Undergraduate Admissions

Admissions

Northern has an open admissions policy for any person who can benefit from the instructional programs offered by the College. No applicant will be denied admission on the basis of race, color, creed, age, sex, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, physical handicap, or marital status. However, because Northern is a post-secondary institution, we do have restrictions on admission for those who have not yet graduated from high school.

Detailed information concerning deadlines for submitting applications for admission appear in each semester’s Schedule of Classes and at www.nnmc.edu.

Use of Social Security Numbers

Northern does not use individual Social Security Numbers as a means of identification; the College issues student ID numbers generated by its administrative software as its primary identification system. The College requires that Social Security Numbers be supplied in order to comply with various state and federal reporting requirements (e.g. financial aid). In no instance will an individual’s Social Security Number be disclosed to other parties for any purpose without the written consent of the student.

General Policies

If you wish to obtain a degree or certificate from Northern, you may apply for regular admission status* and must show that you:

1. have received a diploma from a public or private high school/home school (home school graduates must be at least 16).

Note: A Certificate of Completion or Attendance from a high school is not a diploma. If you present a Certificate of Completion/Attendance, you will be classified in Non-Degree status until such time as you earn a High School Equivalency (HSE) credential.

2. have received a High School Equivalency (HSE) credential; or
3. are a transfer student in good standing from another accredited college, university, or other post-secondary institution. If you are on academic probation or suspension at another institution Northern New Mexico College will also place you on probation until you have met satisfactory academic standards. For our Transfer of Credit Policy please go to Students › Admissions › Transfer Students › NNMC Transfer Policy at www.nnmc.edu.

* Admission in regular status amounts to “matriculation,” which is a formal acceptance by the college of your qualifications to pursue a degree or certificate. You may be matriculated at only one college at a time. Therefore, if you are already matriculated at, for example, New Mexico Highlands University, regular status at Northern would not be appropriate; you would then seek admission to Northern in Non-Degree status.

In most cases, admissibility can be based upon a sixth-semester partial transcript, subject to graduation from high school and successful completion of the expected curriculum. Following graduation, applicants must submit a final transcript verifying successful completion of the high school curriculum and graduation. If the applicant does not maintain admissibility or does not submit the final transcript prior to the specified date, the College will cancel their enrollment for any pre-registered classes.

Declaring a Major and Changing a Minor

If you are declaring a major for a certificate or associate degree, you will achieve matriculation (final admission status) when we have received official transcripts from every institution you have previously attended. If you have never attended college before, a copy of your high school or HSE credential will suffice. If you will be seeking financial assistance, you will have to supply an official transcript showing HS graduation or HSE credential. The fact that one or more colleges consolidate courses from other colleges onto their transcripts does not mean that you can choose which transcripts to have sent to Northern-official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions/schools are required must be submitted to NNMC’s Office of Admissions.

Some programs have their own special admission standards (e.g., Nursing, Education, Engineering); when you apply to the college for those majors, you will be considered a “tracking” student until such time as the department/college informs the Office of Admissions that you have applied to and been accepted to that specific program.

If, once you have started classes, you decide to change your major it will be your responsibility to inform the Office of the Registrar in writing by submitting a properly completed Change of Major form with the appropriate signatures. Again, if the new department or college has its own application process, you will revert to a “tracking” status until your application has been accepted by that entity.

This is a very important process when it comes to graduating. At Northern, you are eligible to graduate under the terms of the catalog which you began your major or under any subsequent catalog under in which you may be eligible, given that you haven’t “stopped out.” Your eligibility does not begin when you decide you have chosen the major; it begins only after the proper form has been approved and input to the student information system.

If you have “stopped out” (not attended for more than one academic year), you will have to submit an application for readmission when you return to Northern. At that time, you are expected to meet the degree requirements of the current catalog. However, your Academic Advisor, with the approval of the Department Chair, may authorize you to graduate under a previous catalog as long as it is not more than five years old. Any exceptions to this policy require the approval of the Provost.

First-Time-Any-College (FTAC) Students

If you have demonstrated eligibility through HS graduation or High School Equivalency (HSE) credential, your application will be processed as complete, but a hold will be placed on your account until the College receives your official final HS transcript. You will be able to register for your first semester classes, but will have a registration hold for subsequent semesters until your official transcript is received by the Office of Admissions.

Transfer Students

If you are in good standing at the last college attended, you are eligible to attend Northern in either regular or non-degree status, depending on your interests and needs. Good standing means that you are not on an academic or disciplinary suspension.

We require that you list on your application for admission all colleges attended, with dates, and degrees earned and, if you choose to attend in regular status, we require that you have each college or other post-secondary school you have attended send us an official transcript.

If you are not in good standing, you are not automatically eligible to apply for admission to Northern. You may complete the application form and attach to it a letter of appeal addressed to the Director of Admissions. In your letter, you must state what caused the lack of good standing and how you plan to maintain good standing while at Northern. To facilitate your appeal, attach a copy of the transcript on which the Suspension is recorded. Your appeal will be processed and you will be notified of acceptance or denial. If your appeal is granted you will be placed on Academic Probation until you meet satisfactory academic standards.

International Students

Northern is approved by the United States Customs and Immigration Service (USCIS), a division of the Department of Homeland Security, to issue I-20s for those applicants who meet our requirements. Most, but not all, degree programs are available for those seeking a student (F-1) visa.

If you are a non-immigrant alien who wishes to apply to Northern, please contact the Director of Admissions (admissions@nnmc.edu) for the necessary forms, or download the special application form from our web site at www.nnmc.edu.

Proof of English language competency is required before being accepted to the College; only those who have graduated from a U.S. high school or college will be exempt from this requirement. Refer to the special application packet for details/choices of test instruments. This packet is available online at www.nnmc.edu.

The Designated School Official (DSO) at Northern is the Director of Admissions (admissions@nnmc.edu or 505.747.2111). 

Readmission

If you have previously been a student at Northern other than as a high school student, and if it has been at least one academic year since your last attendance, you will have to re-apply for admission. If your status has not changed since your last attendance, no paperwork other than a new application will be necessary; however, if you are re-applying for regular status and have been to another college in the meantime, you must have an official transcript sent from each such college. Until everything is in order, your admission status will be classified as Incomplete.

If you re-apply in Non-degree status, you only need to complete the Non-degree Application Form.

Non-Degree

This status is for those over the age of 18 who do not meet or do not wish to meet the criteria for matriculation (regular status). If you are accepted in this status, you may later apply for regular status when you can demonstrate that you have met the requirements. If you have attended any college other than NNMC you must have all transcripts sent from those schools if you are moving from non-degree status to degree seeking status. Please note that no type of financial assistance is extended to students in non-degree status.

Concurrent Enrollment

Concurrent enrollment is a term used to define a relationship existing between public or private school districts and/or other high school students who do not place into college level courses but would otherwise like to enroll in a class, and public colleges and universities in New Mexico. If you are in grades 9-12, carry a 2.00 minimum cumulative high school GPA, and have tested into at least ENG 108N, MATH 100N , and RDG 108N , you may apply for admission. If you are still in high school, you must use the Application for Admission for Students Still in High School.

In case you should disagree with either your high school or Northern concerning your selection and/or admittance, each entity has set up a formal appellate process. To appeal at the college level, contact the Director of Admissions; at the high school level, contact your counselor.

Dual Credit

Student eligibility and enrollment in dual credit courses is based on your high school counselor’s approval and placement scores, or other test instruments approved by Northern or by completion of course prerequisites.

If you are enrolled in a public school district (or one of its charter schools), or a BIA school and if you qualify for college-level courses after being admitted to the college, you will be eligible for Dual Credit enrollment, which means that the college will cover your tuition, general and course-specific fees (such as lab and media fees), your public school district or BIA school will buy and loan you the required textbooks, and you and your parents will be responsible for transportation and third party fees (such as background checks or fingerprinting). In order for you to participate in the Dual Credit program your high school counselor must sign off on a special form (Dual Credit Request Form), which you will bring to Northern’s Office of Admissions in order to enroll. Completion of that form guarantees credit both toward high school graduation and toward a college degree at Northern.

If you wish to enroll in any course which is not approved by your school district (including remedial courses), you and your parents will be responsible for all costs associated with such enrollment.

If you are enrolled in a private high school (including home school), after admission to the college you may enroll in those courses for which you meet the prerequisites. If you fall into this category, you and your parents will be responsible for all costs associated with such enrollment.

Early Admission of Public High School Students for Full-Time Attendance

If you are a high school senior with a 3.00 cumulative grade point average (based on grades 9 through 11) and wish to apply for admission as a full-time student in your senior year, you must have parental permission (if under 18) and a release from your school district (if public) or high school (if private).

In other words, there must be general agreement among the school, your parents/guardians, and yourself that trading high school for full-time college attendance is the most appropriate educational goal for you. This status will not preclude your high school from counting the college credits you earn against the requirements for earning a high school diploma. That will be a decision made by your district.

To accomplish this, you will need to have your high school send Northern an official transcript showing your coursework from grades 9 through 11. If you are admitted under this special status but your high school will not use Northern credits toward graduation, we encourage you to work toward earning an HSE credential as soon as possible while you are enrolled in college credit courses. Although you do not have to do so, it is to your benefit in the long run to complete an HSE credential while attending college classes.

Admission for Those Who Do Not Otherwise Qualify

If you do not otherwise qualify for admission to Northern, you may provide a written appeal of Northern’s admission policies to the Director of Admissions, providing such evidence as may be required by that official. If the Director of Admissions does not grant your appeal, you would then have the right to appeal to Northern’s Academic Standards Committee, a Faculty Committee. If the committee hears your appeal, you must be present at the hearing. A favorable recommendation from that committee could permit admission in an appropriate status, with enrollment in appropriate courses, as determined by Course Placement Evaluation scores and/or the evaluation of your transcript.

Special Program Requirements

Admission to the college does not carry with it admission to all certificate or associate degree programs of study. You should check with the department chairpersons or program directors of specific programs for admission criteria to their programs.

Baccalaureate Program Admission Standards

In addition to the minimum standards established for admission to its certificate-granting and associate degree-granting programs, Northern has set additional standards for those desiring to enter its four-year baccalaureate degree programs.

See the standards for matriculation to each program as shown in the degree section of this catalog. In general, you must have completed at least the 38-39 credits of the College’s General Education Common Core, and have at least a 2.50 cumulative grade point average (excluding any remedial courses) before being eligible to apply for acceptance to these programs.

Transfer Among New Mexico Higher Education Institutions

To facilitate transfer of students and course credits among New Mexico’s colleges and universities, the state’s public institutions of higher education are required to accept in transfer the courses taken within approved modules of lower-division course work and apply them toward degree requirements. Several transfer guides have been developed through collaboration of New Mexico’s public post-secondary institutions, consistent with requirements of state law (21-1B, NMSA 1978). Students enrolling for first-year or second-year study at a New Mexico institution who wish to prepare for possible transfer into a degree program at another institution are advised to take these courses during their freshman and sophomore years. [Refer to the New Mexico Higher Education Department website at www.hed.state.nm.us for complete lists of courses.]

For our Transfer of Credit Policy please go to Students > Admissions > Transfer Students > NNMC Transfer Policy at www.nnmc.edu.

Department of Engineering & Technology (DET) Transfer Credit

DET will accept transfer of course/s with a final grade of “D” from accredited engineering programs, given “D” is a passing grade in the other institution/s. The DET chair/DET faculty will review the specific course prior to accepting it in the respective NNMC DET degree program.

Student Responsibility

New Mexico’s colleges and universities have collaborated to produce guides to assist students who plan to transfer before completing a program of study. Course modules are designed to help you select courses carefully so that they may transfer with little or no loss of credit. However, planning for effective transfer with maximum efficiency is ultimately your responsibility. Responsible transfer planning includes early and regular consultation with the intended degree-seeking institution to assure that all pre-transfer coursework will meet the requirements of the desired degree.

Transferable Lower-Division General Education Common Core

Students enrolling for first-year study who have not yet selected either an academic focus or the institution where they wish to graduate are advised during their freshman year to take General Education courses (see pages 21-23). For students enrolled at any public institution in New Mexico, courses which have been approved to be part of the statewide general education curriculum by the New Mexico Higher Education Department are guaranteed to transfer to any other New Mexico public institution in the area they were approved. Students should consult advisors at their current institution regarding which specific courses have been approved for Areas I-VI. Students should be aware that some general education courses approved only for Associate of Applied Science degrees may not transfer to Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, and/or Bachelor programs.

Prior Learning Credit

Credit can be awarded for prior learning based on multiple factors, but is subject to academic department approval and will require submission of proof of prior learning experience. Students must complete the Prior Learning Credit Portfolio Application Form and submit the nonrefundable fee(s) to the cashier. The fee for submitting a portfolio for Prior Learning Credit is $100 per credit hour (example, $300 for a 3-credit hour course). This fee is nonrefundable regardless of approval decision.

When a student submits the Prior Learning Credit Portfolio Application form (with a copy of the receipt) to the department chair for final authorization, the department chair will assign two faculty reviewers for each portfolio submission. Maximum credit hours cannot exceed 30 credit hours for bachelor’s degrees and 15 hours for associate degrees. These limits of Prior Learning Credit include all methods of earning prior learning credits (such as CLEP, Locally-developed Exam, and Portfolio). Students may earn prior learning credit for general education, support courses, program specific courses, and elective courses.

For our Credit for Prior Learning Policy, please go to Students > Admissions > Transfer Students > Credit for Prior Learning at www.nnmc.edu.

Complaint Procedure for Transfer Students

All New Mexico public post-secondary institutions are required to establish policies and practices for receiving and resolving complaints from students or from other complainants regarding the transfer of coursework from other public institutions in the state. A copy of Northern New Mexico College’s complaint policy may be accessed online on Northern’s website at www.nnmc.edu.

For our Transfer of Credit Policy please go to Students > Admissions > Transfer Students > NNMC Transfer Policy at www.nnmc.edu.

If you have not received satisfaction from internal college processes, you may contact the New Mexico Higher Education Department, 2048 Galisteo Street, Santa Fe, NM 87505-2100, 505.476.8400 (http://hed.state.nm.us).

Classification of Students

As a student, you are classified as a freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior based on the number of credit hours you have earned toward your declared degree, whether in residence at Northern, through standardized testing, or in transfer from other colleges. For all practical purposes, these credits include any remediation you may have taken. The breakdowns on these classifications are:

These classifications are used for reporting to state and federal agencies, as well as for financial aid purposes.

Student Email Access Required for All NNMC Students

All students who have completed the application process and have been assigned a Student ID number will, at the same time, receive a student email account which is accessible by clicking on myNNMC on Northern’s home page, www.nnmc.edu. You must do a one-time activation of your Eagles email, and then you can participate in the payment plan and receive all broadcast messages concerning course cancellations, closings or delays because of bad weather, etc. Your nnmc.edu email account is the college’s official means of communication.

All college-related information will be sent to you via this email account. It is your responsibility to check your nnmc.edu email account regularly for information being sent out from various departments at the college. If you have forgotten your nnmc email password, please contact IT Services at 505.747.5000.

Admission / Re-Admission or Residency Classification Appeal

If you have applied to the College for admission, re-admission, or for classification of residency and believe that the Office of Admissions & Recruitment and/or the Registrar has not adequately fulfilled its responsibilities in any of these areas, you may appeal by:

1. Providing the Director of Admissions & Recruitment with a letter of appeal, stating in detail what you believe to be inappropriate or incorrect about the decision. If the Director upholds your appeal, you will be admitted or re-admitted, as appropriate.
2. If, after your residency classification has been assigned, you feel that the admissions office has made a wrongful determination, contact the Classification Officer (the Registrar) to appeal. If you are still not satisfied, you may direct a written letter of appeal to the Chairperson of the Student Appeals Committee. According to state law and the New Mexico Higher Education Department, Northern’s appellate process is your last recourse prior to the courts (citation: HED Rule 910.10, effective 6/19/92).