General Admissions Requirements
Chattanooga State has an open door admission policy. The college is open to all persons, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, veteran status, or physical, mental or educational disability. Admissions requirements and procedures vary, depending on the student’s goals and classification. However, the following apply to all applicants:
- Applicants should meet physical standards appropriate to their occupational choices.
- An admission application is not complete until the Admissions Office has received all required documents. An applicant may be denied registration until all are received.
- Male U.S. Citizens, permanent residents, and immigrants assigned male sex at birth and between 18 and 26 must certify registration with Selective Service before they can register for classes.
- All first-time students must submit a completed Immunization Health History Form prior to enrollment.
In addition to the admission requirements listed below, some programs have extra requirements, procedures, and deadlines. See the specific program in the “A.A.S. Degrees & Technical Certificates” section of this catalog for
more information.
How To Apply
First Time Freshmen
- Apply for admission.
- Submit an official high school transcript or approved high school equivalency score transcript from an approved high school equivalency (HSE) test. The high school transcript must show the student’s graduation date and final grades. Certificates of attendance, special education diplomas, and their derivatives are not equivalent to a regular high school diploma.
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An official transcript has the granting institution’s seal and is received by Chattanooga State in one of the following ways:
o Electronic transcript service (ex: Parchment, National Student Clearinghouse) directly from the institution
o Emailed directly from a staff at member at the institution
o Mailed directly from the institution
o Faxed with a cover sheet directly from the institution
o Hand delivered by student in the original, unopened envelope from the institution
Electronic and email transcripts should use submit@chattanoogastate.edu as the recipient address.
High school transcripts that are not originally in English must be accompanied by a professional certified translation.
High School Equivalency (HSE)
Chattanooga State currently accepts the GED or HiSET tests as proof of high school equivalency. Official test score transcript must clearly indicate successful completion.
Placement Testing
National ACT (American College Testing Program), SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test), or ACCUPLACER scores can be used as placement tests if taken within 5 years of the application term. They are primarily used for advising purposes but may also be used for acceptance into limited-space programs.
Transfer Students
- Apply for admission.
- Submit an official high school transcript or approved high school equivalency score transcript from an approved high school equivalency (HSE) test. This requirements is waived for students that have submitted an official college transcript showing an associate degree or higher has been awarded. The high school transcript must show the student’s graduation date and final grades. Certificates of attendance, special education diplomas, and their derivatives are not equivalent to a regular high school diploma.
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Submit official transcripts from all prior colleges and post-secondary institutions. An official transcript has the granting institution’s seal and is received by Chattanooga State in one of the following ways:
o Electronic transcript service (ex: Parchment, National Student Clearinghouse) directly from the institution
o Mailed directly from the institution
o Faxed with a cover sheet directly from the institution
o Hand delivered by student in the original, unopened envelope from the institution
Electronic and email transcripts should use submit@chattanoogastate.edu as the recipient address.
Post-secondary school transcripts that are not originally in English must be accompanied by a professional certified translation.
Post-secondary school transcripts from outside of the United States must be a companied by a NACES or AICE member course-by course evaluation for transfer credit consideration.
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All college level coursework earned at a post-secondary degree granting institution in good standing with their academic accrediting association will be evaluated for transfer credit. Generally, those institutions will be accredited by one of seven bodies:
o Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC)
o New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)
o Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
o Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
o Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
o Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
o WASC Senior College and University Commission
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Credit for college level coursework completed at a post-secondary institution not accredited by one of the listed associations can be appealed. Forms are available in the Enrollment Services Center and must be submitted before the term begins.
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Transfer credits will not be used in calculating the student’s GPA for graduation from Chattanooga State.
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Placement levels for transfer students will be determined by courses that transfer to Chattanooga State. Chattanooga State also accepts assessment and placement, as well as equivalent Learning Support courses, from all TBR schools.
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Transfer students must be eligible to return to the institution they transferred from and meet the academic retention standards of Chattanooga State. Students not meeting these criteria may be admitted to Chattanooga State after not attending any college for at least one term (not including summer). Such students are admitted on probation their first term and can be suspended at the end of the term if they do not meet Chattanooga State’s academic retention standards. (See “Academic Retention Standards” in the “Academic Regulations” section.)
Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) Programs
- Apply for admission.
- Students 17 or younger must submit an official high school transcript showing receipt of a regular diploma or official score report showing successful completion of an approved high school equivalency test.
- Placement Testing
- National ACT (American College Testing Program), SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test), or ACCUPLACER scores can be used as placement tests if taken within 5 years of the application term. Most programs certain require minimum placement scores to register. You can find more information about specific program requirements here: https://chattanoogastate.edu/tcat/apply.
Technical Certificate of Credit Programs
- Apply for admission.
- Be admitted as Non-degree Seeking (see below).
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Submit an official high school transcript or score transcript from an approved high school equivalency (HSE) test (HSE, see following section). This requirement is waived for students who have earned an associate degree or higher documented on an official transcript.
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Some Technical Certificate of Credit programs have additional requirements, procedures, and deadlines which must be met. See the specific program in the “A.A.S. Degrees & Technical Certificates” section of this catalog for information.
Non-degree Seeking Students
A Non-degree Seeking student is one who is not regularly enrolled at another institution and takes credit courses without working toward a degree at Chattanooga State.
- Apply for admission.
- May need to provide evidence of meeting course prerequisites.
- Transient Students are not eligible to receive financial aid through Chattanooga State.
Limitations:
- There is no limit on the number of credits non-degree seeking student may carry each term or earn outside of the Academic Load policy.
Transient Students
Students who are regularly enrolled in another college may attend Chattanooga State as transient students.
- Apply for admission.
- Submit a transient permission letter or official transcript from home institution.
- Provide evidence of meeting course prerequisites.
- Transient Students are not eligible to receive financial aid through Chattanooga State.
Audit
Students may audit college-level or Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) courses. Auditing may be denied based on available space or if restricted by program of study.
Students may enroll in any combination of audit and credit courses.
Students cannot audit learning support courses.
Payment of the regular course fee is required. The student participates in class, but is not required to do assignments or take tests.
Audit hours may not be converted to credit later or used to replace an earlier grade.
Students seeking to change from credit to audit must visit the Enrollment Services Center to request this change. The deadline is the last day to drop a course with a “W” grade for that respective term-see Academic Calendar.
Students register to audit a class beginning the first day of the respective term through the last day of late registration for the term.
English Language Proficiency
Applicants that are not U.S. citizens and whose native language is not English must satisfy one of the following requirements:
- TOEFL score report from a test taken within 2 years (minimum = 61).
- IELTS score report from a test taken within 2 years (minimum = 5.5).
- Duolingo English Test score report from a test taken within 2 years (minimum = 85).
- Current enrollment at or prior graduation from a U.S. high school or home school program.
- Official test score transcript showing completion of a GED or HiSET administered in English.
- Official college transcript with grade C or better in college-level English Composition from a U.S. college or university with regional accreditation.
International Students
- Meet all requirements for admission as a First-Time Freshman, Transfer, or TCAT Diploma-seeking student.
- Meet English language proficiency requirement.
- Furnish evidence of financial capability.
- Provide medical certification verifying freedom from tuberculosis.
- Have medical and hospitalization insurance or purchase it from the state.
Senior Citizens and Persons with Disabilities
Tennessee residents who are totally and permanently disabled or who are senior citizens (age requirement defined below) may take courses at Chattanooga State for a reduced rate. A “Maintenance Fee Reduction Request,” available from the Enrollment Services Center, must be completed at the time of registration each semester in order to receive the discount or waiver. Normal admission requirements apply.
Audit-To receive a maintenance fee waiver for auditing, a person must:
- be age 60+ or permanently disabled
- meet Tennessee residency requirements
- provide proof of age or disability before registering
- register for AUDIT on first day of class if space is available in course(s)
- pay all other applicable fees
Credit-To receive discounted maintenance fees on credit courses, a person must:
- be age 65+ or permanently disabled
- meet Tennessee residency requirements
- provide proof of age or disability before registering
- have satisfied all prerequisites or other criteria required for the course(s)
- pay all other applicable fees
Readmission
A student who has not attended for two consecutive terms must:
Orientation
Orientation is required for all first-time degree-seeking students.
Out-of-State Fee Waivers
Chattanooga State is conveniently located to serve students in Alabama and Georgia, and will even waive out-of-state tuition for lawfully present U.S. citizens and permanent residents of these counties: Jackson County, Alabama; or Catoosa, Dade, Murray, Walker, Whitfield, or Fannin County, Georgia. This classification is based on the permanent address provided on the admission application.
Lawfully present military personnel and their spouses stationed in the State of Tennessee because of military orders are not required to pay out-of-state tuition, as long as they are stationed in Tennessee for a reason other than seeking an education.
Lawfully present U.S. citizens and permanent residents who work full-time in Tennessee and attend class part-time are not required to pay out of state tuition. These students must provide an employer verification form before paying fees each semester.
Lawfully present U.S. citizens and permanent residents who are only taking online classes (and who do not qualify for a better tuition rate because of one of the classifications explained above) may qualify for a special tuition eRate.
Residency Classification
The following determines in-state and out-of-state status for fees and tuition purposes for college credit courses. The fee policies are defined by the Tennessee Board of Regents:
- Everyone domiciled* in Tennessee is classified in-state for fee, tuition, and admission purposes.
- Everyone not domiciled in Tennessee is classified out-of-state for said purposes.
- The domicile of an “unemancipated person”** is that of his or her parent (i.e., father or mother, or non-parental guardian or legal custodian provided the guardianship or custodianship was not created primarily to create in-state status).
- Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) students who are out-of-state residents do not pay additional fees because of residency.
- Unemancipated** students of divorced parents are in-state when one parent, regardless of custodial status, is domiciled in Tennessee.
- The spouse of a student classified as in-state shall also be classified as in-state.
- International students will pay out-of-state tuition and cannot establish Tennessee residency be classified as out of state.
- Students classified by Immigration as a Permanent Resident, Resident Alien, Asylee, Refugee, or Immigrant may be charged in-state fees if domiciled in Tennessee.
- Part-time students who are not domiciled in Tennessee but who are employed full-time in Tennessee are classified out-of-state but are not required to pay out-of-state tuition. The student must provide proper documentation each semester.
* Domicile-a person’s true, fixed, and permanent home and place of habitation; it is the place where he or she intends to remain, and to which he or she expects to return when he or she leaves without intending to establish a new domicile elsewhere.
** Emancipated person-a person who is eighteen years old, and whose parents have entirely surrendered the right to his/her care, custody, and earnings and are no longer under any legal obligation to support or maintain him/her.
(Addendum - College Catalog: Admissions Section
Effective August 18, 2025
Substantial revisions have been made to the Admissions section of the 2025-2026 College Catalog. These updates include:
Clarification of general admissions requirements
Updated transcript submission guidelines for first-time freshmen and transfer students
Revised placement testing and assessment policies
New criteria for English language proficiency
Adjustments to international student admissions and residency classifications
These changes are intended to improve clarity, ensure compliance with current regulations, and streamline the admissions process. Please refer to the updated catalog for complete and accurate information.)
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