Admissions Policies

Planning Suggestions for High School Students

High school students are encouraged to take the ACT (act.org; school code 4327) or SAT (collegeboard.com; school code 3776) in the Spring of their junior year and apply early in their senior year. In January of the high school senior year, it is recommended that students file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form (fafsa.ed.gov; school code 042740). Receipt of financial aid is dependent on acceptance for admission. Grants are generally awarded by March each year for the Fall and by October for the Spring. These grants are dependent on the FAFSA score and filing date.  

High School Graduation

Applicants for degree programs must have graduated from high school or have an equivalent General Education Certificate (GED) offered by the State Department of Education. Southeastern recognizes some students graduate from a homeschool or nontraditional high school program. These students must submit a transcript of completed coursework to be evaluated on an individual basis by the Admission Officers. If this requirement is not met, a student may be allowed to enroll as a Special Student upon approval from the Administration.

Academic Entrance Requirements

All incoming freshmen are encouraged to submit ACT or SAT scores to the Office of the Registrar. Although there is no set minimum score for admission, an applicant’s score must indicate the ability to perform satisfactorily on the college level. Students who either have a high school GPA lower than a 2.00 or have an ACT composite score lower than an 18 will be admitted on academic monitoring. SAT scores will be converted to an ACT-equivalent score. Applicants who do not submit either an ACT or SAT score are subject to being placed on academic monitoring and may be required to pay for and take an administered ACT test on campus once the semester begins.

Character and Testimony

Southeastern Free Will Baptist College is a distinctively Christian college, established for the purpose of training Christians for the service of their Lord.  Therefore, each applicant must submit a written statement affirming a personal faith in Jesus Christ.  Three references are also required, including one from the student’s pastor who can testify to the student’s faith and Christian character. Relatives of the student are disqualified as a person of reference.

Procedures

Submit applications online through the college website.

1. Go to www.sfwbc.edu/apply to begin the application process.
2. There is no longer an application fee to submit.
3. Complete the remainder of the application process by logging into Populi, our student management system.
4. In Populi you will submit the following:

• Academic Information*
• Background Information*
• Emergency Information Statement*
• Pastor Reference Form*
• Spiritual Information*
• Statement of Agreement*
• Current Photo
• Two References

5. Also, submit the following to the college office:

• Immunization Form*
• High School Transcript or GED**
• SAT/ACT Scores***
• Medical Form****

* These must be received by the college office before a student can be accepted as a student and admitted to class. All other items must be submitted in an expedient manner and are required for continued enrollment.

** If this requirement is not met a student may be allowed to enroll as a Special Student.

***Students who either have a high school GPA lower than a 2.00 or have an ACT composite score lower than an 18 will be admitted on academic probation. Applicants who do not submit either an ACT or SAT score are subject to being placed on academic monitoring.

****If a medical form is not received, the student will be required to submit the form before the second semester of enrollment.

Dormitory Students

Dorm students are required to take 9 credit hours.

Residency Requirement

To be in residence academically means to take courses for credit at Southeastern. Note the following requirements:

1)    If a student transfers hours into a major, the student must complete 12 semester hours in the major field at Southeastern. The department chair or program coordinator will determine which of these 12 hours are required.

2)    At least the final 25% of the credit hours of a baccalaureate degree program, or the final 25% of the hours of an associate degree program, must be completed in residence in order to receive a degree from the College. In special situations, a limited number of these credit hours can be earned through transfer as determined by the department chair or program coordinator expressed in writing to the Registrar.

Off-Campus Students

All students are expected to be dormitory students except those students who meet one of the following situations:

• Married Students
• Single students who are at least 23 years old (Exceptions to this criterion may be granted for students who are 22 years old and in their fifth year of college.)
• Single students under 23 years of age who live with their immediate families or legal guardians

Transfer Students

Students wishing to transfer from other colleges must have all transcripts from each college or university sent directly to Southeastern. Only when the official transcript is received will the awarded transfer credit(s) be given. It is expected that transfer students be in good standing with the institution they last attended. The transfer of credits is subject to the following limitations:

1)    Courses from institutions accredited either regionally or nationally by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) may be eligible to receive transferred credit.

2)    The Office of the Registrar will inspect transcripts and award credit where appropriate.

3)    Appeals of transfer credit must be submitted in writing to the Registrar. Upon receipt, the Registrar, the chair of the major department, and the Academic Dean, may award the requested credit.

4)    Courses need to be fundamentally equivalent in content and level to Southeastern’s courses.

5)    No credit will be given for transfer courses in which a grade lower than a “C” was earned.

6)    All students who wish to transfer an English course equivalent to EN 101 or EN 102 must demonstrate competence on an English Proficiency Exam.

7)    Any courses from an unaccredited college must be verified by examination or by probationary residence. The student must complete the first 24 hours of coursework with at least a 2.00 GPA to satisfy the requirements for probationary residence. No more than 30 hours of unaccredited college credit will be allowed to transfer in. Any appeals to this policy must be submitted in writing to the Registrar. Upon receipt, the Registrar, the chair of the major department, and the Academic Dean, may award the requested credit.

8)    Academic credits will not be transferred from a known degree mill as defined by CHEA (CHEA.org).

9)    An enrolled student must acquire approval by the department chair or program coordinator for any course taken at another institution and intended to fulfill the requirements of a degree from Southeastern. For the appropriate forms, students may contact the Office of the Registrar. If no prior permission has been given for the taking of a course at another institution, the course in question may not be allowed to be transferred in for credit.

10)  At least the final 25% of the credit hours of a baccalaureate degree program, or the final 25% of the hours of an associate degree program, must be completed in residence in order to receive a degree from the College. In special situations, a limited number of these credit hours can be earned through transfer as determined by the department chair or program coordinator expressed in writing to the Registrar.

11)  Transfer students in any classification may apply for admission, but it is rare for a student to transfer and compete degree requirements in one year.

Transcript Requests

Graduates and students, who have officially withdrawn and have satisfied all financial obligations with the College can request the Office of the Registrar to issue their official transcripts. Transcript copies are $5 each.

Credit by Examination

High school students may receive up to 15 semester hours of credit through the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) and the Advanced Placement Examination (provided the grade is 3 or better). Interested students should contact their high school principal or the Office of the Registrar for details.

Credit for Life Experience

A limited number of courses are now available through “Credit for Life Experience” which is done in compliance with the guidelines of the Council on Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL). Requirements for completion include a documented portfolio. The granting of such credit hours is predicated upon the matriculation and full enrollment of the student and the completion of residence requirements.

Recruiting Compliance

The Director of Development is responsible for assuring compliance with institutional policies which apply to all employees and agents who do any recruiting activities.

Academic Monitoring

A first-semester freshman who either has a high school GPA lower than a 2.00 or has an ACT composite score lower than an 18 is placed on academic monitoring until midterm of the semester. A student on Academic Monitoring is limited to registering for 14 semester hours or less. Also, the student is required to communicate weekly with an assigned academic advisor. If the student has a GPA equal to or greater than a 1.5 at midterm, the academic monitoring requirement is removed. A student whose GPA at midterm is lower than a 1.5 is placed on Academic Notice.

Complaint Resolution Policy

Formal Complaint Process

Students have an opportunity to present their complaints and to appeal faculty or administrative decisions through a dispute resolution or grievance procedure. SFWBC will attempt to resolve promptly all grievances that are appropriate for handling under this policy.

Policies

• An appropriate grievance is defined as a student’s expressed feeling of dissatisfaction concerning any interpretation or application of a work/study-related policy by management, faculty or other employees.
• Students must notify SFWBC in a timely fashion of any grievance considered appropriate for handling under this policy. The grievance procedure is the exclusive remedy for students with appropriate grievances. As used in this policy, the terms “timely fashion,” “reasonable time” and “promptly” will mean seven days.
• Students will not be penalized for proper use of the grievance procedure. However, it is not considered proper if a student abuses the procedure by raising grievances in bad faith or solely for the purposes of delay or harassment, or by repeatedly raising grievances that a reasonable person would judge to have no merit.

Procedure

1. Promptly bring the grievance to the attention of a faculty member. If the grievance involves a faculty member, then it is permissible to proceed directly to Step 2. The faculty member is to investigate the grievance, attempt to resolve it and give a decision to the student within a reasonable time. The faculty member should prepare a written and dated summary of the grievance and proposed resolution for file purposes.
2. The student may appeal the decision to the Academic Dean, if dissatisfied with the faculty decision, or initiate the procedure with the Academic Dean if the grievance involves a faculty member. If the grievance involves the Academic Dean, then it is permissible to proceed directly to Step 3. An appeal or initial complaint must be made in a timely fashion in writing. The faculty member’s version of the grievance and decision will then be submitted, also in writing. The Academic Dean will, in a timely fashion, confer with the student, the faculty member and any other members of management considered appropriate; investigate the issues, and communicate a decision in writing to all the parties involved.
3. The student may appeal an unsatisfactory Academic Dean decision to the President, or initiate the procedure with the President if the grievance involves the Academic Dean. The timeliness requirement and procedures to be followed are similar to those in Step 2. The President will take the necessary steps to review and investigate the grievance and will then issue a written, final, and binding decision.
4. Final decision on grievances will not be precedent-setting or binding on future grievances unless they are officially stated as SFWBC policy. When appropriate, the decision will be retroactive to the date of the student’s original grievance.
5. Information concerning a student’s grievance is to be held in strict confidence. The office of the Academic Dean will collect, file and report all student complaints. Faculty members, department heads and other members of management who investigate a grievance are to discuss it only with those individuals who have a need to know about it or who are needed to supply necessary background information.

TRACS Student Complaint Process

Students who feel that the administration or faculty are not dealing properly with their complaint may contact Transnational Association of Christian Colleges by mail at TRACS, P.O. Box 328, Forest, VA 24551; by phone at 434-525-9539; or by e-mail at president@tracs.org.

NC Post-Secondary Education Complaint Procedures

If a complaint cannot be resolved through the University’s complaint process, students may file a complaint with the North Carolina Post-Secondary Education Complaints unit. Please review the NC Post-Secondary Education Student Complaint Policy, print and complete the NC Post-Secondary Education Complaint Form, and submit the complaint to:

North Carolina Post-Secondary Education Complaints
c/o Student Complaints
University of North Carolina System Office
910 Raleigh Road
Chapel Hill, NC  27515-2688

Phone: (919) 962-4550
Email: studentcomplaint@northcarolina.edu
Website: North Carolina Post-Secondary Education Complaints 

Complaints Regarding Fraud or False Advertising

To file a complaint with the Consumer Protection Division of the North Carolina Department of Justice, please visit the State Attorney General’s web page at:  http://www.ncdoj.gov/complaint.

North Carolina residents may call (877) 566-7226. Outside of North Carolina, please call (919) 716-6000. En Espanol (919) 716-0058.

If you choose to mail a complaint, please use the following address:

Consumer Protection Division
Attorney General’s Office
Mail Service Center 9001
Raleigh, NC 27699-9001