Georgia Highlands College (GHC) is proud to provide access to educational opportunities throughout Northwest Georgia and welcomes all applicants. Prospective students may apply online at http://highlands.edu.
Applications and all required supporting materials and/or documents must be submitted to the GHC Office of Admissions no later than the published deadline for the semester in which the student intends to enroll. Because the College might find it necessary to cease accepting applications for a specific semester, all applicants are encouraged to apply, or to reapply, well in advance of the published application/document deadline. Late applicants are considered at the discretion of the Executive Director of Enrollment Management.
Traditional Admissions Deadlines
| Semester | Application/Documents |
|---|---|
| Fall (August) | Jul 28 |
| Fall,(October) | Sep 29 |
| Spring (January) | Dec 15 |
| Spring (March) | Feb 15 |
| Summer (June) | May 22 |
An admission application is term specific and valid only for the semester and enrollment status for which it is submitted. Applicants who are admitted and wish to change the enrollment status of their application from one applicant type to a different applicant type (for example, from a transfer student to a transient student), must do so (in writing) prior to the published application deadline for the intended semester. Applicants who are admitted but do not register for classes or who do not complete the admissions process must complete another application for admission indicating the new semester for which they intend to enroll in order to have their application file moved to a future semester. If new admissions policies exist at that time, applicants must meet those requirements. An applicant who has attended another college in the interim period must have all official transcripts sent to GHC from each institution attended.
New applicants and former GHC students who have not earned grades within one calendar year, must meet the current University System of Georgia (USG) Board of Regents requirements for admission (found under the Student Affairs resource page at usg.edu) and any additional requirements that may be prescribed by the College for their enrollment category/student type to be considered for admission.
Documents Required for Consideration of Admission
Applications are considered complete when the online application and all required documents have been submitted. A list of documents and materials required for admission to the College, based on the applicant’s enrollment category, can be found online at http://www.highlands.edu/how-do-i-apply/. Additional documentation may be required after review of the application.
The applicant is responsible for requesting official transcripts to be sent directly from all previously attended institutions to the GHC Office of Admissions. Georgia Highlands College does not accept faxed or emailed transcripts.
Verification of Lawful Presence
Georgia Highlands College complies with the University System of Georgia Board of Regents mandated policy for verifying lawful U.S. presence. “Each University System institution shall verify the lawful presence in the United States of every successfully admitted person applying for resident tuition status, as defined in Section 7.3 of this Policy Manual, and of every person admitted to an institution referenced in Section 4.1.6 of this Policy Manual.”
Below is a list of acceptable documentation to prove lawful presence in Georgia:
- Completed Free Application for Federal Student Aid form (FAFSA) with confirmed citizenship.
- An unexpired driver’s license (or state ID) issued by the State of Georgia. A limited term license is not acceptable.
- An unexpired U.S. state-issued driver’s license or ID with the REAL ID symbol may be accepted.
- An original and certified U.S. Birth Certificate showing the student was born in the U.S. or a U.S. territory bearing an official seal (clear and complete copies of original and certified US birth certificates may be accepted by mail, sent electronically to admitme@highlands.edu, or delivered to a GHC campus)
- A U.S. Certificate of Naturalization (USCIS form N-550 or N-570)
- A U.S. Certificate of Citizenship (USCIS form N-560 or N-561)
- A U.S Certificate of Birth Abroad issued by the Department of State (DS-1350) or a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (FS-240)
- An unexpired U.S. Passport
Applicants who are not United States citizens must provide one of the following:
- A copy of an unexpired Permanent Resident Alien Card (USCIS form I-151 or I-551)
- A current copy of the applicant’s visa and I-94 form
Applicants who do not provide proof of lawful presence in the U.S. are eligible to attend GHC, if academically admissible, but will be charged out-of-state tuition rates.
All applicants who are accepted for admission or readmission to Georgia Highlands and who seek to be classified as in-state for tuition purposes, will be required to provide validation of residency and lawful presence in both the State of Georgia and the United States. Questions should be directed to residency@highlands.edu.