Academic Catalog

Admissions

Admissions to West Virginia University at Parkersburg

Any person seeking to enroll at WVU Parkersburg must complete an Application for Admission, which can be found at each administrative center of the college or online.

Addresses for Applications for Admissions

Center for Student Services
WVU Parkersburg
300 Campus Drive
Parkersburg, WV 26104

Administrative Office
Jackson County Center
105 Academy Drive
Ripley, WV  25271

Admissions Requirements - General Admission

Note: Admission to the institution does not necessarily imply admission to a particular program of study or limited admissions programs. Individual programs, especially health or cosmetology programs, may publish their own requirements for admission.

To be fully admitted under general admissions requirements, a student must complete an admission application and:

  • Submit official high school transcripts or a high school equivalency exam, such as GED or TASC scores from an accredited institution or source. This requirement does not apply to applicants who graduated more than five years prior to WVU Parkersburg enrollment.
  • Submit official transcripts from each college or university previously attended. (These transcripts must be sent directly from the issuing institution to the WVU Parkersburg Admissions Office, located in the Center for Student Services. Transcripts marked “issued to student,” faxed, or submitted directly by students cannot be accepted as official transcripts and may only be used to provide initial advising.)
  • Placement test scores are not required for general admission or course placement. However, placement test scores are used as cut-off scores for specific classes such as English or Math. Students without test scores or an inadequate cut-off score will be required to take co-requisite courses in Math and English.

Admissions Requirements – Home School Students

Students seeking general admission to the college who have completed a secondary school credential through a home school process must adhere to the following steps for admission:

The home schooling of secondary students in West Virginia is governed by West Virginia Code 18-8-1 subsection (c), and admission to the college from a home school environment will be analogous to the necessary requirements of said code to complete a final year of secondary school. In addition to all other admission requirements, home-schooled students must provide only one of the following:

  1. An official statement on letterhead from the superintendent of the school district of residence confirming that the student has met the academic assessment requirements for the final year of secondary instruction with a recognized Home School Administrator (often a parent of the student, West Virginia Code 18-8-12) as detailed in West Virginia Code 18-8-1 subsection (c), or
  2. Official test scores from a high school equivalency exam such as the GED or TASC. These scores must be from an accredited institution or source recognized by the United States Department of Education or the State of West Virginia, (however they are not needed if it has been 5 years or more.) or
  3. A transcript of class work from a secondary institution or organization recognized as accredited by an agency acceptable to the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs or the United States or West Virginia Departments of Education.

Admissions Requirements - Transfer Students

A transfer student is defined as an applicant for admission to WVU Parkersburg who has attended another accredited college or university and who wishes to enroll at WVU Parkersburg and declare a major field of study. To be fully admitted under transfer requirements, a student must complete an admission application and:

  • Submit official high school transcripts or high school equivalency exam scores, such as the GED or TASC, from an accredited institution or source. This requirement does not apply to applicants who graduated more than five years prior to WVU Parkersburg enrollment.
  • Submit a request to the registrars of all institutions previously attended to forward official transcripts to the Admissions Office, located in the Center for Student Services at WVU Parkersburg. WVU Parkersburg maintains an obligation to adhere to all policies required by federal financial aid regulations. Only credits earned at regionally accredited institutions or meeting 70% of course learning objectives of similar WVU Parkersburg courses as adjudicated by college faculty will be accepted for credit. (West Virginia Code 18B-1-6, 18B-2B6, 18B-14-2). These transcripts must be sent directly from an issuing institution to the WVU Parkersburg Admissions Office. Transcripts marked “issued to student,” faxed, or submitted directly by students cannot be accepted.
  • Placement test scores are not required for general admission or course placement. However, students may be required to attend co-requisite classes for certain courses for which specific cut-off scores are required.  Admission to the institution does not necessarily imply admission to a particular program of study.  Individual programs or selective admissions programs may publish their own requirements for admission.

Admission Requirement - Transient Students

A transient student is defined as any student who is officially enrolled in another college (referred to as “home college”) who desires to take a course(s) at WVU Parkersburg and have the course(s) transferred back to his/her home college. To be fully admitted under transient requirements, a student must complete an admission application and:

  • Submit a transient approval form or letter of good standing from the home institution. The transient form should be submitted well in advance of the desired term of entry.

Admissions Requirements - Early College Students

An Early College student is defined as a high school sophomore, junior or senior who has maintained a minimum cumulative 2.5 grade point average.  To be fully admitted under early college requirements, a student must:

  • Complete an Application for Early College at the online address, www.wvup.edu/apply .
  • Submit written approval from either the high school principal or equivalent to take college courses while a high school or secondary student, if requested.
  • Applicants for the Early College program who are pursuing a home school course of study must document the following: the equivalent of a 2.5 grade point average and the equivalent junior or senior standing at the secondary level by an official transcript of completed coursework, either notarized in the state of residence or mailed directly from a recognized accrediting agency as defined by the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Only secondary students who meet these requirements are eligible to enroll in college level coursework while in high school. Early College students are not eligible for federal, state, or institutional financial aid. Exceptions to these admissions standards for entry may be granted by the Vice President for Academic Affairs upon appeal.

Admissions Requirements - Readmission Students

A readmission student is defined as any student who has previously enrolled at WVU Parkersburg as a student. This applies to any student who has not been enrolled for at least one academic year.

To be fully admitted under readmission requirements, a student must complete an admission application and:

  • Complete additional requirements for admission transfer, if the student has attended any other college since last enrolled at WVU Parkersburg.

Admissions Requirements - Non-degree Students

A non-degree student is a person who has no plans to earn a degree or certificate while attending WVU Parkersburg and who does not intend to register for more than two courses in any semester. An admission application must be completed. A non-degree student is not eligible for federal, state, or institutional financial aid.

Admissions Requirements - International Students

An International student is defined as a citizen of a foreign country who seeks admission to WVU Parkersburg. All documents must be on file by April 1 for admission to the subsequent fall semester and by October 1 for admission to the subsequent spring semester.

In addition to meeting the routine admission requirements of the student type for which they have applied, in order to be admitted as an international student, an applicant must also:

  • Complete an International Application for Admission - which can be found at each administrative center of the college, online, or may be requested to be mailed to any requesting individual. Note: Submission of certified copies of secondary school transcripts is not necessary unless the student is seeking transfer credit from the institution.
  • Submit copies of all prior higher education institution transcripts if transferring to West Virginia University Parkersburg. If the prior institution’s location is outside the United States, they must be sent for evaluation to an accredited international transcript evaluation service as identified by the WVU Parkersburg Registrar. Fees for such services are to be paid by applicant.
  • Submit regional examination scores, if applicable, that have been evaluated and verified by the testing agency. No failures are accepted, and test scores should represent competency levels equivalent to a grade of “C.” Submit a score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) of 173 for the computerized test, 60 or higher on the Internet-based TOEFL, and 500 for the paper test. A score of 7 or higher on the IELTS academic test will also be acceptable.
    • If TOEFL is not available, WVU Parkersburg also accepts the STEP EIKEN Proficiency 2A which is equivalent to the 500 score TOEFL. These scores must be sent by the STEP EIKEN institute.
    • An alternate means of English proficiency may be used if the student is attending WVU Parkersburg as part of a Cooperative Education Project Agreement between a recognized higher education institution and WVU Parkersburg as defined by said agreement.
  • Submit a notarized Affidavit of Financial Support demonstrating financial commitment by the student and/or sponsor(s) equaling no less than the amount calculated by the Office of Student Financial Assistance for an out-of-state student not living at home. Different levels and sources of necessary support may be defined by a Cooperative Education Project Agreement. Such agreements may supersede the requirement of an Affidavit of Financial Support if alternate forms of funding are defined in the Cooperative Education Project Agreement.
    • All individuals and institutions providing funds listed in the Affidavit of Financial Support (if required) must provide certified bank statements (private individuals) or statements of sponsorship (institutions). Bank and/or sponsorship statements can be no older than 6 months at the time of submission. Funds are expected to be on deposit at the time the student arrives for their first day of education.
  • Make a deposit with the college to guarantee tuition payment in an amount set each year by the college’s Business Office. This deposit must be received before the issuance of the I-20 or registration for classes.
  • Submit a copy of a valid passport.

Upon receipt of all documentation, the Admissions Office, located in the Center for Student Services, will complete an evaluation and notify the student of an admissions decision. All outstanding documents must be submitted to the Admissions Office before admission to the college can be granted. Upon confirmation of a positive admission decision and deposit, the Admissions Office will issue an I-20.

Admission Requirements - Provisional Admission

Applicants for Admission who do not meet all of the requirements stated above may be granted Provisional Admission for one semester. Requirements for General Admission must be met by the completion of the first semester enrolled in order to continue enrollment at WVU Parkersburg. Provisional Admission students are not eligible for financial aid.