VCCS Guaranteed Admission Agreement

Guaranteed Admission Agreement between William & Mary and The Virginia Community College System

Consistent with its institutional mission as a highly selective public institution of higher education, the College of William and Mary (W&M) enters into this guaranteed admissions agreement (GAA) with the colleges of the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) to achieve the goal of increasing access for community college students. This agreement supersedes all previous guaranteed admission agreements between W&M and the VCCS.

Section I: Definitions

“GAA Student” refers to a student who signed and submitted a Letter of Intent to complete a transfer degree from a VCCS College and transfer to William & Mary, and who meets the requirements of this agreement.
“Transfer-oriented associate degrees” are those VCCS Associate of Arts (AA), Associate of Science (AS), and Associate of Arts & Sciences (AA&S) degrees identified by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) as university-parallel transfer degrees.
Only those AS in General Studies degrees identified by SCHEV as transfer degrees qualify for this W&M GAA.
“Transferable credits” refers to credits taken at a VCCS institution following completion of high school and identified on the “Course Equivalents” document on W&M’s Admission website (www.wm.edu/admission/transfer). If a course is not listed within the Course Equivalents document, W&M will review the course syllabus and determine the transferability of course credits.

Section II: GAA Admission Requirements

Students at VCCS institutions will be guaranteed admission as degree candidates to W&M under this GAA if they meet all of the following conditions:

They received or will receive a transfer-oriented associate degree from a VCCS institution within one year of their intended enrollment at W&M.
They graduated from high school or hold a GED and have not previously matriculated at W&M as a degree-seeking student.
They signed and submitted a Letter of Intent to Transfer to W&M upon the completion of a minimum of 15 credit hours of post-high school coursework with a minimum 3.4 GPA at a VCCS institution (not via transfer credit) and by February 1 for Fall matriculation, and by September 1 for Spring matriculation. Please note that a 3.4 GPA is required at the time of application and when the associate degree is earned. When a student has attended multiple VCCS institutions, all VCCS grades will be considered.
After submission of the Letter of Intent, they remained continuously enrolled at their VCCS institution in all semesters not including summer until receipt of the associate degree.
They earned a minimum of 45 credit hours of the total required for the transfer-oriented associate degree at a VCCS institution (not via transfer credit) following graduation from high school.
- Thus, students graduating with their associate’s degree concurrent with high school graduation are not eligible for admission under the terms of this agreement. Such students must apply to W&M as a freshman and credits will be evaluated on a course-by-course basis if admitted.
They requested that advanced standing and transfer credit be evaluated based on W&M policy in effect at the time of matriculation.
They achieved a curricular grade point average for the transfer-oriented associate degree of not less than 3.4 (on a 4.0 scale) at a VCCS institution. The GPA at the time of application and graduation is considered for eligibility.
They earned a grade of “B” or better in a 200-level English course approved for transfer by W&M.
They earned a grade of “B” or better in VCCS equivalent courses that satisfy College Curriculum (COLL) Domain and Proficiency Requirements at W&M:

MATH: Mathematics Proficiency (1 course)
ALV: Arts, Letters, Values (2 courses, at least 3 credits each)
CSI: Culture, Societies, Individuals (2 courses, at least 3 credits each)
NQR: Natural and Quantitative Reasoning (2 courses, at least 3 credits each)
ARTS: Creative and Performing Arts (1 course, at least 3 credits)

Students are bound by the requirements in place at the time they submitted the Letter of Intent. Additional W&M general education requirements are specified in Section IV of this agreement.
They submitted a Common App for Transfer for admission and all official transcripts by March 1 for fall matriculation or October 1 for spring matriculation, in accordance with W&M’s transfer application procedures.
They matriculated at W&M in the semester designated in their Letter of Intent. Students may request deferred matriculation for a period of up to one year following receipt of the associate degree but will be subject to the limits of the university’s capacity to register new transfer students in their desired term of enrollment.
If a non-US citizen/permanent resident and English is not the native language, and if your schooling during the past four years or more has been in a language other than English, the university strongly recommends you to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), DuoLingo, or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic Test. Generally, William & Mary is looking for a minimum score of 100 on the TOEFL exam, and an overall bad score of 7 on the IELTS Academic Test.

The following Admission-related policies apply:

The application fee for admission will be waived.
Eligibility for admission under the terms of this agreement is contingent upon meeting high standards of personal conduct. Conviction of a felony or other evidence of behavior inconsistent with the community standards and Honor Code of W&M may be grounds for denying admission or rescinding an offer of admission even if other requirements of this GAA are met.
W&M students are required to enroll full-time (at least 12 credits per semester, fall and spring). A limited number of students may be admitted with Flexible Degree Track (part-time) status if they live in the Williamsburg area and can show a compelling reason why full-time status is not feasible. Students seeking such status must attach a letter to their application explaining why they wish to be part-time. Flexible Degree Track admission is not guaranteed under this agreement.
Admission to W&M under the terms of this agreement does not imply admission to degree programs in the School of Business Administration or the School of Education. Students intending to enroll in these programs are encouraged to discuss prerequisites and other requirements well in advance of admission. Students admitted to W&M under the terms of this agreement will be given the same consideration as native students in admission to these programs.
Students who do not meet the minimum standards outlined in this agreement may seek admission to W&M through the normal transfer application procedures.

Section III: Tuition and Financial Aid

Students admitted as degree candidates to W&M under the provisions of this agreement will pay tuition to W&M. Students seeking Virginia In-State Tuition privileges apply for them when they apply for admission to W&M. Transfer students should follow Office of Financial Aid deadlines for submitting the FAFSA and CSS profile. The Office of Financial Aid considers transfer students in the same category as returning students who are first-time aid recipients at W&M.

Section IV: Academic Requirements after Admission to the College of William & Mary

Academic Credit:
Students admitted to W&M under the provisions of this GAA will be granted junior standing, defined as a minimum of 54 credit hours of coursework toward the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree.

The VCCS transcript will be reviewed on a course-by-course basis, and specific credit will be granted for courses identified on the VCCS Course Equivalents document on W&M’s Admission website as equivalent to those at W&M, provided that the student earned a grade of “C” (2.0) or higher. When necessary to reach junior standing, additional elective credits will be granted.

Credits applied toward the associate’s degree but not earned at the VCCS institution will be reviewed in accordance with W&M academic policy as outlined in the Undergraduate Catalog. This review will be based on original, official transcripts or score reports sent directly to W&M. Other types of credit, such as military training, ACE recommendations, Advanced Placement (AP), and CLEP, will be assessed in accordance with W&M policy at the time of student matriculation.

Although there is no maximum number of credits that may be accepted in transfer, all students must earn at least 60 credits in residence at W&M in order to receive a W&M degree.

General Degree Requirements

Students admitted under the provisions of this GAA are considered to have completed lower-division general education and proficiency requirements at W&M with the following exceptions:

Foreign Language Proficiency (202-level) and Arts proficiency (2 credits of coursework carrying the ARTS proficiency attribute)
COLL 150 – all students must take COLL 150 – First Year Seminar in residence at W&M (4 credits)
COLL 200 – 3 credits of coursework carrying the COLL 200 designation must be earned in residence at W&M post-matriculation (9 credits waived).
- Please reference our COLL Curriculum Rules and Requirements for Incoming Transfer Students

The foreign language and arts proficiency requirements may be fulfilled prior to matriculation, in accordance with the W&M Undergraduate Catalog.

Note that the College Curriculum also includes two upper-division requirements, COLL 300 (In the World) and COLL 400 (Capstone). In rare cases, pre-matriculation transfer credit may be granted for COLL 300, but COLL 400 must be taken in residence at W&M by all students.

Students must abide by all other provisions and regulations set forth in the Undergraduate Course Catalog at the time they complete their Letter of Intent.

Major Requirements
Students admitted under the terms of this GAA must declare a major with the Office of the University Registrar by the end of their first semester of full-time study. Students are bound by the major requirements in place at the time they declare their major.

The School of Business Administration and the School of Education have their own application process, so students should contact those schools directly for more information.

VCCS courses may be used to fulfill major requirements, if they have W&M equivalents as designated on the “VCCS Course Equivalents” document on W&M’s Admission website. Courses awarded academic credit but designated as “electives” may not be used to satisfy major requirements.

Section V: Responsibilities of the Virginia Community College System

The VCCS will:

Disseminate accurate information to VCCS transfer program students regarding the general conditions of this agreement.
Provide academic advising services to assist VCCS students in choosing courses that will best prepare them for their intended major at W&M. VCCS will prepare faculty advisors and counselors to provide appropriate and accurate advising services related to students’ plans to apply to W&M.
Notify the appropriate individual at W&M when situations arise that warrant VCCS faculty and W&M faculty interaction to address advising or curricular issues.
Provide W&M with a summary of research findings and actions taken based on data supplied by W&M on transfer student performance.
Review this agreement with W&M officials every three years and make adjustments or amendments as deemed appropriate to maintain the integrity of each institution as well as for the improvement of the transfer process and student articulation. Such changes will not adversely affect students already enrolled and covered under the provisions of the existing agreement.
Provide as an addendum to this agreement the names of those who will be responsible for all aspects of the articulation program at VCCS. Representing VCCS will be the VCCS Vice Chancellor for Academic Services and Research and the VCCS Director of Educational Programs and Policy.

Section VI: Responsibilities of the College of William and Mary

W&M will:

Provide VCCS with course equivalent information regarding VCCS courses and W&M equivalent courses. An annual review will be conducted to ensure that this information is shared with the Virginia Community College System on a timely basis.
Disseminate accurate information to prospective transfer students regarding the general conditions of this articulation agreement.
Provide academic advising services to students during the term prior to transfer to assist them in making a smooth transition from the VCCS to W&M.
Notify the appropriate VCCS individual when situations arise that warrant VCCS faculty and W&M faculty interaction to address advising or curricular issues.
Collaborate with VCCS to promote the articulation agreement among prospective and current VCCS students.
Provide tracking data on the performance of GAA students at W&M, including credits presented and accepted in transfer, W&M courses attempted and completed, cumulative GPA, major, graduation date from W&M, and comparisons with native students. The specific data elements and the timing of the report will be determined by Institutional Research staff from VCCS and W&M and provided by July 1 of each year.
Review this agreement with VCCS officials every three years and make adjustments or amendments as deemed appropriate to maintain the integrity of each institution, as well as for the improvement of the transfer process and student articulation. Such changes will not adversely affect students already enrolled and covered under the provisions of the existing agreement.
Provide as an addendum to this agreement the names of those who will be responsible for all aspects of the articulation program at W&M. Representing W&M will be the Dean of Undergraduate Studies in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

Section VII: Effective Date

This agreement will be reviewed every three years but will remain in effect until terminated by either party upon written notice to the other party. Such notice should be given at least sixty days in advance of the anniversary date of signing. Students who entered under the agreement may take advantage of its terms for two years after the termination becomes effective. The “Course Equivalents” document on W&M’s Admission website (www.wm.edu/admission/transfer), which also addresses general education requirements at W&M, will be updated as the W&M curriculum is changed and upon addition or deletion of courses in the VCCS Master Course File, without executing a new GAA.