International students are usually accepted for the Fall Term. Applications should reach this office by March 1 of the year prior to the August date of entrance. Some exceptions to this time limitation can be made at the discretion of the Admissions Coordinator.

To be admitted to Sandhills Community College and to receive a U.S. Department of Justice Certificate of Eligibility (Form I-20A-B), international students must be high school graduates and follow the procedures listed below:

l. Have a local sponsor - who must reside in this area of North Carolina. The sponsor must attest through a notarized affidavit that he/she will assume all responsibility for the student, will provide all food, housing and transportation for the student, and will bear all educational and other expenses of the student.

2. Complete and return the College application form. For your convenience we have a link to the SCC Application for Admission. The document is in PDF format and requires the Adobe Acrobat Reader 4.0 (free to download and use). You may fax your completed application to (910) 695-3981.

3. Have official transcript(s) sent from high school and any college previously attended. (No copies accepted.) Official English translations must accompany transcripts.

4. Take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and have the results sent to us. Students must achieve a total score of at least 550 on the paper-based tests or 213 on the computer-based tests. (Not applicable if native language is English.)

5. Provide proof of full coverage health insurance. Coverage is mandatory during the entire enrollment period.

When items one through five are completed, you will be notified of your admission status.

No dormitories are available; therefore, students must live with their sponsor or find suitable housing. The only public transportation is taxicab. There is no financial aid available to foreign students. United States federal regulations affecting foreign students and scholars (3F.7.1) prohibits international students from working during the first full year of study. After that time, the Department of Justice Immigration and Naturalization Service will authorize work only under very extraordinary circumstances. Therefore, the applicant should not look to employ-ment as a means of support while attending Sandhills Community College.

There are no special classes in our curriculum English department; however, we do offer ESL in our Continuing Education department.

Placement in a specific program of study is not guaranteed by admission to the general College. Factors which may determine program placement include placement test results, transfer credit, restricted class size, and attending an Orientation session. All enrollment requirements must be met prior to program placement.