receive educational benefits administered by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, through any provision of the United States Code, who enrolls as a student at Fletcher and remains continuously enrolled, and who lives in Louisiana shall be classified as a reside for tuition proposes.
• A child or spouse of a member of the United States Armed Forces stationed in Louisiana on active duty shall be entitled to resident classification for tuition purposes at Fletcher without regard to length of time of residency in the state.
• A child or spouse of a member of the United States Armed Forces who has been assigned to duty elsewhere immediately following assignment to duty in Louisiana or who has been honorably discharged while assigned to duty in Louisiana shall be entitled to resident classification for tuition purposes at Fletcher for as long as the child or spouse, as the case may be, continuously resides in Louisiana after the Louisiana duty assignment of the parent or spouse.
• A Veteran using educational assistance under either chapter 30 (Montgomery G.I. Bill - Active Duty Program) or chapter 33 (Post-9/11 G.I. Bill), of title 38, United States Code, who lives in Louisiana while attending a school located in Louisiana (regardless of his/her formal State of residence) and enrolls in the school within three years of discharge or release from a period of active duty service of 90 days or more.
• Anyone using transferred Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits (38 U.S.C. § 3319) who lives in Louisiana while attending a school located in Louisiana (regardless of his/her formal State of residence) and enrolls in the school within three years of the transferor’s discharge or release from a period of active duty service of 90 days or more.
• Anyone described above while he or she remains continuously enrolled (other than during regularly scheduled breaks between courses, semesters, or terms) at the same school. The person so described must have enrolled in the school prior to the expiration of the three year period following discharge or release as described above and must be using educational benefits under either chapter 30 or chapter 33, of title 38, United States Code.
• Anyone using benefits under the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship (38 U.S.C. § 3311(b) (9)) who lives in Louisiana while attending a school located in Louisiana (regardless of his/her formal State of residence).
• Anyone using transferred Post-9/11 G.I. Bill benefits (38 U.S.C. § 3319) who lives in Louisiana while attending a school located in Louisiana (regardless of his/her formal state of residence) and the transferor is a member of the uniformed service who is serving on active duty.
• The policy is compliant with the requirements of 38 U.S.C. 3679(c) as amended.

Selective Service Registration

Male applicants who are 18 to 25 years of age must provide proof of Selective Service registration. Veterans of the armed services and males currently in the armed services or on active duty are exempt from this requirement.

Orientation

Orientation is conducted by Enrollment Services and/or program instructor(s) to acquaint students with the staff, buildings, grounds, and rules and regulations of the campus.

Student Type

Students are classified as one of the following upon applying for admission or upon continuing their enrollment at the College: Cross-Enrolled Student (with Nicholls), Continuing Student, First-Time Freshman Student, High School Student (Dual Enrollment or Concurrent Enrollment), Returning Student, Transfer Student, Visiting Student/Summer Only, and Workforce Non-Credit Student.

Cross-Enrolled Student. A cross-enrolled student is a student who is attending both Fletcher Technical Community College and another institution under a cross-enrollment agreement. A cross-enrollment agreement allows a student to be admitted to and take courses at a host institution while enrolled at their home institution.

Continuing Student. A continuing student is a student who is enrolled for the current academic semester who was also enrolled in the previous academic semester.

First-Time Freshman Student. A first-time freshman student is a student who has never attended an accredited college other than as part of a dual-enrollment program.

High School Dual Enrollment Student. A high school dual enrollment student is a high school student who attends Fletcher during his/her junior or senior years and takes courses for which both college credit and Carnegie units are earned for each course taken. A student may attend Fletcher as a dual-enrollment student in one or more of the following areas: college level/degree credit course, enrichment/developmental courses, work skills courses.

High School Concurrent Enrollment Student. A high school concurrent enrollment student is a high school student who attends Fletcher during his/her junior or senior years or during the summer between these years who does not wish to earn Carnegie units for high school. A high school student who wishes to concurrently enroll must be 16 years of age or older. The student earns college credit for courses taken and pays full price for the courses taken. High school concurrent students should follow the admission procedures set forth under First Time Freshman Admission.

Workforce Non-Credit Student. A workforce non-credit student is a student who is enrolled in only non-credit coursework. Students who are enrolled in both credit and non-credit courses will be assigned the student type appropriately aligned with credit enrollment.

Home-Schooled Student Admission

Home-schooled students who wish to attend Fletcher are encouraged to apply during the equivalency of their junior or senior year of high school. Admissions requirements for home-schooled students are the same as for all new students. However, if a home-schooled student does not have a GED, HiSET, or high school diploma, and intends to apply for financial aid, he or she must provide the following:

• Proof that he/she is 16 years of age or older.
• An official, current transcript for any coursework completed at a public/private high school (if applicable).
• A complete list of the courses taken during the freshman through senior year of the home school study program.
• A complete list of the textbooks used during the home school study program.
• Documentation from the state verifying completion of a registered or SBESE Approved Home Study Program.

Out-of-state students, home-schooled using a program not approved in Louisiana and seeking admission to Fletcher must contact the SBESE Approved Home Study Program Office of the Louisiana Department of Education.

Transfer Student Admission

A transfer student can be degree- or certificate-seeking. If a transfer applicant is wanting to transfer prior credit, they must have a complete and official transcript from the prior institution sent to Enrollment Services prior to the start of the planned semester of attendance.

An applicant transferring from an out-of-state institution must submit course descriptions for each course listed on the out-of-state transcript. A transfer student who has successfully completed a college-level English and/or a college-level mathematics course that is equivalent to Fletcher’s college-level English and/or Fletcher’s college-level math are exempted from placement testing in the corresponding courses. In instances where a student has not completed college-level coursework in English and/or mathematics that is equivalent to Fletcher’s, placement information will be needed. Information regarding the awarding of transfer credit is included in Academic Policies.

A transfer student who has been suspended from his/her previous institution is permitted to enroll at Fletcher. However, if the student plans to return to that institution after attending Fletcher, he/she should verify with the other institution that the Fletcher credits will be accepted.

Visiting Student Admission

A visiting student is a non-degree seeking student who is temporarily enrolling with Fletcher. Typically, visiting students are seeking a degree at another college or university and are enrolling at Fletcher for only 1-2 classes. This student then plans to return to finish their degree at the college or university. If a non-degree-seeking student decides to complete a particular program, he/she must complete a Program Change Form; and in some cases may be required to apply to the program.

Visiting students are not eligible for any type of financial aid (state/federal grants or student loans).

Returning/Re-Admitted Student Admission

A returning student must re-apply for admission. If the returning student attended another regionally accredited college or university while not in attendance at Fletcher, he or she may submit official and final transcripts from that institution to obtain transfer credit. Official transcripts must be submitted to Enrollment Services in a sealed envelope or electronically directly from the previous institution. Returning students are subject to any curriculum, program, and/or catalog changes.

Returning/re-admitted students must

• re-submit all documentation required for a completed application.
• meet the admission requirements for the program of application.
• register during returning student registration the first semester upon returning.

Dual Enrollment Student Admission

In order for a course to be considered dual enrollment, the student must earn credit for the class both from Fletcher and the student’s high school. Students enrolling in dual enrollment courses must meet all college, program, and course-level requirements. Courses which a student fails or withdraws from while enrolled as a high school student may affect a student’s GPA or his/her ability to qualify for financial aid after graduating from high school.

The general criteria for the dual enrollment program are:

• Student must be at least 15 years of age and currently enrolled in 11th or 12th grade at a public or private high school. Exceptions can be made with prior approval.
• Student must have either Accuplacer, ACT scores, LEAP scores, or a Counselor Recommendation on file.
• Student must be in good standing as defined by the high school and meet the college enrollment criteria.
• Student must have permission from the high school and his/her parent/guardian to participate.
• Student must be enrolled in a college course for which dual credit (both college and high school credit) is attempted and recorded on both the student’s secondary and postsecondary academic record.
• Student may enroll in a maximum of 6 credit hours per semester, up to 12 credit hours per academic year. Exceptions can be made with prior approval. A dual-enrolled student is expected to follow the same withdrawal deadlines as any other undergraduate student in the college.
• To continue enrollment in subsequent semesters (e.g., spring) through this program, students must have successfully completed (earned a college grade of A, B, C or P) current dual credit courses. Students who earn less than C, or who withdraw/resign from a course may not be permitted to enroll in the following semester or term with the dual enrollment program.
• Funding for the dual enrollment program is based on local memorandum of understanding agreements with public school systems. Private or home school students may receive a discount as long as the student meets the general criteria of the dual enrollment program. These criteria may be changed for the subsequent semester.

Additional information about the Dual Enrollment Program and program requirements and criteria are subject to change and are posted on the Fletcher website at www.fletcher.edu.

First-Time Freshman Admission

A first-time freshman planning to enroll should take the self-placement test available to students, or request that his/her ACT scores be sent to Enrollment Services at Fletcher. An applicant who needs to send ACT scores can do so through ACT’s website: www.act.org. Fletcher’s ACT Code is 5033. ACCUPLACER scores may also be used for placement.

The ACCUPLACER exam is offered on the Fletcher campus. Additional information regarding the ACCUPLACER placement exam is provided earlier in this catalog. Fletcher’s placement exams are administered for course placement only and are not used in determining admission to the College except when academic achievement levels are required by a licensure board (i.e. the Louisiana State Board of Practical Nurse Examiners). Test scores are primarily used for advising and placement purposes.

Cross Enrollment Admission

Currently, the College has a cross-enrollment agreement with Nicholls State University. General guidelines for the agreement are listed below.

A student will be eligible to take one credit hour at the host institution for each credit hour taken at the home institution, with a maximum of six credit hours taken at the host institution per semester/session. Exceptions will be considered individually and must be approved by both institutions. The student’s home school is the school at which the student enrolls in the majority of his/her credit hours. For example: For a student enrolled in 9 credit hours at Fletcher and 3 credit hours at Nicholls, Fletcher is the home school and Nicholls is the host school.

A student enrolling at Fletcher under a cross-enrollment agreement with Nicholls State University must enroll in and pay tuition and fees at the student’s primary (home) institution. A student enrolling under a cross-enrollment agreement must be eligible for admission at both institutions and must provide required documents (e.g., transcripts, ACT scores, etc.). A student must meet any course prerequisites required by the institution offering the course. A student must maintain enrollment in the home institution courses until after the enrollment census date as indicated on the academic calendar of the home institution for the semester of cross enrollment; otherwise, the cross enrollment will be canceled. Enrollment in certain courses is excluded from this agreement. These include, but are not limited to, independent study classes, internships, co-op work experiences, special projects, and other courses requiring individualized instruction. Nicholls home students who are enrolled in an online-only program are not eligible to participate in cross enrollment. Courses taken concurrently shall be counted toward meeting the minimum twelve-hour enrollment for full-time status. Financial assistance will be awarded by the home institution. The student will follow the academic calendars, academic policies, and student codes of conduct at both institutions; the student will assume responsibility for becoming familiar with the calendars and policies. Grades of cross-enrolled students are automatically sent to the home institution by the host institution. However, cross-enrolled students must request that transcripts from the home institution are sent to the host institution at the end of each semester of cross enrollment. Instructions on how to apply for cross enrollment between Fletcher and Nicholls are available on the College’s website and in the semester registration bulletin. NOTE: The TOPS Tech Scholarship does not pay for academic classes; therefore, Fletcher home students cannot use TOPS Tech to pay for academic courses taken at Nicholls.

International Student Admission

At this time, Fletcher accepts international students holding a permanent resident card, green card or other valid visa status other than F-1 or J-1. Currently Fletcher does not participate in the SEVIS program and therefore cannot enroll students on a student visa type of F-1 or J-1. Students must provide the visa and I-9 card (where applicable). The international admissions process may take 1-2 weeks, depending on the information the student provides. Students should also provide any and all documentation regarding high school credits in addition to any college work completed (these must be submitted by the applicant in a translated format by an official third-party company that specializes in translation of official documentation). Unofficial copies of international transcripts are acceptable for provisional admission, but official documents must be submitted from the country/institution of attendance.

Enrollment Status

A student may be enrolled as a full-time, three-fourths time, half-time, or less-than-half time student. Enrollment statuses are reported to the National Student Clearinghouse on a monthly basis.

Full-Time Student: A full-time student is one who enrolls in 12 or more credit hours for a fall/spring semester (6 credit hours for a summer).

Three-Fourths-Time Student: A three-fourths time student is one who enrolls in 9-11 credit hours a semester (4-5 credit hours for a summer session).

Half-Time Student: A half-time student is one who enrolls in 6-8 credit hours for a semester (3 credit hours for a summer session).

Less-Than-Half-Time Student: A less than half-time student is one who enrolls in 5 or fewer credit hours for a semester (2 credit hours or less for a summer session).

Non-Degree Seeking Student

A non-degree-seeking student is one who attends Fletcher to earn college course credit without enrolling in a program of study. These students are not eligible for federal student aid. If a non-degree-seeking student decides to complete a particular program, he/she must complete a Program Change Form; and in some cases, may be required to apply to the program.

Degree/Diploma-Seeking Student

A degree/diploma-seeking student is one who enrolls in a diploma or degree program. These students are eligible for federal student aid.

Title IX

Fletcher Technical Community College is an Equal Opportunity Employer in compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, this Educational Agency upholds the following policy: Fletcher Technical Community College campuses assure equal opportunity for all qualified persons without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, age, religion, qualified disability, marital status, veteran’s status, political affiliation, sex or sexual orientation in its hiring or employment practices or in admission to its programs, services, or activities, in access to them, in treatment of individuals, or in any aspect of its operations. Each campus welcomes handicapped individuals and has made buildings accessible to them.

Title IX Coordinator: Crystal Gienger, Special Assistant to the Chancellor & Title IX Coordinator, 985-448-7909.

For the most up-to-date information regarding Title IX: https://www.fletcher.edu/title-ix/