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CRITERIA FOR ADMISSION To enhance the success of its graduates and to ensure that only qualified applicants are accepted, the following factors are carefully considered prior to acceptance: 1.PRIOR EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND Students must be at least 18 years of age or have earned a valid High School Diploma or GED equivalent for admissions. Students must provide written proof of graduation. Documented proof of high school graduation or its equivalent must include a copy of a high school diploma or a GED, a high school transcript, and/or written certification by a cognizant authority for home -schooled students. A student attestation of high school graduation, which identifies the name of the secondary school, location, and date of graduation,may be provided as proof of high school graduation only on a limited, exceptional basis, if permitted by regulatory agencies, such as when the student's high school closed or a foreign high school transcript is unavailable from a foreign country at war, in a declared state of emergency, or other extreme circumstances that prevent access to transcripts. In such an event, the student's file must include: (1) documented evidence that the institution made all reasonable efforts to obtain documented proof of high school graduation and (2) written documentation to substantiate the extraordinary circumstances that warranted the use of a student attestation of high school graduation. Foreign high school diplomas and post -secondary degrees may require an official United States equivalency evaluation. The institution's student affairs department evaluates the validity of a student's high school completion if the institution has reason to believe that the high school diploma is not valid or was not obtained from a legitimate entity that provides secondary school education. Other acceptable equivalency documentation includes a certificate or other official completion documentation demonstrating that the student has passed a state -authorized examination (such as the Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC) the High School Equivalency Test (HiSET), or, in California, the California High School Proficiency Exam) that the state recognizes as the equivalent of a high school diploma (certificates of attendance and/or completion are not included in this qualifying category); an earned associate's degree from an accredited post -secondary institution, successful completion of at least 60 semester or trimester credit hours or 72 quarter credit hours that does not result in the awarding of an associate's degree, but that is acceptable for full credit toward a bachelor's degree at any institution; or enrollment in a bachelor's degree program where at least 60 semester or trimester credit hours or 72 quarter credit hours have been successfully completed, including credit hours transferred into the bachelor's degree program. Ability to Benefit (ATB) Applicants Abilityto benefit is defined as sufficient aptitude to benefitfrom post -secondary education without a high school diploma or equivalent. No enrollment agreement may be signed prior to the applicant's demonstration of the aptitude to successfully completethe program to which he or she is applying (e.g. obtaining a passing score on the ability -to -benefit test or completing high school/GED equivalency). Ability to Benefit students who previously attended an accredited postsecondary educational institution must meet admissions guidelines as required under the U.S. Department of Education. Institutions that participate in the Federal Title IV programs must adhere to all policies and guidelines of the U.S. Department of Education, including the ineligibility of new ability -to -benefit students to participate in Title IV federal financial aid programs after July 1, 2012, except as permitted by regulation. InterCoast will refer students without completion of high school or GED equivalency to independently operated GED training programs or to GED programs conducted by InterCoast provided that: (1) the final GED testing is conducted by independent organizations and (2) any tuition charged for the GED training is consistently applied to all students. Candidates who do not possess a high school diploma or equivalent shall also be considered for admission to programs that do not require proof of graduation for employment, provided that they take and pass a two-part, independently administered, nationally standardized test recognized and approved by the United States Department of Education that measures verbal and quantitative skills. Effective 7/1/2012, only ATB students who were previously enrolled in a Title IV program and were eligible foraid under the old ATB provisions retain their eligibility. Individuals admitted as ability -to benefit students may receive GED testing locations and will be encouraged to obtain this certificate before graduating from InterCoast Colleges. ATB students are not accepted in the following programs: Associate's and Bachelor's Degrees, Cyber Security, Pharmacy Technician, Alcohol & Drug Counseling Studies, and Dental Assistant. Eligible Career Pathways Program InterCoast Colleges School Catalog 8 1 Page