Special Admissions

Admission to Health Science Programs

In addition to admission requirements for most of the programs at IRSC, the Health Sciences Division requires applicants to meet additional “Selective Admission” conditions. These include submission of a Health Sciences program application, payment of a $30 nonrefundable/non transferable application fee for each program, appropriate academic preparation, and acceptable scores on various aptitude tests. Students who need refresher or remedial help before being accepted into the Health Science programs are referred to the Academic Support Center (ASC), where individualized instruction is available. Program information outlining the selective admission criteria is available from the IRSC website.

High School Transcripts

The College accepts high school credentials in accordance with Florida Statutes and State Board of Education Rules. In alignment with F.S. 1003.428, a valid high school credential will be validated by submission of an official transcript from the awarding school that documents that the student successfully completed a variety of secondary courses over a specified period of dated enrollment such as semester periods, grade levels, or other defined dates that demonstrates student longitudinal engagement and course participation, and for which grades were assigned, successful completion or graduation is noted, and an official seal or signature is attested. The Student Services Review Committee will make the final determination for transcripts that are otherwise inconclusive.

Dual Enrollment

Dual Enrollment is defined as a student simultaneously earning high school credit toward a high school diploma along with college credit toward an Associate Degree or occupational credit toward a technical certificate. For information on additional requirements and opportunities, go to www.irsc.edu and click on Programs & Careers, High School/Dual Enrollment. Types of Dual Enrollment include:

Academic - Students in grades 9-12 may simultaneously earn high school credit toward a high school diploma and college credit toward an Associate or Baccalaureate Degree. Students may be part time or full time. To enroll in academic coursework, students must successfully complete an entry level examination as required by Section 1008.30, Florida Statutes. For the purpose of this agreement, ACT, SAT, and/or FCELPT scores are acceptable.
Career/Technical - Students in grades 9-12 may simultaneously earn elective high school credit toward a high school diploma and career/technical credit toward an Associate Degree or Technical Certificate. Students may be part time or full time in career/technical Dual Enrollment.
Early Admission - Highly qualified high school students may enroll fulltime in college, and simultaneously earn high school credits toward a high school diploma and college credit toward an Associate or Baccalaureate Degree. Students must have completed, prior to Early Admission, a minimum of six semesters of full time secondary enrollment (grades 9-11). Eligibility criteria, as stated in paragraphs #1 and #2 above, also apply to Early Admission.

The following are ineligible to be counted as Dual Enrollment.

Vocational preparatory instruction
College preparatory instruction
Other forms of pre‑college instruction
Physical education and recreational studies that focus on physical execution of skills rather than the intellectual attributes of an activity
Private music lessons

Transient Students

Students attending other colleges or universities who wish to earn credits for transfer to those institutions may be admitted to IRSC as transient students. These students must present an official statement from the institution they have been attending which certifies the credits they earn at IRSC will be accepted as part of their academic program. Transient students are not required to file transcripts of their previous college credits. Upon completion of a class, transient students may submit a transcript request online at www.irsc.edu to have their transcript sent to their home institution. In order for an IRSC transcript to be sent to another institution, a written request must be received by Admissions and Records. The Florida Web site www.FACTS.org contains an electronic version of the Transient Student Form. Check this site to determine if your school participates in the electronic transcript process.

Transfer Coursework

Degree-seeking students must submit official transcripts from all previous postsecondary educational institutions to Admissions and Records during the first six weeks of the term of enrollment. The collegiate coursework must be relevant to the programs offered at IRSC, with course content and level of instruction resulting in student competencies equivalent to those of students enrolled in comparable IRSC courses. Coursework earned from non-regionally accredited institutions will be evaluated on a case by case basis. Upon evaluation, a degree audit will be mailed to the student reflecting courses accepted toward an IRSC degree.

IRSC accepts eligible credits of a grade of “D” or higher in all undergraduate courses. However, a grade of “C” is required for Gordon Rule courses and some prerequisite courses. Please consult an advisor/counselor for further clarification.

All credits attempted at IRSC, along with transfer credits from all other institutions attended, will be used to compute the student’s cumulative grade point average (GPA). Students must complete at least twenty-five percent (25%) of the program requirements for their certificate or degree at IRSC. Only courses with grades of A, B, C, D and S that are part of the degree will satisfy the residency requirement. College preparatory courses may not be used to fulfill the residency requirement. Courses that can be taken multiple times for credit can be used multiple times toward the residency requirement up to the number of times that they can be taken for credit. CLEP, AP, IB, PEP, and competency-validated credit will not be counted toward the residency requirement. Students should consult with their assigned advisor/counselor if they have any questions regarding transfer.

Transfer students with a last term below a 1.5 GPA will be admitted on an academic warning status. Students in this category should refer to the Academic Warning/Probation/Suspension section of this catalog.

International Students (F1 Student Visa)

Foreign students desiring to attend IRSC should request the Foreign Student information packet, which includes the Foreign Student information brochure and Foreign Student application for admission. The student must then submit:

Completed Foreign Student application along with the $30.00 application fee.
Official transcripts of completed high school and postsecondary work, including the dates of attendance, courses taken, and grades received. A notarized English translation must accompany the transcript. Both should be submitted with the application.
Official copy of scores attained on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). A minimum total paper-based score of 500 or a computer-based total of 173 is required of foreign students whose native language is not English.
Documentation of medical insurance covering the periods of enrollment.

Foreign students will receive Form I20 (Immigration Certificate of Acceptance) upon approval of the application.

International Transfer Coursework

Students who have attended a postsecondary educational institution outside the United States must have their foreign academic credentials evaluated by World Education Services, Inc., P.O. Box 745, Old Chelsea Station, New York, NY 10011, or Josef Silney & Associates, Inc., 7101 S.W. 102 Avenue, Miami, FL 33173, or any current NACES member (www.naces.org/members.htm) and provide IRSC Admissions and Records with a course by course evaluation of the official translated transcripts from each institution attended. The student is responsible for evaluation fees and there is no guarantee that any coursework will transfer to IRSC.

Residency

Students shall be classified as residents or nonresidents for the purpose of assessing tuition at Indian River State College. A Florida resident for tuition purposes is a person, or a dependent person whose parent or legal guardian, has established and maintained a legal residence in Florida as a bonafide domicile rather than for the purpose of maintaining a residence incident to enrollment at Indian River State College. Living or attending school in Florida will not, in itself, establish legal residence for tuition purposes.

To qualify as a Florida resident for tuition purposes, the person, and, if the person is a dependent, his/her parent or legal guardian, must be a United States citizen or hold an eligible immigration status as defined by the Florida College System Residency Guidelines on Florida Residency for Tuition Purposes adopted October 27, 2010. All other persons are ineligible for consideration for classification as a Florida resident for tuition purposes.

Classification of residency for tuition purposes is defined by Florida Statute (2010) 1009.21 Determination of resident status for tuition purposes. Students shall be classified as residents or nonresidents for the purpose of assessing tuition in postsecondary educational programs offered by charter technical career centers or career centers operated by school districts, in community colleges and state universities.

As used in this section, the term:
1. “Dependent child” means any person, whether or not living with his or her parent, who is eligible to be claimed by his or her parent as a dependent under the Federal Income Tax Code.
2. “Initial enrollment” means the first day of class at an institution of higher education.
3. “Institution of higher education” means any charter technical career center as defined in s.1002.34, career center operated by a school district as defined in s.1001.44, community college as defined in s.1000.21(3) or state university as defined in s. 1000.21(6).
4. “Legal resident” or “resident” means a person who has maintained his or her residence in this state for the preceding year, has purchased a home which is occupied by him or her as his or her residence, or has established a domicile in this state pursuant to s. 222.17.
5. “Nonresident for tuition purposes” means a person who does not qualify for the in-state tuition rate.
6. “Parent” means the natural or adoptive parent or legal guardian of a dependent child.
7. “Resident for tuition purposes” means a person who qualifies as provided in this section for the in-state tuition rate.
To qualify as a resident for tuition purposes:
1. A person or, if that person is a dependent child, his or her parent or parents must have established legal residence in this state and must have maintained legal residence in this state for at least 12 consecutive months immediately prior to his or her initial enrollment in an institution of higher education.
2. Every applicant for admission to an institution of higher education shall be required to make a statement as to his or her length of residence in the state and, further, shall establish that his or her presence or, if the applicant is a dependent child, the presence of his or her parent or parents in the state currently is, and during the requisite 12month qualifying period was, for the purpose of maintaining a bona fide domicile, rather than for the purpose of maintaining a mere temporary residence or abode incident to enrollment in an institution of higher education.
  1. However, with respect to a dependent child living with an adult relative other than the child’s parent, such child may qualify as a resident for tuition purposes if the adult relative is a legal resident who has maintained legal residence in this state for at least 12 consecutive months immediately prior to the child’s initial enrollment in an institution of higher education, provided the child has resided continuously with such relative for the 5 years immediately prior to the child’s initial enrollment in an institution of higher education, during which time the adult relative has exercised daytoday care, supervision, and control of the child.
  2. The legal residence of a dependent child whose parents are divorced, separated, or otherwise living apart will be deemed to be this state if either parent is a legal resident of this state, regardless of which parent is entitled to claim, and does in fact claim, the minor as a dependent pursuant to federal individual income tax provisions.
An individual shall not be classified as a resident for tuition purposes and, thus, shall not be eligible to receive the instate tuition rate until he or she has provided such evidence related to legal residence and its duration or, if that individual is a dependent child, evidence of his or her parent’s legal residence and its duration, as may be required by law and by officials of the institution of higher education from which he or she seeks the instate tuition rate.
1. Except as otherwise provided in this section, evidence of legal residence and its duration shall include clear and convincing documentation that residency in this state was for a minimum of 12 consecutive months prior to a student’s initial enrollment in an institution of higher education.
2. Each institution of higher education shall affirmatively determine that an applicant who has been granted admission to that institution shall affirmatively determine that an applicant who has been granted admission to that institution as a Florida resident meets the residency requirements of this section at the time of initial enrollment. The residency determination must be documented by the submission of written or electronic verification that includes two or more of the documents identified in this paragraph. No single piece of evidence shall be conclusive. Residency documents are subject to Florida Division of Motor Vehicles of Florida Division of Elections verification.
  1. The documents must include at least one of the following:
    1. A Florida voter’s registration card.
    2. A Florida driver license.
    3. A State of Florida identification card.
    4. A Florida vehicle registration.
    5. Proof of a permanent home in Florida which is occupied as a primary residence by the individual or by the individual’s parent if the individual is a dependent child.
    6. Proof of a homestead exemption in Florida.
    7. Transcripts from a Florida high school for multiple years if the Florida high school diploma or GED was earned within the last 12 months.
    8. Proof of permanent full-time employment in Florida (at least 30 hours per week for a 12-month period.)
  2. The documents may include one of more of the following:
    1. A declaration of domicile in Florida.
    2. A Florida professional or occupational license.
    3. Florida incorporation.
    4. A document evidencing family ties in Florida.
    5. Proof of membership in a Florida-based charitable or professional organization.
    6. Any other documentation that supports the student’s request for resident status, including, but not limited to, utility bills and proof of 12 consecutive months or payments; a lease agreement and proof of 12 consecutive months of payments; or an official state, federal, or court document evidencing legal ties to Florida.
With respect to a dependent child, the legal residence of the dependent child's parent or parents is prima facie evidence of the dependent child's legal residence, which evidence may be reinforced or rebutted, relative to the age and general circumstances of the dependent child, by the other evidence of legal residence required of or presented by the dependent child. However, the legal residence of a dependent child's parent or parents who are domiciled outside this state is not prima facie evidence of the dependent child's legal residence if that dependent child has lived in this state for 5 consecutive years prior to enrolling or reregistering at the institution of higher education at which resident status for tuition purposes is sought.
In making a domiciliary determination related to the classification of a person as a resident or nonresident for tuition purposes, the domicile of a married person, irrespective of sex, shall be determined, as in the case of an unmarried person, by reference to all relevant evidence of domiciliary intent. For the purposes of this section:
1. A person shall not be precluded from establishing or maintaining legal residence in this state and subsequently qualifying or continuing to qualify as a resident for tuition purposes solely by reason of marriage to a person domiciled outside this state, even when that person’s spouse continues to be domiciled outside of this state, provided such person maintains his or her legal residence in this state.
2. A person shall not be deemed to have established or maintained a legal residence in this state and subsequently to have qualified or continued to qualify as a resident for tuition purposes solely by reason of marriage to a person domiciled in this state.
3. In determining the domicile of a married person, irrespective of sex, the fact of the marriage and the place of domicile of such person’s spouse shall be deemed relevant evidence to be considered in ascertaining domiciliary intent.
(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, a person who is classified as a nonresident for tuition purposes may become eligible for reclassification as a resident for tuition purposes if that person or, if that person is a dependent child, his or her parent presents a minimum of three (3) documents identified in Section. 1009.21(3)(c)1. or 1009.21(3)(c)2., F.S., that convincingly demonstrate the establishment of permanent legal residence in Florida other than for the sole purpose of pursuing a postsecondary education. Documentation must demonstrate that the student, or if the student is a dependent, his or her parent, has maintained legal residence in Florida for at least twelve (12) consecutive months prior to his or her request for reclassification. The documentation must include at least one item from Section. 1009.21(3)(c)1., plus 2 additional documents from either Section. 1009.21(3)(c)1. or 1009.21(3)(c)2., F.S.
1. If a person who is a dependent child and his or her parent move to this state while such child is a high school student and the child graduates from a high school in this state, the child may become eligible for reclassification as a resident for tuition purposes when the parent submits evidence that the parent qualifies for permanent residency.
2. If a person who is a dependent child and his or her parent move to this state after such child graduates from high school, the child may become eligible for reclassification as a resident for tuition purposes after the parent submits evidence that he or she has established legal residence in the state and has maintained legal residence in the state for at least 12 consecutive months.
3. A person who is classified as a nonresident for tuition purposes and who marries a legal resident of the state or marries a person who becomes a legal resident of the state may, upon becoming a legal resident of the state, become eligible for reclassification as a resident for tuition purposes upon submitting evidence of his or her own legal residency in the state, evidence of his or her marriage to a person who is a legal resident of the state, and evidence of the spouse’s legal residence in the state for at least 12 consecutive months immediately preceding the application for reclassification.
A person shall not lose his resident status for tuition purposes solely by reason of serving, or, if a dependent child, by reason of his or her parent’s or parents’ serving, in the Armed Forces outside this state.
A person who has been properly classified as a resident for tuition purposes but who, while enrolled in an institution of higher education in this state, loses his or her resident tuition status because the person or, if he or she is a dependent child, the person’s parent or parents establish domicile or legal residence elsewhere shall continue to enjoy the in-state tuition rate for a statutory grace period, which period shall be measured from the date on which the circumstances arose that culminated in the loss or resident tuition status and shall continue for 12 months. However, if the 12-month grace period ends during a semester of academic term for which such former resident is enrolled, such grace period shall be extended to the end of that semester or academic term.
Any person who ceases to be enrolled at or who graduates from an institution of higher education while classified as a resident for tuition purposes and who subsequently abandons his or her domicile in this state shall be permitted to reenroll at an institution of higher education in this state as a resident for tuition purposes without the necessity of meeting the 12-month durational requirement of this section if that person has reestablished his or her domicile in this state within 12 months of such abandonment and continuously maintains the reestablished domicile during the period of enrollment. The benefit of this subsection shall not be accorded more than once to any one person.

Please consult the Admissions and Records Office for additional Florida statute exceptions regarding classification as a resident for tuition purposes.

A student who requests resident status but provides information of documentation that is inconsistent with other areas of his/her application may not meet the eligibility requirements for Florida residency for tuition purposes. In evaluating documentary evidence, there must be an absence of information that contradicts the student's claim of resident status. Possession of a legal tie to any other state (i.e., driver license, vehicle registration) may preclude a student from being classified as a Florida resident for tuition purposes.

A student who is otherwise unable to qualify for in-state classification by the guidelines set herein, may submit a petition to the Residency Appeals Committee in the Office of Admissions and Records. The student must include documentation evidencing the grounds on which the appeal for in-state classification is based. Petition forms are available at any campus. The Residency Appeals Committee will render a final residency determination in writing that includes the reason for the determination.

After a period of 24 months of non-enrollment, students will be required to apply for readmittance to the college and resubmit documentation for classification as a resident for tuition purposes.

An applicant should be aware that a false statement regarding residency status is punishable as a misdemeanor under Section 837.06, Florida Statutes.

Change of Address

Students may change their address at www.irsc.edu, by logging into MyIRSC. To ensure receipt of College correspondence and information distributions, and emergency notifications, it is important to keep contact information updated. Students should also be sure to activate their free student email account.

Up one level

Admissions and Procedures