As a member of the North Carolina Community College System, Western Piedmont operates under an “open door” admission policy. The College serves all students who can benefit from further formal education regardless of race, religion, association, sex, age, disability, or ethnic origin. Students must be either high school graduates or at least 18 years of age. Legal residents of the United States under 18 years of age may also be admitted if they possess a high school equivalency or adult high school diploma. Admissions requirements for an emancipated minor will be considered the same as for an applicant 18 years old or older.
High school students may be admitted under concurrent enrollment guidelines outlined in Career & College Promise.
Admission to the college does not guarantee admission to limited enrollment programs; further information is published within those relevant program descriptions.
Students under suspension or expulsion at another institution of higher education are not automatically admitted and may appeal for admission to WPCC through the Dean of Student Services.
Application Procedures for Curriculum Programs
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High School
Curriculum students entering all associate degree programs, diploma and some certificate programs, are required to be diploma graduates of a valid high school or High School Equivalency Diploma Program, home schools approved by the NC Division of Non-Public Education, or valid American schools abroad. Official transcripts including graduation information are required.
Foreign students must have graduated from a secondary school that is equivalent to secondary schools in the United States; otherwise, they must complete a valid High School Equivalency exam or high school program. Only the English version of the High School Equivalency exam will satisfy proof of high school graduation equivalency.
Post-secondary
Students using credit from another institution for course or program eligibility must provide official transcripts to Western Piedmont from the institution which originally granted the credit (see Transfer Student).
Official transcripts may also be required for Financial Aid purposes.
It is the student's responsibility to obtain official transcripts from the origination institutions and have them sent to Western Piedmont Community College.
Application
The online application for admission can be found on the college's website and through CFNC.org. Students uncertain about their chosen program of study are encouraged to visit CFNC.org: go to Plan > Plan For A Career > Learn About Yourself. Explore the career assessments there to help find your career match.
Residency
Under North Carolina law, persons must qualify as NC state residents to be eligible for a tuition rate lower than that for nonresidents. Students applying for admission, transfer, or readmission to any N.C. community college or university must have their residency determined using the Residency Determination Service (RDS) application. Upon completion, students will be issued a Residency Certification Number (RCN) which will be utilized at all colleges in NC.
Most students will only be required to complete the Initial Consideration process. The Reconsideration and Appeal processes are for those students who experience a change in circumstances (Reconsideration) or who have not had a change in status and believe their residency classification is incorrect (Appeal). It is a student’s responsibility to notify the WPCC Student Records office of any changes in residency status.
Refer to the North Carolina Residency Determination Service website for more information.
Placement
Students seeking a degree, diploma, or certificate may be required to meet minimum English and math competencies for certain courses and/or programs. Western Piedmont Community College uses multiple methods for placement to determine whether students need additional preparation before attempting college-level math and English courses as well as some courses in other disciplines. Please go to
Placement Testing for more information.
Non-Degree Seeking/Visiting Students
A non-degree seeking/visiting student is defined as one who is enrolled in curriculum credit courses but who is not working toward a degree or diploma. Non-degree seeking/visiting students must complete Residency Determination and apply online. These students will be allowed to register for courses upon providing official documentation that prerequisite course requirements have been met.
Non-degree seeking/visiting students are required to submit proof of high school graduation and meet placement criteria if they desire to be reclassified as regular students. Non-degree seeking/visiting students pay the same tuition and fees as regular students.
Transfer Students
Amended: 06-07-2022
A transfer student is a student entering Western Piedmont Community College who has earned credit at another institution. In addition to meeting the admissions requirements of curriculum students, transfer students using credit from another institution for course eligibility must provide official transcripts to Western Piedmont from the institution which originally granted the credit. Only courses with a "C" or better from a regionally accredited institution will be considered. Questions regarding English and Math placement, exemptions or requirements for courses and programs should be directed to the Director of Career and Testing Services. To receive consideration for an exemption, a student must submit an official copy of their previous college transcript.
Only courses applicable to a student's program of study will be considered for transfer credit. Transfer credit will not be allowed for courses in which the student has received a grade for credit by examination. In no case shall the combined total of any transfer credit hours, credits by examination, credit for external examinations or course substitutions represent more than one-half of the specified number of hours required for the degree or diploma toward which the student is applying those credits. A grade point average for graduation, honors, and continuing enrollment is computed only for courses taken at Western Piedmont Community College.
For more information, see Policy 05.01.020.
Career and College Promise Program (CCP)
Western Piedmont Community College offers opportunities for eligible high school students to enroll in specific pathways leading to a certificate, diploma, or college degree as well as provide entry level job skills. Tuition for courses in approved pathways will be waived; however, the student may be responsible for student fees as well as the cost of books. Interested students should contact their WPCC Career Coaches, high school counselors or the CCP Coordinator at (828) 448-3177.
Deferred Action Childhood Arrival (DACA) and Undocumented Students
Current NCCCS policy allows DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) applicants to enroll in WPCC at the out-of-state tuition cost. However, acceptance to the college does not guarantee acceptance to a specific program. Undocumented (those having no legal documentation regarding U.S. citizenship status) and DACA students do not qualify for federal or state financial aid.
Undocumented students are not eligible for consideration to Allied Health/Nursing programs. According to North Carolina and Federal law, undocumented students are not eligible for North Carolina professional licensure.
This information is subject to change without notice based upon federal and state regulations.
International Students
Amended: 6/7/2022
The College does not issue the I-20 form necessary for international students with F-1 visas.
Students who are not U.S. Citizens but have secured a lawful resident status from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services may apply. The student must also meet all eligibility requirements for his/her requested program of study.
Readmission
Students who have a non-enrollment period of two consecutive semesters are required to complete a new admission application and possibly update their residency status through the North Carolina Residency Determination Service located at www.wpcc.edu > Apply > Steps for Returning Students. Students should be aware that some programs have specific requirements for readmission and some programs limit the number of times students can be readmitted. For more information regarding these programs, please contact the Director of Enrollment Management.
Students who were suspended due to academic deficiencies may seek readmission after one calendar year. Any student who was suspended due to a violation of the Student Code of Conduct must meet the terms of his/her suspension to be considered for readmission.
Former students will not be readmitted until all financial obligations to any program or activity under the administrative jurisdiction of the College have been satisfied.