Admission Policies

Applications and Procedures

A . Application for Tuition and Fee Reductions and Scholarships Established by the Legislature

Students should contact the Admissions Office at each university for information on eligibility for tuition and fee reductions and scholarships established by the Legislature.

B. Application Deadlines

An applicant for admission must submit the required application for admission and the necessary official transcript or transcripts and other required documents to the Enrollment Services Center.

C. Records Required

   Applicants who are 21 years of age or younger must submit Enhanced ACT
         (or SAT-I) results, an official high school transcript, if a high school graduate,
          and an official transcript for all previous college work as part of their
          application. Applicants who are older than 21 years of age and who have valid
          ACT/SAT-I exam results (taken within the last 5 years) must submit those scores,
          along with an official high school transcript and an official transcript for all
          previous college work. Applicants who are older than 21 years of age and who
          do not have valid ACT/SAT-I exam results or who have not taken the exams are
          not expected to take the exam. However, they are required to submit an official
          high school transcript, if a high school graduate, and an official transcript for all
          previous college work. Applicants should also submit any other records,
          data or letters required to support eligibility for admission, including competency
          test scores. SAT scores will be converted to ACT equivalences according to a
          conversion table approved by the Board of Regents. Note: An official transcript
          is one that bears the original seal and signature of the official in charge of
          records at that institution and is transmitted directly between institutions.

D. Preadmission Immunization Requirements

1.   All students, who reside on campus or who receive instruction at one of the residential campuses, and students who attend classes at USDSU in Sioux Falls must document their immune status for measles, mumps, and rubella. Students are not required to document their immune status to attend classes at other locations or through the Internet. Proof of two doses of measles vaccine or of the presence of an immune antibody titer against measles shall be required. This documentation may be accomplished by either a State Health Department certificate, or it may be included as part of the institution’s physical exam report.
A student who fails to provide satisfactory documentation of his or her immune status shall not be permitted to register for or to attend classes. Every attempt should be made to collect this information at the time of admissions. For special circumstances, an institution’s president or the president’s designee may grant an extension of the deadline for an amount of time determined necessary. In no case may the extension be longer than one semester. A medical waiver may also be forwarded to the admitting institution for its reviews and action.

2. Students who are unable to ascertain their immunization status may obtain,  at their own expense, the necessary tests and vaccination from the Student Health Service of their university.

3. In the event the South Dakota State Department of Health declares an epidemic of measles or rubella, the institution involved shall provide to the State Department of Health a list of students who have not submitted immunization documentation. Subsequent campus actions shall consider the advice and authority of the South Dakota State Department of Health. Students who have no vaccination or immunity against the required preventable infectious diseases may be dismissed from the campus.

4. Vaccination for hepatitis B is required for students before they can be admitted to certain health profession programs. Each institution will compile information about current program-related vaccination requirements and make this information available to students along with other curricular and registration materials. It will be the responsibility of the department of the specific health profession program to ensure that the vaccination requirement has been met.

5. Immunization for tetanus, diphtheria, poliomyelitis, varicella and meningitis is recommended.