Parent Handbook

Dear Parents and Guests,

We understand that you are the most important and influential people in your children’s lives. Your children need you to be involved in their academic and extracurricular interests as they go through life. During their high school years, they especially need you to be involved as they start preparing and planning to find the right college choice for them. As parents, there are many things you can do to ensure that your children will be prepared for their college future. You can make sure they are taking the required courses, the right tests and complete the proper paper work.

We hope this will help you guide your children and answer some of those questions that you as a parent my have along the way. We thank you for your involvement in making this an enjoyable experience for your children.

Admission Requirements for Baccalaureate Degree Programs

Admission criteria are subject to change by the Board of Regents of South Dakota and by the six universities in the Board of Regents system.

Freshman Admission (Applicants under 21 years old)

To be a candidate for admission to a baccalaureate degree program, the applicant must meet the general requirements in “A” AND the subject matter requirement in “B”.

A.  Rank in the top 60% of their high school graduating class:

OR   Achieve an ACT composite score of 18 or above or SAT I score of 870 or above

OR   Earn a GPA of at least 2.6 on a 4.0 scale in all high school courses.

B.  Complete the following required courses with a cumulative grade point average of a “C” or higher (2.0 on a 4.0 scale):

4 years of English

OR   ACT English sub-test score of 18 or above

OR   AP English score of 3 or above

3 years of Advanced Mathematics

OR   ACT Math sub-test score of 20 or above

OR   AP Calculus score of 3 or above

 

3 years of Laboratory Science

OR   ACT Science Reasoning sub-test score of 17 or above

OR   AP Science score of 3 or above

 

3 years of Social Science

OR   ACT Social Studies/Reading sub-test score of 17 or above

OR   AP social Studies score of 3 or above

 

1 year of fine Arts

OR   AP Fine Arts score of 3 or above

*Advanced mathematics includes algebra or any higher level math.

Transfer Admission

The requirements listed below are the minimum requirements to all six universities in the Board of Regents system. Individual universities and individual programs within the universities may have higher requirements.

A.    Transfer students with 24 or more semester credits are eligible to be candidates for       admission if they meet both standards below:

*Have a cumulative college grade point average of 2.0 or higher.

*Are in good standing with their most recently attended school.

B.   Students with less than a 2.0 GPA may be admitted on probation, but each

      applicant is considered on an individual basis.

C.   Transfer students under the age of 24 who have earned fewer than 24

Non-Traditional Admission

The requirements listed below are the minimum requirements to all six universities in the Board of Regents system. Each university has established it’s own admission requirements for students age 24 or over and for those who did not graduate from high school.

Applicants who are at least 24 years of age must have graduated from high school, completed the General Equivalency Diploma (GED) with a combined score of at least 225 and a minimum of 40 on each test, or met state requirements for the high school equivalency certificate, and must meet any university-determined requirements for admission to baccalaureate programs.

Admission Requirements for Associate Degree Programs

To be a candidate for admission to an associate degree program the applicant must meet the following requirements (individual degree programs may have additional admission requirements):

Meet the baccalaureate admission requirements

OR Rank in the top 60% of their high school graduating class

OR  Achieve an ACT composite score of 18 or above or SAT I score of 870 or above

OR  Earn a cumulative GPA of at least 2.6 on a 4.0 scale in high school courses

OR  Complete the General Equivalency Diploma (GED) with a combined score

       of at least 225 and a minimum score of 40 on each test.

Financial Aid

Most student financial aid comes from the federal government programs you’ll read about here. Beware of scams and services that will search for financial aid money for you for a fee. Applying for student aid is free; that’s why the application you use is called the Free Application for Federal Aid. (FAFSA) If you need help completing the FAFSA, you can get that help free, too. You don’t have to pay anyone for assistance.

How do you apply for federal student aid?

1.   Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) – the online version (FAFSA on the web) or the paper FAFSA.

·       For FAFSA on the web, go to www.fafsa.ed.gov (or to www.studentaid.ed.gov and get general student aid information as well). Using FAFSA on the Web is faster and easier than using paper.

·       If you don’t have internet access, you can get a paper FAFSA from

~ A high school guidance office,

~ A college financial aid office,

~ A local public library, or

~ Our Federal Student Aid Information Center by calling 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243)

·     You can apply beginning January 1^st, 2006: you have until June 30^th, 2007 to submit your FAFSA. But, you need to apply early!

Schools and states often us FAFSA information to award nonfederal aid. Their deadlines are usually early in the year. You can find state deadlines online at FAFSA on the Web – see “Check Deadlines” under “Before Beginning a FAFSA.” The paper FAFSA lists state deadlines on the front of the form. Check with the schools you’re interested in for their deadlines.

                Types of Aid

Federal Pell Grant – (Grant) – does not have to be repaid

Federal Work-Study – Money is earned while attending school; does not have to be repaid

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)

(Grant) – does not have to be repaid

Federal Perkins Loan – Must be repaid

Subsidized FEEL1 or Direct 2 Stafford Loan

Loan – must be repaid; you must be at least half-time student

Unsubsidized FEEL1 or Direct 2 Stafford Loan

Loan - must be repaid; you must be at least half-time student

FEEL or Direct PLUS Loan – Loan – must be repaid

2.   Review your Student Aid Report (SAR).

After you apply, you’ll receive a Student Aid Report. Your SAR contains the information reported on your FAFSA and usually includes your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) number. The EFC, a measure of your family’s financial strength, is used to determine your eligibility for federal student aid. Review your SAR information as soon as you get it and make any corrections or changes, if necessary. The school(s) you list on your FAFSA will review that data to determine your eligibility.

A Special thanks to you!

We appreciate the efforts that you parents and guardians lend to your children through this process and hope that this webpage and handbook will help guide and assist you along the way towards your children’s college decision.

Please feel free to call or e-mail us with any questions. We are here to help you and make this as easy as possible.

Thank you for taking the time to visit our site and we hope that you will stop back again as the school year progresses.

Sincerely,

Kelly Barnes

Admission and Marketing Representative

Dakota State University

kelly.barnes@dsu.edu

1-888-378-9988

1-605-256-5712