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New York State Education Law mandates that a student must have a high school diploma or a high school equivalency diploma before being authorized to receive a degree or certificate from a college or university.

¿ì²¥ÊÓƵ Cortland Community College (TC3) is an open enrollment institution. Students who have earned a high school diploma (Local or Regents) or a high school equivalency diploma will be accepted to the College. However, open enrollment does not guarantee acceptance into specific programs, such as Nursing. Students with an IEP, SACC, CDOS (as sole credential), or similar credential should refer to the Admission of Non-High School Graduates section below.

If you wish to enroll as a new student in a degree program at TC3, either full-time or part-time, you will need to Apply for Admission. Enrolling in a degree program is called matriculation. Matriculation is required to earn a degree and for financial aid eligibility. In addition to the admissions application, you must submit an official copy of your high school transcripts or copy of your high school equivalency diploma (and scores if available). If you wish to transfer college credit to TC3, you must request that an official transcript be sent from each college you have attended and wish to be considered.

These documents should be mailed by your school to ¿ì²¥ÊÓƵ Cortland Community College, 170 North Street, PO Box 139
Dryden, NY 13053, or emailed directly from your school to admissions@tc3.edu. We will not accept high school or college transcripts sent from personal email accounts as official. TC3 does not accept faxed copies of transcripts or pictures/personal scanned copies. All transcripts must be sent in an official format to be considered.

Please note: If your transcript is mailed to you or picked up from your school in a sealed envelope, do not open it. ¿ì²¥ÊÓƵing it will change the status of the transcript to unofficial. Additionally, a high school transcript is considered official and final only when it includes your graduation date and is signed by a school official such as a counselor.

Non-high school graduates must pass the GED or another New York State Education Department-approved high school equivalency exam, or the equivalent exam approved by the education department of their resident state if not a New York resident. Alternatively, you may apply as a non-matriculated student to the 24-credit hour program. However, with this option, you will not be eligible for financial aid and must cover all expenses independently. After ¿ì²¥ÊÓƵfully completing 24 college credits in designated areas of study, you may obtain a New York State High School Equivalency Diploma after you apply and pay a small fee. Once the diploma is granted, you may re-apply as a matriculated student to become eligible for financial aid.

If you are home-schooled, you may apply for admission to the College once you have reached compulsory age (the school year during which you turn 16 has ended). You must submit a letter of substantial equivalency from your home district's Superintendent of Schools (or comparable chief school administrator) confirming the completion of an individualized home instruction plan (IHIP) that meets the requirements of Section 100.10 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education . If you are unable to obtain this documentation, you must follow the admission requirements for non-high school graduates.

If you have attended a non-registered high school in New York State, you must submit a letter of substantial equivalency from your home district's Superintendent of Schools (or comparable chief school administrator) verifying that your program was substantially equivalent to a four-year high school program. If you cannot obtain this letter, you must follow the admission requirements for non-high school graduates.

According to the New York State Education Department, if you have completed a non-New York State high school program through correspondence study, the correspondence school must be recognized, authorized, or approved by the state educational entity where the school is located. Additionally, the student must have been a resident of that state while in correspondence school. Recognized entities include the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, the New England Association of Colleges and Schools, the North Central Association of Schools and Colleges, the Northwest Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

Residents of New York State may not use a correspondence study high school program to meet the secondary education requirements in New York. If you are a New York resident, you must follow the requirements for admission of non-high school graduates (above).

If you are seeking to earn a degree and have already earned a degree from a regionally accredited college or university, or from any institution in New York State authorized by the Board of Regents, you may use your prior degree as verification of high school graduation (or equivalent). In this case, an official transcript from the previous institution will be accepted as documentation of high school equivalency.

Deadline for Fall: July 15
¿ì²¥ÊÓƵ Cortland will consider an application for your admission, however, the College reserves the right to admit or deny any application. After applying, you will be required to submit a detailed summary of the violations, a personal statement, and a letter of recommendation. Certain situations require additional information and, in most cases, a meeting with a review committee.