A. ADMISSIONS
1. Admission and Student Records
A.1.01 - Policy:
Lone Star College System District ("LSCS" and/or the "System"), an open enrollment college district, shall implement uniform strategies to identify, attract, enroll, and retain students who reflect the population demographics of the System.
A.1.02 - Eligibility:
The following persons are eligible for admission:
a. Persons who have a GED or high school diploma;
b. Persons without a GED or high school diploma may be admitted under the exceptional admission criteria;
c. Persons without a GED or high school diploma may be admitted by individual approval by the Chief Student Services Officer;
d. Students with F-1 Visas;
e. High school students in the dual credit program or Early College program;
f. High school students who meet the requirements for the Early Admissions Program.
A.1.03 - Academic Fresh Start:
A resident of this state may seek admission to LSCS without consideration of courses undertaken ten (10) or more years prior to the starting date of the semester in which the applicant seeks to enroll. The applicant must file a "Right to Academic Fresh Start" form with the Chief Student Services Officer. An applicant who elects to apply under this section and is admitted as a student may not receive any course credit for courses undertaken ten (10) or more years prior to enrollment. Note: Such an election does not affect an applicant's academic probation or suspension standings for financial aid purposes.
A.1.04 - Special Admission Requirements:
Special admission requirements may be called for by certain programs of LSCS, as specified in the annual LSCS catalog.
A.1.05 - Readmission After Military Service:
This section applies only to a student who withdraws from LSCS to perform active military service as a member of the United States Armed Forces or the Texas National Guard. This section does not apply to a student who withdraws from LSCS solely to perform one or more training exercises as a member of the Texas National Guard.
For any academic term that begins after the date a student described above is released from active military service but not later than the first anniversary of that date, LSCS shall readmit the student, without requiring reapplication or charging a fee for readmission, if the student is otherwise eligible to register for classes at LSCS.
Upon readmission of the student under this section, LSCS shall:
a. provide the student a financial aid packet similar to the one for which the student was eligible prior to withdrawal for military service, so long as the student meets the current financial aid eligibility requirements and conditions for assistance; and
b. allow the student the same academic status that the student had before the student's withdrawal for military service, including any course credit awarded to the student by LSCS.
A.1.06 - Student Records:
All LSCS students are afforded the following rights with respect to their education records under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA):
a. the right to inspect and review their education records within forty-five (45) days of the day LSCS receives a written request for access;
b. the right to request the amendment of his or her education records if the student believes the records to be inaccurate, misleading, or in violation of the student's rights of privacy;
c. the right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student's education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent; and
d. the right to file a complaint with the Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, concerning alleged failures by LSCS to comply with the requirements of FERPA.
In addition to the restrictions mandated by law, a student may control access to his or her records by producing a written request for his or her own records where he or she registered or at the LSCS Student Information Services Office.
Release of any additional information pertaining to a student's records must be authorized by the student (i.e., grades, transcripts). LSCS, however, may disclose such information to the parents of a dependent student, as defined in Section 152 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
A student accessing education records or receiving college services must provide proof of identity (generally photo identification student ID card, driver's license, passport, etc.).
Directory information refers to the following information collected by LSCS with respect to each student enrolled:
a. name;
b. address;
c. enrollment status (Full-Time or Part-Time);
d. LSCS e-mail addresses;
e. local telephone number;
f. date and place of birth;
g. degrees, honors, and awards received;
h. residency status;
i. academic level;
j. academic major;
k. college;
l. dates of attendance;
m. participation in officially recognized activities and sports; and
n. most recent educational institution attended.
Directory information may be released to anyone without the consent of the student, unless the student indicates otherwise by submitting a completed "LSCS Information Hold Request" to the appropriate LSCS College official at the commencement of each semester of enrollment.
Unless otherwise directed by the student, directory information is subject to sale to outside purchasers.
Personally identifiable information may not be released without the student's written consent, except under the following circumstances or to the individuals/organizations listed below:
a. LSCS officials, including faculty or instructors, who have legitimate educational interests in the information;
b. Officials of other educational institutions in which the student seeks admission or intends to enroll provided that the student, upon request, receives a copy of the record that has been transferred and has an opportunity to challenge the content of the record;
c. Authorized representatives of the U.S. including the comptroller general, the attorney general, the secretary of education, or state and local educational authorities who require access for the purpose of audit and evaluation of federal-or state-supported education programs or the enforcement of and compliance with legal requirements related to such programs; or
d. Personnel involved with a student's application for, or receipt of, financial aid. Personally identifiable information from the education records of the student will only be disclosed for such purposes as:
i. determining the eligibility of the student for financial aid;
ii. determining the amount of financial aid;
iii. determining the conditions that will be imposed regarding the financial aid; or
iv. enforcing the terms or conditions of financial aid.