Sisseton Wahpeton College utilizes an open admissions policy. SWC admits students of any race, creed, and national or ethnic origin. To be admitted under regular college admission requirements, a prospective student must possess a high school diploma or General Education Development (GED) Certificate:
1. Complete an SWC Application for Admission and return it to the SWC Office of Admissions. This must be submitted no later than one week prior to the date of registration.
2. Request that official academic transcripts and/or documents from all previously attended high schools, high school equivalency test centers, and colleges be forwarded directly to the SWC office of Admissions.
NOTE: All transcripts received from other institutions that have been presented for admission or evaluation become a part of each student’s permanent academic file of the college and cannot be
released, duplicated, returned or forwarded to another institution.
3. Former SWC students must complete a SWC Application for Re-admission and return it to the SWC Office of Admissions.
4. Submit certification of Tribal membership, or Tribal ID, if a member of a recognized Tribe.
5. Upon receipt of all required forms and documents as described above, an official letter of acceptance will be issued to the prospective
6. Confer with the SWC Financial Aid Director for information on financial aid requirements.
One is considered a transfer student if one has been enrolled for any college level course work, whether full-time or part-time, in a college other than SWC.
Assessment tests in reading, writing, and mathematics are administered in order to place students in the appropriate courses. All new students, as well as transfer students and former students who have not met the English or mathematics requirements, are required to take assessment tests. Former students who attended SWC within the last two years are not required to retake the assessment tests. Non-degreed students or students with “Special Student” status who are registering for four credits or less may be exempt from taking the assessment test. Assessment tests must be taken before the student will be allowed to register.
The “Ability to Benefit” is a requirement for students to enroll in a post-secondary institution if they do not have a high school diploma or General Education (GED) certificate. A student admitted on the basis of “Ability to Benefit” must meet the criteria established by the Department of Education in order to enroll in classes and to be eligible for grants, loans, or work assistance.
The information provided below about ATB tests/policies is subject to change without notice in order to comply with test publisher and Department of Education requirements.
In December 1990, the United States Department of Education issued a policy requiring the testing of applicants who did not possess a high school diploma or a GED (General Educational Development) credential but who wished to enroll in postsecondary education and apply for federal financial aid.
Passing an appropriate test at the specified level would indicate that the candidate has sufficient “ability to benefit” (ATB) from postsecondary education and consequently that the application process for federal financial aid could begin. Reference: Federal Register, Oct. 29, 2010 – effective July 1, 2011
The following scores will be used to determine if the candidate has sufficient “Ability to Benefit”.
The current minimum test scores are : Compass AccuPlacer
Math 1 25 34
Reading 62 55
Writing (Objective) 32 60
Any returning or continuing student with an outstanding balance will not be allowed to register for classes until payment arrangements have been made with the Business Office. SWC reserves the right to prohibit registering to a student who has not made satisfactory settlements to his or her account. Up to $200 of the student’s Pell award can be applied to an outstanding balance.
1. Make an appointment with your assigned advisor. (Advisors are assigned based upon an individual student’s major program of study.)
2. In consultation with your assigned advisor, select and schedule courses.
3. Complete an official registration form with your advisor and submit it to the Registrar’s Office. Once this is done, you are officially registered for classes.
4. Complete the Admission Checklist and return it to the Registrar’s Office.
Tuition and Fees per semester:
ISC funded students
Per semester hour $115.00
Example: (12 credits X $115) $1,380.00
NON-ISC funded students
Per semester hour $125.00
Example: (12 credits X $125) $1,500.00
Registration Fee:
Full-time $50
3/4-time $45
Half-time $35
Part-time $20
Lab Fee (estimate) $50
Library Usage/Email Account Fee $30
Building Usage Fee $25
Tuition and Fees per semester:
ISC funded students
Per semester hour $115.00
Example: (12 credits X $115) $1,380.00
NON-ISC funded students
Per semester hour $125.00
Example: (12 credits X $125) $1,500.00
Registration Fee:
Full-time $50
3/4-time $45
Half-time $35
Part-time $20
Lab Fee (estimate) $50
Library Usage/Email Account Fee $30
Building Usage Fee $25
Nursing Fee (each semester) $5
Technical Fee $90
Books and Supplies (estimate) $600
Graduation Fee. $40
Audit (per credit) $72
Costs of attendance is set by the Board of Trustees and may be changed at any time without prior notification.
Any student who drops his/her classes BEFORE the two-week drop date deadline is not responsible for tuition and fees. Books will not be refundable if opened or written in. However, those students withdrawing from classes after the drop date will be responsible for payment of all costs including books.
In order to encourage students to actively recruit new students to SWC, an incentive program has been established. For more information on this program, please contact the Admissions Office or consult the Student Handbook.