2012-2013 Undergraduate Programs
15
Policy on Evidence of High School
Completion and Coursework
Graduation from an accredited secondary school
or a certificate of high school equivalency or a
G.E.D. certificate is a prerequisite for admission;
graduation is evidenced by having the secondary
school submit an official transcript document
directly to the university. Home school students
are encouraged to apply; documentation of aca-
demic completion (transcript or certificate) is
mandatory even if a student’s standardized test
scores are high.
Policy on Nonnative-Speaking English
Language Admission Requirement
Those who do not speak English as their native
language are required to take the Test of English
as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and/or to submit
other evidence demonstrating sufficient ability in
North American English as determined acceptable
by the institution. The minimum TOEFL total score
for CIU undergraduate admission is 525 on the
written scored version, or a 195 score on the
computer scored version or 70 score on the
TEOFL IBT.
Policy on Standardized Test Exemption for
Older Students
A student who is 24 years of age or older is not
required to submit SAT or ACT test scores
because of maturity. If the individual’s academic
history demonstrates low performance and/or
there is no previous college experience, the
Admissions Review Committee will review the
candidate’s performance in previous educational,
work or military training and determine if provi-
sional admission may be appropriate.
Policy on Admission of Transfer Students
Students transferring to CIU with not less than 24
semester credits over at least two semesters of
enrollment may be evaluated for admission based
on college cumulative grade point average rather
than a standardized test score and high school
cumulative grade point average. Students trans-
ferring from another accredited institution of high-
er education should have a cumulative grade
point average of 2.00 or higher for regular admis-
sion. Any student transferring under this provision
with less than a 2.00 cumulative grade point aver-
age may be admitted on probation subject to the
approval of the Admissions Review Committee
after careful review of the candidate’s complete
file.
Policy on Admission of High School Students
for Concurrent Enrollment
High school juniors and seniors may apply to
enroll in lower division college level courses as
part of CIU’s concurrent enrollment opportunity.
Specifically, high school seniors who meet regular
admission requirements but have not received a
high school diploma are eligible to enroll in lower
division college level courses. High school juniors
who meet regular admission requirements but
have not received a high school diploma or com-
pleted a standardized test (SAT or ACT) may peti-
tion the faculty for permission for eligibility for
college coursework. The Academic Dean’s Office
will review all concurrent enrollment requests and
establish total number of lower division academic
credit available for a concurrently enrolled student
on an individualized basis.
Non-Degree Special Student Status (NDSS):
Some applicants may receive non-degree, special
student (NDSS) admission into Columbia
International University. Students in this category
include those who have not completed the appli-
cation process for admission into a degree pro-
gram and those who are granted NDSS
admission because of deficiencies in one or more
areas of admissions requirements. NDSS students
may enroll for up to 12 semester hours. After the
completion of 12 hours, the student’s progress is
evaluated to determine whether NDSS status
should be removed, an alternate program recom-
mended or enrollment terminated. After 12 hours,
a student must also complete an application. The
student may enter into a degree program or con-
tinue on in a non-degree seeking status. Note that
NDSS status is not a guarantee of admission into
a degree program at CIU.
After Acceptance
•
After receiving a letter of acceptance, applicants
should submit a tuition deposit of $300; and for
resident students, a room advance of $100.
These are not extra charges. The tuition deposit
is a confirmation of intention to enroll and is