Application Process

The following process is to be followed by each applicant for all degree and certificate programs.  It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that all required documents, including official transcripts, are received by the Office of Admissions on or before the established deadline (when applicable).  Incomplete files will not be reviewed for admission.  Documents should be mailed to: Great Bay Community College, Admissions Office, 320 Corporate Drive, Portsmouth, NH  03801 or emailed to gbadmissions@ccsnh.edu.

In most cases, applicants will be notified of their admission status by email shortly after the college receives all necessary admissions documents.  Certain programs, however, have specific admissions processing deadlines and requirements.  Please refer to the Programs of Study section for further information.

Program	Deadline
Nursing	February 28th
Surgical Technology	April 1st
Veterinary Technology	April 30th

 

General Application Process

Students seeking matriculation into a degree or certificate program at Great Bay Community College must complete the following:

1. An application for admission, which can be submitted in person, via mail, or online at www.greatbay.edu.  
2. Provide documentation of High School graduation or equivalent.  Completion of high school, or equivalent, may be documented by one of the following methods:

• Self-certification of high school (or equivalent) graduation using the self-certification statement on the online or paper admissions application to certify that the applicant has received (or will receive) a high school diploma, GED, or HiSET by the start of the applicant’s first semester.
• Self-certification of high school (or equivalent) graduation using the Self-Certification form.
• Submittal of official High School diploma/transcript with a date of graduation.
• Submittal of original Foreign High School diploma/transcript with a date of graduation translated, if not in English.
• Submittal of official High School equivalency certificate, HiSet or GED, including scores.

3. Documentation of satisfactory completion of high school course requirements as noted under Admissions Requirements for a specific program of study.
4. For certain programs, applicants must perform satisfactorily on entrance or placement exams, or provide evidence of transfer credit equivalence, or documentation of waivers, as required by academic programs to which admission is desired.
5. For certain academic programs, applicants must arrange for a personal interview. 
6. For certain academic programs, applicants must submit recommendations from school personnel, employers, or other professionals.

Homeschooled Applicants 

Homeschooled applicants are expected to meet the same general and specific admission requirements (or their equivalent) as other applicants.  Documentation of academic work completed must be submitted and may include the following: 

• A letter, or other documentation, from the student’s local school district stating that the student has completed a homeschool program at the high school level. 
• A list of courses completed and grades earned, and/or portfolio of work accomplished with completion/graduation date indicated.  
• GED or other testing, if applicable. 

Contact the Office of Admissions with any questions via email at gbadmissions@ccsnh.edu. 

Transfer Students

Applicants who wish to have prior college coursework evaluated for transferability should provide official transcripts from post-secondary institutions previously attended.  Course descriptions may be requested if necessary, for the determination of transfer credit; please see the Academic Policies section of this catalog, under XI. Transfer to Other Institutions.

Readmission to the College

A student who has withdrawn from the College, has been suspended, or has not registered for three consecutive semesters must reapply through the Office of Admissions.  Students are advised that they will have to abide by any new admission requirements for specific programs.  Students should also note that there is no guarantee of readmission, as courses or programs with limited enrollments may not be available.

Change of Major

A currently enrolled student who wishes to change their major is not required to complete a new application for admission but does need to complete a Change of Major form.  Students wishing to change their major will be evaluated for all admissions requirements for the requested program prior to approval by the Registrar's Office.  Students currently enrolled who wish to be considered for admission for Nursing, Surgical Technology, or Veterinary Technology Associate Degree Programs or Massage Therapy, Welding Technologies, or Motorcycle Maintenance and Repair Certificate Programs are required to submit a new application for admission. 

Non-Matriculated Students

Non-matriculating students are individuals interested in taking credit or non-credit courses without pursuing a degree or certificate program.  Students who do not plan to matriculate into the institution do not need to submit an application for admission.  Non-matriculated students are not eligible for financial aid.  Those interested in registering for coursework as a non-matriculating student must: 

• Complete a electronic or paper registration form.
• Meet with an advisor in the Advising and Transfer Center to provide proof of successful prerequisite completion as determined by college catalog course descriptions which may be satisfied by submitting high school transcripts, performing satisfactorily on entrance or placement exams, or providing evidence of transfer credit equivalence, or documentation of waivers.
• Submit or turn in form with appropriate signatures to the Registrar's Office.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT APPLICANTS

Great Bay Community College is authorized under Federal law to enroll non-immigrant students.  Some programs, like high demand programs with limited enrollment may not be available to international students.  We recommend confirming that the program is open to international students prior to applying.  International Students may be accepted for Fall or Spring semesters only (not Summer).  In addition to the regular admission application process, international applicants seeking a Certificate of Eligibility (I-20) for F-1 status must submit the following documentation at least thirty days in advance of the beginning of the semester.

1. International students pay a non-refundable International Admission Fee of $100.00.  This is the first step after submitting an application and documents will not be reviewed until this fee is paid to the Business Office.
2. Applicants must submit official secondary and post-secondary school transcripts, translated into English, listing all courses taken, grading system, and grades earned.
3. Applicants whose native language is not English must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) iBT and earn a paper-based score of 520 or better, a computerized test score of 190, or an Internet based score of 68 or better.  If the student is currently in the United States, Accuplacer scores (taken on-campus) that are comparable to the TOEFL iBT may be used to determine English proficiency.  A minimum Accuplacer score of a 3 in essay and 237 in reading is required.  For information regarding the test contact: TOEFL, Educational Testing Service, Rosedale Road, Princeton, NJ 08541 USA, (609) 921-9000, www.toefl.org.
4. Letter from the financial institution that holds the funds of the person financially responsible for the student’s educational and living expenses.  The statement must be on official letterhead, listing the sponsor’s name and the amount of money available for the student.  Students attending Great Bay are required to demonstrate at least $27,000 available for their studies. The document must be in English, and if the currency held is not in US dollars, the exchange rate must be listed.
5. Affidavit or letter of support from the person who will be financially responsible for the student.  This letter should include the student’s name and his/her intent to attend Great Bay Community College, as well as the amount of money available for the student’s education and living expenses.  The letter must be signed by the sponsor and must be in English.  For your convenience, you may also use this Financial Support Letter Form.
6. The student must submit copies of current passport and immigration documents including Visa and Duration of Status (D/S) stamp on I-20.  We will also need his/her address in the country that s/he plans to return to once s/he graduates from this College.
7. Applicants (or their spouses) must have enough money available in an account to cover a minimum of one year of expenses that include: out-of-state tuition, fees, living expenses, and books.  All the above documentation must be submitted, and the student offered admission before a Certificate of Eligibility (I-20) for an F-1 Visa will be issued.  All F-1 students must be full-time (12 credit hours or more) each semester (except summer) in order to maintain their visa status.  International students must meet with the International Academic Support Coordinator in the Center for Academic Planning and Support (CAPS) before or during the first week of class.
8. F-1 students are not eligible for in-state or New England Regional tuition rates for day courses at any time while enrolled.
9. Health care in the United States is expensive; international students are required to obtain health insurance coverage prior to the first week of classes and maintain it during their studies.  Information on health insurance is available through the International Academic Support Coordinator.

FOREIGN TRANSCRIPTS

Students with foreign transcripts seeking transfer credits must provide both of the following for transfer credit review: Original College Transcript (not Diploma), translated if not in English, which lists all courses taken, grading system, and grades earned;

Official Course-by-Course Evaluation by a third-party agency.  Example agencies include, but are not limited to: 

• SpanTran (offers discounts to GBCC students) https://spanside.my.salesforce-sites.com/SpantranApplication?Id=77fb5ff2-dbe7-4080-9f1f-98574c792466
• World Education Services (WES) www.wes.org   
• Center for Educational Documentation (CED) www.cedevaluations.com
• Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) www.ece.org  

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES ADMISSIONS POLICY

The college shall not discriminate against any otherwise qualified person with disabilities solely by reason of his/her disability.  This policy extends to persons with identified specific learning disabilities and other disabilities under provision of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.  An “otherwise qualified” person is one who is able to meet all program requirements despite his/her disabilities.  Students with diagnosed disabilities are encouraged to self-disclose their disability to be eligible for reasonable classroom accommodations.  These students should provide the Accessibility Services Coordinator with documentation of their disability, including the most recent psychological, medical, and/or academic testing within three years.  The Center for Academic Planning and Support provides training and access to a variety of assistive technology, as well as tutors and academic coaching for learning and study strategies, notetaking and organizational skills.  For more information, contact Amanda Voce at 603-427-7625 or avoce@ccsnh.edu. 

RESIDENCY

A student’s permanent home of record determines residency for tuition purposes.  This is the location (town, city, state) at which the student resides at the time of application.  The determining factor is the official address listed on federal tax forms. 

The following rules will guide the admission to the college:

• First priority for admission shall be given to residents of New Hampshire.
• Second priority shall be given to students qualifying under the New England Regional Student Program and those out of state students who reside within 50 miles of either Great Bay Community College campus.
• Third priority shall be given to students not qualifying under the New England Regional Student Program or those not domiciled in the state.

However, in highly competitive programs with limited enrollment, the Office of Admissions, while working as much as possible within the above parameters, may exercise discretion in admitting those applicants who best fit the needs and expectations of the department, the college, and the local community.

IN STATE STUDENTS

Students qualify for in-state tuition rate for day courses if domiciled in New Hampshire, i.e. purchasing/renting property, obtaining a NH driver’s license, vehicle registration and/or voter registration.  In addition, students living within a 50-mile radius of GBCC will be charged in-state tuition rates for day courses.  Students requesting a change of residency status must complete the college form.  This form must be received in the Office of Admissions prior to September 1 for the Fall semester, January 1 for the Spring semester, or June 1 for the Summer semester. 

A member of the Armed forces of the United States stationed in this state under military orders, or stationed in a contiguous state but temporarily living in New Hampshire, shall be entitled to classification for himself/herself, spouse and dependent children as in-state for tuition purposes, so long as said orders remain in effect and residence in New Hampshire is continued. Furthermore, military personnel who are residents of another state but choose New Hampshire as their residence within 90 days of being discharged from the military will be considered New Hampshire residents and charged in-state tuition. See Tuition and Fees for more information.

*ALL students will be charged in-state tuition rates for evening, weekend, and online courses.

Out-of-State Status

The determination of residency is made by the Office of Admissions at the time of admission. 

Students who wish to appeal residency may request detailed information from the Admissions Office.   

New England Regional Student Program

The New England Regional Student Program (NERSP) enables residents of Connecticut, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Vermont to enroll in out-of-state public colleges and universities in the six-state region at reduced tuition rates (50 percent above in-state tuition, rather than full out-of-state tuition).  Students from these states (who are not within 50 miles of the GBCC campus) are automatically assigned this rate upon acceptance into a degree program.