Admissions & Records

Confidentiality

Confidentiality of Financial Records

The General Education Provision Act of 1974, as amended by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, provides for privacy safeguards for students and families by setting up guidelines for the disclosure of education records and personally identifiable information.

The law provides that financial assistance records of a student may be inspected by that student with the following exception: The Financial Assistance Office will not release to a dependent student the financial records of his or her parents without the written consent of the parents.

Confidentiality of Student Records

In compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, St. Charles Community College affords students the right to inspect official records directly relating to them. The act does not permit the college to provide information regarding grades, transcripts or schedules to parents of SCC students without written consent of the student. Consent forms are available in the Enrollment Services Department.

Learn more about FERPA here.

Student Responsibility for Catalog Information

This catalog is effective beginning Aug. 21, 2024, for the 2024-25 academic year. Each student is responsible for compliance with the information appearing in the catalog. Failure to read the regulations and policies will not be considered an excuse for noncompliance.

Admissions Policy

St. Charles Community College maintains an open-admissions policy providing higher education to all persons who can benefit from its programs and courses. The college serves students from a variety of educational backgrounds. Once admitted to SCC, you may enroll in any course or program as long as individual course prerequisites are met and space for effective instruction is available. The college may guide your enrollment based on Academic Skills Assessments, interviews, previous. achievement and other criteria as explained in this section. If you do not meet the standards for admission into college-level courses, you may enroll in developmental courses designed to help you strengthen your skills. These developmental courses may be offered on a credit or noncredit basis. Students applying for the programs with selective admissions criteria may be required to take additional tests for admissions purposes. Before you register for credit courses, you must be admitted to the college. You may apply for admission anytime during the year.

Planning Programs of Study

Transfer and Program of Study (Suggested Course Sequence) Guides

Students who wish to graduate from SCC and transfer with junior standing should carefully plan a program of study/suggested course sequence (SCS) to meet the requirements needed for the major at the transfer institution.

Contact the Academic Advising Department concerning academic advising and the transfer process. 

Suggested Course Sequences are available for college programs. These guides indicate how you may complete your course of studies within a particular time frame and taking a particular order of courses. There are also transfer guides available for many majors at area colleges and universities.

Full-time Course Load and Freshman-Sophomore Classification

Students at SCC are classified according to hours enrolled and hours completed. Part-time students earn fewer than 12 hours per semester, while full-time students carry 12 or more. During the summer semester, full-time student status requires 6 or more credit hours (for academic purposes). Full-time status for financial aid in the summer is 12 or more credit hours.

A veteran, in order to receive maximum assistance under the Veterans Education Law (G.I. Bill), must carry at least 12 hours of credit per semester.

A freshman is any student who has completed fewer than 30 credit hours; a sophomore has completed 30 credit hours or more.

Except as indicated below, the maximum number of credit hours for which a student may enroll during the fall or spring is 18. During the summer, the maximum is 10 hours taken concurrently.

It is recommended that the maximum course load for each of the following academic sessions be observed:

Maximum Course Load

Repeated courses count as part of the course load.

Students with a superior scholastic record may be permitted to register for more than the recommended maximum providing they meet the following GPA prerequisites:

2.75 GPA - approved to take 19 hours
3.00 GPA - approved to take 20 hours
3.50 GPA - approved to take 21 hours

Students wishing to take more than 21 hours must receive special permission from the Academic Affairs Office.

Sending Transcripts to SCC and Transcript Evaluation

When transferring to SCC from another institution, you must complete the following steps:

Have official transcripts from EACH institution that you attended sent to the Enrollment Services Department.

• Credits for courses with passing grades may be accepted at the college’s discretion.
• To have the credits taken at other institutions evaluated, submit a Request for Transfer Evaluation Form (PDF) to the Enrollment Services Department and declare a degree.
• Accepted transfer credits will be included in the cumulative hours of credit but will not be calculated in the grade point average.
• You will receive a transfer evaluation report indicating how the courses were accepted. Please allow two weeks for an evaluation from the time the transcripts are received.
• Transcripts sent to SCC will not be automatically reviewed unless the student has requested in writing that a review be made.
• To Appeal Your Evaluation: Send a letter requesting the appeal; documentation (course description and syllabus) supporting your requested change to:

Transcript Evaluator SCC Main
St. Charles Community College
4601 Mid Rivers Mall Drive
Cottleville, MO 63376-2865

• The transcript evaluator will submit your request and documentation to the division dean for review. A decision will be made within 7-10 days. *If you are unsatisfied with the decision of the Dean you may then submit your appeal to the Vice President for Academic Affairs..
• Missouri’s Coordinating Board for Higher Education approved a credit transfer policy that states that any transfer student who believes there has been unfair treatment involving acceptance of college credits may appeal the evaluation. Information regarding the Missouri Department of Higher Education appeal process may be found at: https://www.stchas.edu/get-started/grades-transcripts-records.php

Non-Traditional Credit (AP/CLEP)

Types of Non-Traditional Credit

Credit granted through one of the non-traditional processes will count towards the total credits earned towards graduation; however, the credit will not be calculated into the cumulative GPA. Colleges or universities to which you may transfer might not accept this credit. Likewise, SCC may or may not accept credit by examination taken elsewhere. Each institution makes its own evaluation of these issues.

College Level Examination (CLEP)

The College Level Examination (CLEP) allows for the evaluation of knowledge acquired through sources other than traditional college course work. SCC will grant credit for certain subject CLEP examinations according to departmental guidelines. SCC does not grant credit for general CLEP exams.

College Level Examination (CLEP) Required Scores

Advanced Placement (AP)

Administered through area high schools, Advanced Placement allows a student to gain college credit through subject area testing.

Advanced Placement Required Scores

Departmental Exams

Credit may be granted to a student who has in-depth knowledge of a subject. Discuss with the appropriate department chairperson whether you are prepared to take an exam. The department may refuse to administer the exam based on the evaluation. The fee for the exam must be paid before taking the test. Credits earned by examination will be equated to a specific SCC course and will be designated under the category of “non-course work” on the academic transcript.

Retroactive Credit

If you are able to enroll in a higher level foreign language course, and upon completion of that course with a 75% or better grade, you may receive credit for the lower-level course or courses that were bypassed. Consult with the department chairperson for more information. Hours awarded vary.

Military Experience

Experience in the Armed Services may be considered for credit based upon recommendations of the American Council on Education Commission and the student’s intended major. Submit a military transcript and you will be awarded 2 credit hours of Physical Education. Contact the financial aid officer/Veterans Services for information on obtaining a military transcript.

Contact Information

ADMISSIONS
636-922-8500 | admissions@stchas.edu

FINANCIAL AID
636-922-8234 | finaid@stchas.edu

TRANSFER INFORMATION
transfer@stchas.edu