Admission and Financial Aid

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ADMISSION TO THE COLLEGE 

GENERAL POLICY

Cottey College encourages applications from students seeking an independent, women’s liberal arts and sciences college committed to women’s leadership, social responsibility, and global awareness.

All candidates for admission must be graduates of accredited high schools or have satisfied high school graduation requirements through the G.E.D., by special official arrangements or through an accredited online or home school organization.

Admission is based on prior performance and one’s potential to succeed at Cottey. Cottey College is committed to equal educational opportunity and does not unlawfully discriminate in its educational policies and practices on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other factor protected by law.

Application for admission from each candidate should be on file in the Office of Enrollment Management as early as possible; the College accepts students for admission only until it reaches capacity. Early application is, therefore, recommended.

SINGLE SEX ADMISSION POLICY 

Cottey’s admission policy is consistent with board policy and is consistent with state and federal law, and specifically informed by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which allows for single-sex admission policies in institutions of higher education that have historically served women. This policy affirms Cottey’s proud historical tradition as a women’s college and its legacy of providing a community specifically designed for women.

As a historically women’s college, Cottey considers for admission those applicants who indicate a legally-assigned sex of female on their application. Cottey applies the same admission standards and criteria to all applicants. In reviewing applications, Cottey performs a holistic assessment using GPA, test scores, recommendations, activities, goals, and character. Overall, we seek to admit students whose interests and aspirations match the opportunities provided by Cottey and who will contribute to Cottey’s unique educational environment.

With regard to admission, Cottey relies upon the information provided by each student applicant. Applicants who indicate a legally assigned sex of female are considered for admission. In cases where supporting documentation does not reflect an applicant’s legally-assigned female sex, Cottey may request additional information.

THE APPLICATION PROCESS

Students must apply online through the Cottey College website - cottey.edu/apply.

A student applying for admission needs to submit: 

  1. the application for admission and the nonrefundable $20 application fee; 
  2. official high school transcript (including course work through 11th grade); with a final high school transcript sent after graduation (showing the graduation date) to be received before the start of the first semester; 
    1. A grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.6 is required in order to be admitted. 
    2. Official college/university transcripts for any college/university coursework taken while in high school.
  3. Cottey is test optional, meaning test scores are not required. Students may submit test scores as supplemental material.
  4. Students who do not meet the above minimums or for whom the Admission Committee feels additional personal information is warranted may be required to submit supplemental materials like personal statements, letters of recommendation, essays, samples of graded coursework, Advanced Placement (AP) or College Level Examination Program (CLEP) scores, etc.

Cottey College will accept the General Educational Development (G.E.D.) test. Both the G.E.D. scores as well as an official copy of the certificate are required.

Based on the above requirements, each applicant will be individually evaluated for admission by the Admission Committee.

APPLICATION GUIDELINES

First Time Students 

All applicants for admission to Cottey College should take a college preparatory course sequence. The required high school curriculum includes

  • four years of study in English composition and literature,
  • two years in history and government, 
  • three years in mathematics (Algebra I, Algebra II, and Geometry),
  • two years in laboratory science, and
  • two years of study in one foreign language.

All applicants will be notified of an admission decision shortly after receipt of their completed application. An applicant will be accepted if they have

  1. undertaken a college-preparatory high school curriculum,
  2. achieved a high school grade point average of at least 2.6 

In some circumstances, students whose academic credentials fall below these guidelines may be asked to provide additional information for consideration by the Admission Committee. Students admitted by committee may be admitted contingent on adhering to specific conditions and instructions throughout the first 27 semester hours earned.

Students who are accepted will receive notification that a nonrefundable tuition deposit is due (see Nonrefundable Application Fee and Tuition Deposit) to secure a place in the incoming class.

Students accepted for admission also receive a health form (requiring a doctor’s examination), which must be completed before enrollment at Cottey College. Health information is confidential.

TRANSFER APPLICANTS

Cottey College welcomes transfer applicants to study for their baccalaureate degree.

NOTE: Transfer students must also meet residency requirements. (Baccalaureate students must complete 30 of the last 40 credit hours at Cottey.)

No grade of “C-“ or lower will be accepted as transfer credit. Transfer students who have been academically dismissed from a previous institution must seek special permission from the Vice President for Student Life and Enrollment to be considered for admission to Cottey College.

Transfer applicants will have their transcripts evaluated on a course-by-course basis. Prospective transfer applicants can receive a Cottey Unofficial Transcript Evaluation by sending a transcript (unofficial is acceptable) to the Office of Academic Records at eval@cottey.edu.

International students submitting postsecondary transcripts from a foreign institution must have an evaluation from an approved National Association of Credential Evaluation Services member (NACES) or from InCRED.

Transfer students must take all courses listed as graduation requirements. Transfer applicants will be admitted unconditionally to Cottey College as transfer students if the following criteria have been met:

  1. The applicant has earned a minimum of 12 semester hours of college-level work (excluding remedial courses) from a college or university accredited by one of the following accreditation associations after completion of high school or receiving a G.E.D. 
    • Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
    • Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
    • New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)
    • Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
    • Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
    • WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC)
    • Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) Western Association of Schools and Colleges and 
  2. The applicant has achieved a 2.00 G.P.A. or higher on all college-level work.

Transfer applicants with 11 or less transferable credits from an accredited college or university, as above, will have the admission decision based on a combination of secondary and post-secondary transcripts. Students will need to: 

  1. Submit all official college or university transcripts; including any courses taken for college credit while in high school and all credits taken after completion of high school, and
  2. Submit final high school transcript showing graduation date.

Applications from students with a cumulative college GPA of 1.6–1.9 will be reviewed by the Admission Committee for an admission decision. Students with a transfer GPA of less than 1.6 will not be admitted. Students are required to list all schools attended whether or not credit was received and regardless the age of the record.

Transfer students who have earned an Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, or other degree from an accredited institution of higher education prior to matriculation at Cottey will be exempt from the General Education Core Requirements, but must take one WGS course.

Transfer students with other associate level degrees or with college-level work from other accredited institutions will be considered on an individual basis. This policy does not replace individual program requirements or course prerequisites. Therefore, transfer students may still need to complete lower level coursework to meet program requirements for graduation.

HOME SCHOOL POLICY

Students who have been home schooled and have completed high school graduation requirements under a home school program may be considered for admission. Home schooled students follow the same application guidelines and procedures as all other applicants. In addition, home schooled applicants should submit a home school credit evaluation form (including at least 6 semesters of course work in 9th, 10th and 11th grades) prepared and signed by home schooling parent/guardian.

The Office of Enrollment Management may also ask for a portfolio detailing all high school work completed (including courses studied, textbooks, assignments, extracurricular activities, and writing samples). Evidence must show completion of courses in English, social studies, mathematics, science, and foreign language. The student may also be required to furnish proof that home schooling requirements within their state of residence have been satisfied.

Home schooled students who have received a General Educational Development (G.E.D.) test may also be admitted to Cottey. In this situation, copies of the G.E.D. scores as well as an official copy of the certificate will be required.

FORMER STUDENT READMISSION

Former Cottey College students who have not been enrolled for at least one semester (not to include the summer), or who have withdrawn from the college more than once, and who do not have an approved leave of absence must reapply to be considered for readmission to the College. A student must reapply using the online application. In addition to submitting an application for readmission, students who were dismissed from Cottey College for any reason, or who were on academic probation in their most recently completed semester at Cottey, must apply by letter to the vice president for academic affairs.

HIGH SCHOOL JUNIOR EARLY ADMISSION

Exceptionally mature and academically able students who have completed all but one year of high school, have the endorsement of their high school officials for early entrance to college, and can produce stellar letters of recommendation may be considered for admission to Cottey.

With the approval of the high school, courses successfully completed at Cottey may be counted toward a student’s high school graduation. Students interested in applying for early admission should contact the Office of Enrollment Management as early as possible.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ADMISSION

Cottey College welcomes applications from prospective international students and encourages international applicants to communicate with the Office of Enrollment Management at least nine months in advance of their proposed entrance. There is a limited amount of financial aid available for international students, so if financial aid is needed, this fact should be made clear in initial correspondence. International applicants may be asked to submit the following:

  • Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or Duolingo scores, if one’s first language is not English. Cottey College requires overall TOEFL score of 68 (17 on all sub scores), IELTS of 5.5 or above, and Duolingo score of 95 or above. 
  • Certified records of external examinations, when applicable.
  • Post-secondary transcripts from foreign institutions must have an evaluation from an approved National Association of Credential Evaluation Services member (NACES) or from InCRED. U.S. university transcripts must be sent directly from the institution to Cottey College.

NON-DEGREE SEEKING HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT ADMISSION

Cottey provides an opportunity for qualified local high school junior and senior students to enroll in a maximum of six (6) credit hours per semester at a reduced tuition rate. Interested students must contact the Office of Academic Records to obtain and complete the Non-Degree Seeking High School Student Registration Form.

Approval to register will be based on evaluation of previous academic work, available standardized test scores, and a written recommendation from the student’s high school counselor. Registration is completed through the Office of Academic Records.

AUDITING STUDENT ADMISSION

A student who wants to audit a course at Cottey, and is not a currently enrolled student, must complete the Audit form which can be obtained through the Office of Academic Records. Students must gain permission from the instructor to audit. See page 81 in the Catalog for details. The fee for auditing a course is listed under “Incidental Fees.”

NONREFUNDABLE TUITION DEPOSIT

A nonrefundable tuition deposit of $250 is due to hold a place in the incoming class after the candidate has been notified of acceptance for admission and has decided to enroll. Payment of this fee ensures a student’s place in the student body. The nonrefundable tuition deposit is credited to the student’s bill for the first semester.

For students admitted prior to April 15 of their senior year in high school, nonrefundable tuition deposits are due on or before May 1. For students admitted after April 15, nonrefundable tuition deposits are due as soon as possible to secure a place in the class and accept any financial aid offered.