ENROLLMENT VERIFICATION
Our institution has authorized the National Student Clearinghouse to act as our agent for all verifications of student enrollment and degrees/certificates earned at Alvin Community College. Students or third-party agencies must visit the Clearinghouse online at www.studentclearinghouse.org or call the Clearinghouse at 703-742-4200 to obtain this information. You may also fax your request for an enrollment verification to 703-742-4239.
GRADES & TRANSCRIPT REQUESTS
Grade reports are not mailed to students. Students can print unofficial transcripts through WebACCess on-line services.
Students may also request official transcripts to be sent to institutions of higher education and third parties through WebACCess. The processing fee is $5 per transcript request.
Official transcript requests may also be submitted in person at the Enrollment Services Center (ESC) in A-building or by mail with $5 money order attached. If a form must be attached to the official transcript or if your only attendance was prior to Fall 1999, you must submit your request in person or by mail. All transcripts provided directly to the student will be marked "Issued to Student" and may not be accepted as official by other institutions.
Transcript requests will be serviced as long as all obligations to the College have been met. Express transcript service is provided when pre-paid and arranged for by the student. Students must contact the express service for rates and procedures.
GRADUATION INFORMATION & APPLICATION
Upon completion of degree and/or certificate requirements, the student must apply for graduation in order for the credential to be awarded. This process requires the student to request a Program Evaluation (degree audit) and complete a Graduation Application.
The 2011-2012 deadlines to apply are as follows:
Fall 2011 October 14, 2011
Spring 2012 March 1, 2012
Summer 2012 June 11, 2012
Step 1. Program Evaluation:
The student first obtains a Program Evaluation (degree audit) from WebACCess or the Advising Office for each degree or certificate. All course requirements must be completed prior to the degree or certificate award date. Students not currently enrolled who complete final graduation requirements at another regionally accredited college or university and provide an official transcript may also apply for a degree or certificate.
Step 2. Payment:
The student completes the Graduation Application and pays the appropriate fee at the Cashiers Office in A-Bldg.
Step 3. Graduation Application:
Submit the Graduation Application and paid receipt to the Enrollment Services Center (ESC) in A-building by the deadline specified above OR payment by mail – Alvin Community College, 3110 Mustang Rd., Alvin, TX 77511. If paying by check, make check payable to Alvin Community College. If paying by credit/debit card, include card number, expiration date, and security code number.
Step 4. Diplomas:
Following the end of term posting of grades, the Registrar's Office verifies that all requirements in progress have been completed and prepares the diplomas. Diplomas will be mailed to the graduate about four weeks following the posting of final grades for the term. December graduates' diplomas will be mailed about six weeks following the posting of final grades for the Fall term.
Replacement Diplomas: A student may apply for a Replacement Diploma ($45.00) either in person at ESC-A100; by mail – Alvin Community College, 3110 Mustang Rd., Alvin, TX 77511. If paying by check, make check payable to Alvin Community College. If paying by credit/debit card, include card number, expiration date, and security code number.
HAZLEWOOD BENEFITS
The Hazlewood Exemption provides exemption of payment for tuition and certain fees to honorably discharged or separated Texas veterans and to eligible dependent children and spouses of Texas veterans. The new "Hazlewood Legacy Act" removes certain residency restrictions, extends eligibility to spouses, and permits eligible veterans to assign their unused hours to their children. Veterans must meet the following requirements:
-Must show DD-214
-Must confirm entrance (home of record or place of entry) from the State of Texas
-Letter of ineligibility for the Montgomery G.I. Bill from the Department of Veterans Affairs, if discharge was post 9/11
-Receipt of an honorable or under honorable conditions discharge
-Must have served at least 180 days of active duty (excluding basic training time)
-Resident of Texas for a minimum of 12 months prior to college registration
-Not be in default for any educational student loan
-A statement of Hazlewood hours for all colleges or universities attended after September 1995 and prior to ACC enrollment, if the student transferred to ACC must also be submitted.
First time Hazlewood applications will be accepted through the payment deadline of the term. Applications after that date will be processed for the subsequent semester. Students who have used their Hazlewood benefits previously at ACC may apply through late registration. The Registrar’s Office will process the application for benefits and contact the student directly by mail. For additional information and applications for the Hazlewood Benefits Act, please visit the College for Texans website.
RESIDENCY STATUS & RECLASSIFICATION
Residency rules are established by the State Legislature and governed by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Alvin Community College is obligated to the State of Texas and the citizens of the ACC District to uphold all rules and requirements of residency for tuition purposes.
When students are admitted, they are informed of their residence classification based on information on their application and supporting documentation. Tuition and fees at registration are based on this classification. If a student's residence changes after admission, the student must submit a Residence Reclassification form to the Enrollment Services Center (ESC) in A-building. District reclassification will be processed by the ESC, but the Registrar’s Office will process State reclassification and contact the student directly. Please be aware that as part of this process you may be asked to provide numerous pieces of documentation that you may consider to be of a personal nature. Failure to provide the requested documents may result in the rejection of your petition. Petitions must be submitted by the census date of any given term in order for changes to apply to that term. Petitions received after the census date will apply to the next regular term.
FERPA (Family Education Rights & Privacy Act) & STUDENT RECORDS
The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, commonly known as FERPA, provides that all records pertaining to a student that are maintained by the college must be open for inspection by the student and may not be made available to any other person without the written authorization of the student.
The following items of directory information may be released without the written consent of the student: name, address, telephone number, date of birth, major, awards and degrees, email address, participation in sports and activities, weight and height of athletic team members, dates of attendance and most recent educational institution attended. Upon request, the college may disclose directory information to any person without the written consent of the student. Therefore, the student is responsible for notifying the College by the 12th class day of every fall/spring semester and by the 4th class day of the summer sessions if any of the information listed above is not to be released by completing the FERPA Non-Release Form in person at the Enrollment Services Center (ESC) in A-building. Students also have the right to allow a third-party to view their student record information by completing the FERPA Limited Release Form in person at the ESC. The student's valid picture identification will be requested when submitting either forms. Information will only be given to the third-party in person upon verification of identify. Information will NOT be given over the phone.
Students have the right under FERPA to inspect and review their education records within 45 days of the day the institution received a request for access. Students should submit to the Registrar, a written request that identifies the record(s) they wish to inspect. The Registrar will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the record(s) may be inspected. Records not maintained by the Registrar's Office will also be made available.
Students may ask the college to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. They should contact the Registrar, identify the part of the records to be changed and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading. If the college decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, the college will notify the student of the decision and advise the student of the right to a hearing regarding the request of the amendment.
Students have the right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the college to comply with the requirements of FERPA.
STUDENT DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION CHANGES
At the time of application to Alvin Community College, the student's name, address, phone number, email, residential and mailing address, emergency contact and social security number are taken from the application exactly as written. This information will remain the same unless a Student Data Change Request is submitted by the student to the Enrollment Services Center (ESC) in A-building or the student completes the online form on WebACCess. The following changes, however, require verification and documentation to be submitted by the student at the ESC:
1. A name change requires proper verification of the former and new name in the form of one of the following:
-Marriage Certificate
-Divorce Decree
-Legal Court Document
-Birth Certificate
A current ID is needed for identification.
2. A social security number change requires proper verification in the form of a social security card.
3. An address change affecting district residency requires proper verification in the form of one of the following:
-Driver's License
-Lease Agreement
4. An address change effecting state residency requires proper verification as determined by state legislation. Contact the ESC/Call Center at 281-756-3531 for more information.
5. A date of birth change requires proper verification in the form of a birth certificate or driver's license.
WITHDRAWING FROM CLASSES
- Students are encouraged to speak with the course instructor prior to making a withdrawal decision.
- Withdraws made prior to the term census date are not counted as an enrolled class and do not count in the six drop limit. Refunds will be issued according to the schedule which is printed in the Course Schedule Bulletin, ACC Handbook or the College Catalog.
- Withdraws requested after the term census date and through the withdrawal deadline, will receive a grade of W.
- Students are limited to six course withdrawals during their college experience while attending any Texas public institution. Exceptions to this ruling are printed in the Schedule Bulletin, Student Handbook and College CatalogWithdrawals cannot be faxed or processed online through WebACCess after late registration has ended.
- Students who reduce their semester hours may jeopardize their insurance coverage, financial aid, veteran's benefits, or enrollment in other courses.
- Students receiving Financial Aid who withdraw from all classes may be subject to repayment of funds received.
Withdrawal Options: Provide the course number (Engl 1301), section (01), student ID or SSN, and date of birth
- Email - Withdraw@alvincollege.edu
Email withdrawals are accepted when sent from the official email address on file with the college. This may be verified from Profile Information on WebACCess. A confirmation of the withdrawal will be sent.
- Mail to: Alvin Community College Enrollment Services Center, 3110 Mustang Road, Alvin, TX 77511
- In person at the Enrollment Services Center – A100
Tuition Installment Plan Students
Students participating in the Tuition Installment Plan will have any eligible refund applied to the last payment. Withdrawals after the refund period do not cancel the remaining balance owed on the plan. The balance must be paid in full before an official transcript will be issued or before subsequent registrations.
Financial Aid Students
If you are receiving Financial Aid and drop your classes, you may be required to repay part of your Financial Aid. Federal law governs the refunds of Financial Aid by students who withdraw from their courses. Students who withdraw from college within the first 60% of the semester will be required to repay a portion of their grant.
Active Military Withdrawal
Any student who is called into active military service may request through the Dean of Students one of the following:
1. Institutional refund of the tuition and fees paid for the semester of the withdrawal.
2. Receive an incomplete grade in all courses by designating"with drawn- military" on the student's transcript.
3. As determined by the instructor, receive an appropriate final grade or credit if the student has satisfactorily completed a substantial amount of course work and has demonstrated sufficient mastery of the course material.
4. There will be no penalty assessed to students receiving any form of financial aid.
Class Cancellation - If the college cancels a scheduled course, a 100% refund will be granted.
Withdrawal dates for the 2011-2012 academic year:
Fall 2011 (16-wks) Nov. 14
Fall 2011 Mini 1 (8-wks) Sept. 26
Fall 2011 Mini 2 (8-wks) Nov. 14
Fall 2011 Mini 3 (8-wks) Jan. 9
Spring 2012 (16-wks) Apr. 23
Spring 2012 Mini 1 (8-wks) Feb. 20
Spring 2012 Mini 2 (8-wks) Apr. 18
Spring 2012 Mini 3 (3-wks) May 29
Summer 1 2012 (5-wks) June 25
Summer 2012 (11-wks) July 30
Summer 2 2012 (5-wks) July 30
Not attending class or notifying the instructor does not constitute an authorized withdrawal. Students who fail to officially withdraw from a course with the ESC are at risk of receiving an F in the course.
Important Notice - New Law Places Limits on the Number of Course Withdrawals
First time freshmen in the fall of 2007 or later who enroll in a Texas public institution of higher education will be effected by a new law which limits to six the total number of drops allowed. Students may not drop more than six courses regardless of how many institutions attended, how many courses enrolled in or how many years attended. Drops beyond the maximum of six will be allowed for students who “can show good cause for dropping more,” including severe illness, active duty military service, or work obligations beyond the student’s control.
Any course that the student drops is counted toward the six-course limit if “W”(withdrawal) grade (1) the student was able to drop the course without receiving a grade or incurring an academic penalty (F in the course); (2) the student’s transcript indicates or will indicate that the student was enrolled in the course past the deadline to add and drop prior to the census date; and (3) the student is not dropping the course in order to withdraw from the institution. Withdrawals from developmental education courses are not counted toward the six-course limit.
The statute applies across institutions and procedures for implementation may vary between institutions.
