Admission

For admission to all programs at Amarillo College, individuals must first complete the Application for Admission.

Admission to Amarillo College is open to the following individuals:

*Applicants without a high school diploma or GED must be enrolled in AC’s college readiness program, Career Ready You, and successfully complete six college credit hours before becoming eligible for Federal Student Aid.

Placement Testing

The Texas Success Initiative (TSI) requires students entering Texas public colleges and universities to be assessed for reading, mathematics, and writing skills before they enroll in any collegiate course work for credit, unless exempt.

Select Program Admission

There are certain programs of study that have additional entrance requirements. Applicants planning to enter one of these select programs of study must follow the prescribed steps for admission in each program. Applicants must first complete all course prerequisites, take applicable tests and/or submit requested materials as part of the admission process for select programs. The admission process for select programs is competitive, space may be limited and only qualified students will be admitted.

Testing

Legislation requires students entering Texas public colleges and universities be assessed for reading, writing and mathematics skills before they enroll in any collegiate course work for credit, unless exempt.

Texas Success Initiative

The Texas Success Initiative (TSI) was established in 2003 by TEC code 51.307. TSI is designed to ensure that students have the academic skills necessary for effective performance in college-level course work. The assessment instrument used at Amarillo College for TSI purposes is the TSI2 Assessment. Results of these assessments are used by advisors to place students into appropriate coursework and to help students achieve academic success at Amarillo College. Prior to testing, students will need to schedule a Mandatory Pre-Assessment Session (MAPS) by contacting the Smart Start Center. Information on MAPS may be obtained by accessing the Smart Start Center web page at https://www.actx.edu/smartstart/. Assessments are administered by Testing Services located in Room 101 in the Student Services Center. Testing information may be obtained in Testing Services or by accessing the Testing Services web page at www.actx.edu/testing.

SUMMARY OF TSI REQUIREMENTS

  1. Each student, unless otherwise exempt, who enters Amarillo College must be assessed in reading, writing and mathematics skills prior to enrolling in any college-level coursework.
  2. High school students are subject to the following guidelines:
    1. A high school student who enrolls in dual credit courses or is concurrently enrolled in both high school and college courses must take a required assessment prior to enrolling in college-level coursework
    2. A high school student who fails to achieve the minimum passing standard may not take college-level classes related to portions of the test that have not been passed. Additionally, the student may not be required to take developmental classes while in high school.

    TSI Assessment scores are valid for five years from the date of testing

    TESTING EXEMPTIONS AND EXCEPTIONS

    Students entering Level 1 certificate programs are exempt from testing for TSI purposes. However, Amarillo College requires the TSI Assessment for advising and diagnostic purposes.

    Students in any of the following categories or conditions are exempt from one or more areas of testing:

    1. For a period of five (5) years from the date of testing, a student who is tested and performs at or above the following standards that cannot be raised by institutions:

    a. ACT: composite score of 23 with a minimum of 19 on the English test shall be exempt for both the reading and writing sections of the TSI Assessment, and/or 19 on the mathematics test shall be exempt for the mathematics section of the TSI Assessment;

    i. SAT administered prior to March 5, 2016: a combined critical reading (formerly “verbal”) and mathematics score of 1070 with a minimum of 500 on the critical reading test shall be exempt for both reading and writing sections of the TSI Assessment; a combined critical reading (formerly “verbal”) and mathematics score of 1070 with a minimum of 500 on the mathematics test shall be exempt for the mathematics section of the TSI Assessment.

    ii. SAT administered on or after March 5, 2016: a minimum score of 480 on the Evidenced-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) test shall be exempt for both reading and writing sections of the TSI Assessment; a minimum score of 530 on the mathematics test shall be exempt for the mathematics section of the TSI Assessment. There is no combined score.

    iii. Mixing or combining scores from the SAT administered prior to March 5, 2016 and the SAT administered on or after March 5, 2016 is not allowable.

    2. For a period of three (3) years from the date of testing, a student who is tested and performs on the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) with a minimum scale score of 1770 on the writing test, a Texas Learning Index (TLI) of 86 on the mathematics test and 89 on the reading test.

    3. For a period of five (5) years from the date of testing, a student who is tested and performs at or above the following standards that cannot be raised by institutions:

    a. on the Eleventh-grade exit-level Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) with a minimum scale score of 2200 on the math section and/or a minimum scale score of 2200 on the English Language Arts section with a writing subsection score of at least 3, shall be exempt from the TSI Assessment required under this title for those corresponding sections; or

    b. STAAR end-of-course (EOC) with a minimum Level 2 score of 4000 on the English III shall be exempt from the TSI Assessment required under this title for both reading and writing, and a minimum Level 2 score of 4000 on the Algebra II EOC shall be exempt from the TSI Assessment required under this title for the mathematics section

    4. A student who has graduated with an associate or baccalaureate degree from a recognized institution of higher education.

    5. A student who transfers to an institution from a public, private, or independent recognized institution of higher education or an accredited out-of-state institution of higher education and who has satisfactorily completed college-level coursework as determined by the receiving institution.

    6. A student who has previously attended any institution and has been determined to have met readiness standards by that institution. For students meeting non-Algebra intensive readiness standards in mathematics as defined in §4.59 of this title (relating to Determination of Readiness to Perform Entry-Level Freshman Coursework), institutions may choose to require additional preparatory coursework/interventions for Algebra intensive courses, including MATH 1314/1324/1414 (or their local equivalent). It is the institution’s responsibility to ensure that students are clearly informed of the consequences of successful completion of a mathematics pathways model which results in meeting the mathematics college readiness standard only for specific entry-level freshman mathematics courses.

    7. A student who is enrolled in a certificate program of one year or less (Level-One certificates, 42 or fewer semester credit hours or the equivalent) at a public junior college, a public technical institute, or a public state college.

    8. A student who is serving on active duty as a member of the armed forces of the United States, the Texas National Guard, or as a member of a reserve component of the armed forces of the United States and has been serving for at least three years preceding enrollment.

    9. A student who on or after August 1, 1990, was honorably discharged, retired, or released from active duty as a member of the armed forces of the United States or the Texas National Guard or service as a member of a reserve component of the armed forces of the United States.

    10. A student who successfully completes a college preparatory course under Texas Education Code §28.014 is exempt for a period of twenty-four (24) months from the date of high school graduation with respect to the content area of the course. The student must enroll in the student’s first college-level course in the exempted content area in the student’s first year of enrollment in an institution of higher education. This exemption applies only at the institution of higher education that partners with the school district in which the student is enrolled to provide the course. Additionally, an institution of higher education may enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with a partnering institution of higher education to accept the exemption for the college preparatory course.

    b. An institution may exempt a non-degree-seeking or non-certificate-seeking student.

    c. ESOL Waiver–An institution may grant a temporary waiver from the assessment required under this title for students with demonstrated limited English proficiency in order to provide appropriate ESOL/ESL coursework and interventions. The waiver must be removed after the student attempts 15 credit hours of developmental ESOL coursework at a public junior college, public technical institute, or public state college; 9 credit hours of developmental ESOL coursework at a general academic teaching institution; or prior to enrolling in entry-level freshman coursework, whichever comes first, at which time the student would be administered the TSI Assessment. Funding limits as defined in Texas Education Code, §51.340 for developmental education still apply. Developmental Education is not available for high school students.

    d. Any student who has been determined to be exempt in mathematics, reading, and/or writing under subsection (a) or (b) of this section shall not be required to enroll in developmental coursework and/or interventions in the corresponding area of exemption.

    MINIMUM PASSING STANDARDS