Admission Requirements

Admission of Undergraduate Students Directly from High School

Applicants must submit a formal application for admission, together with a $30 application fee ($50 for international students), and have their secondary school provide an official transcript of their academic record, including credits and grades, rank in class, and certification of graduation. Applicants must also submit scores from the American College Test (ACT) or the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), or the equivalent. The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required of international students whose first language is not English. Applicants may be required to submit additional information or data to support their applications.

1. Graduates of approved high schools who have the subject matter background as required and who rank in the upper one-half of their graduating class will be admitted. Applicants who are not in the upper one-half of their graduating class may, after a review of their academic and test records, and at the discretion of the admissions officers:

A. Be admitted unconditionally;
B. Be admitted conditionally; or
C. Be denied admission.

2. Applicants who are graduates of nonapproved high schools will be considered for admission in a manner similar to applicants from approved high schools, but additional emphasis will be given to scores obtained on standardized examinations.
3. Applicants who are not high school graduates, but whose classes have graduated, may be considered for admission. They will be required to submit all academic data to the extent that it exists and achieve scores on standardized examinations, such as the GED, which will demonstrate that they are adequately prepared for academic study.
4. Students with superior academic records may be admitted, on an individual basis, for part-time university study while enrolled in high school or during the summers prior to high school graduation.
5. In rare situations, exceptional students may be admitted as full-time or part-time students before completing high school. Early admission is provided to serve persons whose academic achievement and personal and intellectual maturity clearly suggest readiness for collegiate-level study. The university will specify requirements and conditions for early admission.

Admission of Undergraduate Students by Transfer from Other Colleges

Applicants must submit an application form for admission, together with a $30 application fee ($50 for international students), and request that each college they have attended send an official transcript of record to the Office of Admissions. Failure to provide transcripts from all colleges or universities attended may result in denial of the application or dismissal from the university. If less than 24 semester hours of graded transferable college credit will be completed prior to entry at Northern Iowa, applicants should also request that their official high school transcript and ACT or SAT scores be sent to the Office of Admissions. Other transfer applicants may be asked to provide high school academic information. The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required of international students whose first language is not English.

1. Transfer students are defined as those with twenty-four (24) or more semester hours of transferable college credit. Transfer students must have or exceed the following combination of grade point and total graded transferable semester hours for admission to UNI.
• 24-41 hours 2.50 GPA
• 42-59 hours 2.25 GPA
• 60 or more hours 2.00 GPA
Transfer applicants who have not maintained the level of academic performance given above may, after a review of their academic and test records, and at the discretion of the admissions officers:


A. Be admitted unconditionally;
B. Be admitted conditionally; or
C. Be denied admission.

2. Admission of students with fewer than twenty-four semester hours of transferable college credit will be based on high school academic and standardized test records in addition to review of the college record.
3. Transfer applicants under disciplinary suspension will not be considered for admission until information concerning the reason for the suspension has been received from the college assigning the suspension. Applicants granted admission under these circumstances will be admitted on probation.
4. Transfer applicants of colleges and universities not regionally accredited will be considered for admission on an individual basis taking into account all available academic information.

Transfer Credit Practices

The University of Northern Iowa endorses the Joint Statement on Transfer and Award of Academic Credit approved by the American Council on Education (ACE) and the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers (AACRAO). The current issue of Transfer Credit Practices of Selected Educational Institutions, published by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, and publications of the American Council on Education are examples of references used by the universities in determining transfer credit. The acceptance and use of transfer credit are subject to limitations in accordance with existing educational policies of the University of Northern Iowa.

1. Students from regionally accredited colleges and universities. Credit earned at regionally accredited colleges and universities is acceptable for transfer except that credit in courses determined by the university to be of a remedial, vocational, or technical nature, or credit in courses or programs in which the institution granting the credit is not directly involved, may not be accepted, or may be accepted to a limited extent. No more than 65 semester hours of credit earned at two-year colleges can be applied to a bachelor's degree from the University of Northern Iowa.
2. Students from colleges and universities which have candidate status. Credit earned at colleges and universities which have become candidates for accreditation by a regional association is acceptable for transfer in a manner similar to that from regionally accredited colleges and universities if the credit is applicable to the bachelor's degree at the University of Northern Iowa. Credit earned at the junior and senior classification from an accredited two-year college which has received approval by a regional accrediting association for change to a four-year college may be accepted by the university.
3. Students from colleges and universities not regionally accredited. Credit earned at colleges and universities that are not regionally accredited is not accepted in transfer. When students are admitted from colleges and universities not regionally accredited, the University of Northern Iowa will determine if the student may validate credit by satisfactory academic study in residence, or by examination. The university will specify the amount of transfer credit and the terms of the validation process at the time of admission. In determining the acceptability of transfer credit from private colleges in Iowa which do not have regional accreditation, the Regent Committee on Educational Relations, upon request from such institutions, evaluates the nature and standards of the academic program, faculty, student records, library, and laboratories.
4. Students from foreign colleges and universities. Transfer credit from foreign educational institutions may be granted after a determination of the type of institution involved, its recognition by the educational authorities of the foreign country, and after an evaluation of the content, level and comparability of the study to courses and programs at this university. Credit may be granted in specific courses, but is frequently assigned to general areas of study. Extensive use is made of professional journals and references which describe the educational systems and programs of individual countries.

High School Preparation for Undergraduate Admission

Students entering the university must have completed the following set of high school courses (units) or their equivalents. These high school units apply to entering freshmen and transfer students with less than 24 semester hours of transferable college credit.

Subject

Requirement

Explanation

English

4 years

1 year of composition. May include 1 year of speech, communications and/or journalism.

Mathematics

3 years

Must include equivalent of algebra, geometry, and advanced algebra.

Social Studies

3 years

Anthropology, economics, geography, government, history, psychology, and/or sociology are acceptable.

Science

3 years

General science, biology, chemistry, earth science and/or physics are acceptable. Laboratory experience is highly recommended.

Electives

2 years

Additional courses from subject areas identified above are acceptable.
May include foreign language* and/or fine arts.

*Two years of one foreign language in high school with a C- or above in the last term meet the university graduation requirement. The university highly recommends that students fulfill this requirement while in high school.Students who graduated from high school before 1988 and transfer students who graduated from high school in 1988, and after, who have completed 24 or more semester hours of transferable college credit will be considered exempt from the high school course requirements for admission.

Admission Requirements for Graduate Students

All applicants for graduate study must submit an application form specifying their choice of degree program with a $30 application fee or $50 fee for international students and request all necessary official transcripts be sent to the Office of the Registrar (see pages xxx-xxx). Failure to provide official transcripts from all required colleges and universities can result in a denial or rescinding of admission.

Admission to graduate study does not guarantee admission to an advanced degree program. Responsibility for determining eligibility for admission to graduate degree programs rests primarily with the academic departments. The academic departments are responsible for receiving degree status admission applications and for determination of admissibility.

A graduate of a college or university accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools or a corresponding regional agency will be granted admission to graduate study if her/his application for admission has been approved.

A graduate of a college or university that is not accredited may be granted provisional admission at the discretion of the Dean of the Graduate College.

Note: Students with a recognized baccalaureate degree who are seeking a second baccalaureate degree, teaching endorsements or approvals through UNI recommendation, and/or miscellaneous undergraduate course work may be admitted through the undergraduate Office of Admissions. These students pay undergraduate fees and may not apply credit earned toward a graduate program.

Classification of Residents and Nonresidents for Admission, Tuition, and Fee Purposes

I. General

1. A person enrolling at one of the three state universities shall be classified as a resident or nonresident for admission, tuition, and fee purposes by the Registrar or someone designated by the Registrar. The decision shall be based upon information furnished by the student and other relevant information.
2. In determining resident or nonresident classification, the issue is essentially one of why the person is in the state of Iowa. If the person is in the state primarily for educational purposes, that person will be considered a nonresident. For example, it may be possible that an individual could qualify as a resident of Iowa for such purposes as voting, or holding an Iowa driver's license, and not meet the residency requirements as established by the Board of Regents, State of Iowa, for admission, tuition, and fee purposes.
3. The Registrar, or designated person, is authorized to require such written documents, affidavits, verifications, or other evidence deemed necessary to determine why a student is in Iowa. The burden of establishing that a student is in Iowa for other than educational purposes is upon the student.

A student may be required to file any or all of the following:

1. A statement from the student describing employment and expected sources of support;
2. A statement from the student's employer;
3. A statement from the student's parents verifying nonsupport and the fact that the student was not listed as a dependent on tax returns for the past year and will not be so listed in future years;
4. Supporting statements from persons who might be familiar with the family situation; Iowa state income tax return.

4. Change of classification from nonresident to resident will not be made retroactive beyond the term in which application for resident classification is made.
5. A student who gives incorrect or misleading information to evade payment of nonresident fees shall be subject to serious disciplinary action and must also pay the nonresident fees for each term previously attended.
6. Review Committee. These regulations shall be administered by the Registrar or someone designated by the Registrar. The decision of the Registrar or designated person may be appealed to a University Review Committee. The finding of the Review Committee may be appealed to the Board of Regents, State of Iowa.

II. Guidelines

The following guidelines are used in determining the resident classification of a student for admission, tuition, and fee purposes.

1. A financially-dependent student whose parents move from Iowa after the student is enrolled remains a resident provided the student maintains continuous enrollment. A financially-dependent student whose parents move from Iowa during the senior year of high school will be considered a resident provided the student has not established domicile in another state.
2. In deciding why a person is in the state of Iowa, the person's domicile will be considered. A person who comes to Iowa from another state and enrolls in any institution of post-secondary education for a full program or substantially a full program shall be presumed to have come to Iowa primarily for educational reasons rather than to establish a domicile in Iowa.
3. A student who was a former resident of Iowa may continue to be considered a resident provided absence from the state was for a period of less than twelve months and provided domicile is reestablished. If the absence from the state is for a period exceeding twelve months, a student may be considered a resident if evidence can be presented showing that the student has long-term ties to Iowa and reestablishes an Iowa domicile.
   
   A person or the dependent of a person whose domicile is permanently established in Iowa, who has been classified as a resident for admission, tuition, and fee purposes, may continue to be classified as a resident so long as such domicile is maintained, even though circumstances may require extended absence of the person from the state. It is required that a person who claims Iowa domicile while living in another state or country will provide proof of the continual Iowa domicile such as evidence that the person:
   

   1. Has not acquired a domicile in another state,
   2. Has maintained a continuous voting record in Iowa, and
   3. Has filed regular Iowa resident income tax returns during absence from the state.

4. A student who moves to Iowa may be eligible for resident classification at the next registration following twelve consecutive months in the state provided the student is not enrolled as more than a half-time student (six credits for an undergraduate or professional student, five credits for a graduate student) in any academic year term, is not enrolled for more than four credits in a summer term for any classification, and provides sufficient evidence of the establishment of an Iowa domicile.
5. A student who has been a continuous student and whose parents move to Iowa may become a resident at the beginning of the next term provided the student is dependent upon the parents for a majority of financial assistance.
6. A person who is moved into the state as the result of military or civil orders from the government for other than educational purposes, or the dependent of such a person, is entitled to resident status. However, if the arrival of the person under orders is subsequent to the beginning of the term in which the student is first enrolled, nonresident fees will be charged in all cases until the beginning of the next term in which the student is enrolled. Legislation, effective July 1, 1977, requires that military personnel who claim residency in Iowa (home of record) will be required to file Iowa resident income tax returns.
7. A person who has been certified as a refugee or granted asylum by the appropriate agency of the United States who enrolls as a student at a university governed by the Board of Regents, State of Iowa, may be accorded immediate resident status for admission, tuition, and fee purposes where the person:
   

   1. Comes directly to the state of Iowa from a refugee facility or port of debarkation, or
   2. Comes to the state of Iowa within a reasonable time and has not established domicile in another state.

   Any refugee or individual granted asylum not meeting these standards will be presumed to be a nonresident for admission, tuition, and fee purposes and thus subject to the usual method of proof of establishment of Iowa residency.
   
8. An alien who has immigrant status establishes Iowa residency in the same manner as a United States citizen.

III. Facts

1. The following circumstances, although not necessarily conclusive, have probative value in support of a claim for resident classification:

1. Reside in Iowa for twelve consecutive months, and be primarily engaged in activities other than those of a full-time student, immediately prior to the beginning of the term for which resident classification is sought.
2. Reliance upon Iowa resources for financial support.
3. Domicile in Iowa of persons legally responsible for the student.
4. Former domicile in the state and maintenance of significant connections therein while absent.
5. Acceptance of an offer of permanent employment in Iowa.
6. Other facts indicating the student's domicile will be considered by the universities in classifying the student.

2. The following circumstances, standing alone, do not constitute sufficient evidence of domicile to effect classification of a student as a resident under these regulations:

1. Voting or registration for voting.
2. Employment in any position normally filled by a student.
3. The lease of living quarters.
4. Admission to a licensed practicing profession in Iowa.
5. Automobile registration.
6. Public records, for example, birth and marriage records, Iowa driver's license.
7. Continuous presence in Iowa during periods when not enrolled in school.
8. Ownership of property in Iowa, or the payment of Iowa taxes.

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Last Modified: August 10, 2004