Admissions

Welcome to Luna Community College!

The office of Recruitment and Admissions is dedicated to guiding you through your transition from high school to college. We are here to lend a hand for you to access the community college, its educational programs and services. In order to offer the most informative programs we frequently collaborate with Academic Departments and other LCC Student Services such as the Student Success Center , Financial Aid Department, and Registrars.

Prospective Students

You know your goals or you're discovering them now and Luna Community College can help you achieve them! Explore majors and programs that enlighten and empower, and scheduling that makes college study more accessible than ever. Visit our campus. You'll find faculty members committed to providing you with a well-rounded, real-work education. Application for admission will be considered at any time, unless otherwise specified.

APPLY

Any student wishing to obtain a certificate or an associate degree must first apply for regular admission, and submit an official high school transcript indicating a graduation date from an accredited secondary school; OR submit an official transcript of General Education Development (GED) test results.

Note: All transcripts must be sent directly from the respective school. Faxed or photocopies of these documents will not be accepted.

The following links will provide information about the various admissions status as well as steps needed to get accepted.

Regular Admission

Dual credit student cannot fill out a online application. They must meet with their high school Counselor and fill out a paper dual credit application.

Transfer Student Admission

Non-Degree and Non-Certificate Admission

Dual Credit/Concurrent Enrollment Admission

Residency

ADVISEMENT

Once you have been accepted for admission to LCC you must go to an advisement session with an Student Success Center Educational Advisor/Counselor. This session includes information regarding:

• Admission status and placement assessment procedures
• Process to apply for student financial assistance
• Career awareness and declaration of a major
• Institutional policies and procedures
• Availability of support services

ACT/ACCUPLACER

Submit a copy of your ACT scores to the Student Success Center , or if you have not taken the ACT make arrangements to take the ACCUPLACER Assessment by contacting the Student Success Center at 505.454.5347 for dates, times, and location. However, they are not necessary for acceptance.

REGISTRATION

The advisers from the Student Success Center will assist you in selecting courses to satisfy prerequisites and program requirements

Apply for Admission to Luna Community College

How to apply for Regular Admission

Provisional Admission

Provisional admission may be given in certain circumstances while an application for regular admission is pending. This is a temporary classification. The student is subject to disenrollment and will not be permitted to register for a subsequent term until regular admission has been attained.

Undeclared Student Admission

An undeclared student, whose purpose for taking courses is to eventually lead him or her to a certificate or degree, may apply for undeclared student admission in the following ways:

1. Meeting "Regular Admission" requirements.
2. Students pursuing a career in Nursing are initially admitted under "Undeclared Student Admission" status. However, they are eligible for financial assistance.

Transfer Student Admission

LCC accepts transfer of academic credits earned from regionally accredited institutions of higher learning. Both general education core and program/major specific courses are eligible for transfer. However, the Office of the Registrar evaluates courses and determines transfer eligibility of general education core courses only. The student's academic advisor, in conjunction with the respective academic director, evaluate and determine transfer eligibility of all program/major specific courses and must formally file a Transfer of Credit Evaluation form with the Office of the Registrar.

Students will receive full credit for course work completed with a grade of "C" or better, provided that the courses are appropriate toward a certificate or degree. Transferable general education core courses with a grade of "D" from New Mexico colleges and universities are accepted provided the "D" grade is also acceptable for the student's certificate or degree program. A grade of "D" is not acceptable if the transferred course is a prerequisite to a sequenced course such as ENG111 for ENG115 or HIST101 for HIST102. All transfer credits earned are listed on the academic transcript with a grade of "CR" Prior to any evaluation of courses by the Registrar or an academic advisor, an official transcript from each institution must be sent directly to the Registrar's Office. LCC reserves the right to request course syllabi or course descriptions to evaluate course transfer eligibility.

Transcripts from other institutions sent to LCC for the purpose of transfer of credit and/or college admission become part of the student's permanent academic file and will not be copied for or given to the student, college faculty or staff. Student athletes are strongly advised to order duplicate sets of ALL transfer transcripts for the athletic department for the purpose of documenting player eligibility

Non-Degree and Non-Certificate Admission

Non-certificate/non-degree status is available for those who do not wish to pursue a certificate or degree. Students can enroll in courses for job improvement or personal enrichment. No high school or college transcripts are required and a certificate or degree cannot be earned under this admission status.

Admission classification can be changed by fulfilling the requirements for regular admission and by completing a Program Declaration/Change of Major Form.

Students admitted in non-certificate/non-degree status are ineligible for financial assistance and veteran's benefits.

Dual Credit/Concurrent Enrollment Admission

Students wishing to receive dual credit must fill out the Application for Admission for High School Students and the High School Enrollment Petition.

Criteria for Enrollment as a Dual-Credit Student

Commonalities between Tracks A and B

• The courses in which a high school student may receive both high school and college credit will be limited to only those courses offered at their respective high school or at an approved site as agreed upon by the respective high school and Luna Community College and offered during the high school’s regularly scheduled hours.
• High school students may apply for enrollment in a dual-credit course if they are a junior or senior, have the minimum required G.P.A. of 2.0 or as mandated by their respective high school for the requested course(s), and are at least 16 years old. The student must be in good standing with their high school. Pre-requisite requirements, including assessment (ACT, SAT or ACCUPLACER), must be met.
• Under exceptional circumstances, psychologically/emotionally prepared and mature students under the age of 16 who are currently high school freshman or sophomores may also apply and be considered for dual-credit enrollment in college level courses. Their high school counselor must properly file a High School Enrollment Petition form signed by the appropriate officials for review and approval by the LCC Dual-Credit Committee.

Note: Contact the Office of Recruitment and Admissions for complete policy. Luna Community College credits may not count towards high school credits (see high school counselor for more information). Student/Parent is responsible for fees and tuition for courses taken after 3 p.m. and summer session.

Residency

Summary of Regulations for New Mexico Residency for Tuition Purposes

The rules and regulations for establishing residency for tuition purposes are defined by the New Mexico Higher Education Department which is authorized by the Constitution of the State of New Mexico and state statutes (Chapter 235, IE, NMSA 1971 and Section 21-1-4E NMSA 1978) to provide classification for a tuition differential between resident and non-resident students.

A non-resident student who feels he/she has satisfied the residency requirements may obtain a “Petition for Resident Tuition Classification Form” from the Office of Admissions. The form should be completed in detail and returned to the Office of Admissions, along with a copy of his/her parents’ or guardian’s 1040 or 1040A U.S. income tax form, if the student is under 23 years old. A change in residency classification is never automatic, and it is always the student’s responsibility to initiate the petition.

While the requirements for residency must be completed before the first day of classes or LCC’s census date, if different, the deadline for any petition for resident tuition classification applicable to a current semester is 21 calendar days after the first day of classes (i.e., the date the semester officially begins). A petition received after that date will not be considered. Another petition must be filed for any subsequent term.

In general, a financially independent, adult person over 18 years of age must have resided in New Mexico for a period of 12 consecutive months immediately prior to the term for which the petition is being filed. Furthermore, “residency” in this context means legal “residence.” Legal residence requires intent to remain in a place indefinitely, in the sense of making one’s permanent home there, as well as physical presence at the place. The distinction is that one may have any number of residences at one time, but never more than one legal residence.

To become a legal resident of New Mexico for tuition purposes, four basic requirements must be completed. Each person must meet the following requirements individually:

• The 12-month Consecutive Presence Requirement
• The Financial Independence Requirement
• The Written Declaration of “Intent” Requirement
• The Overt Acts Requirement

A brochure fully detailing residency requirements and restrictions is available at the Office of Admissions. 

Resident/In-District

For tuition purposes, a resident in-district student is a student whose legal state of residency is New Mexico living within the boundaries of one of the participating school districts as outlined above.

Resident/Out-of District

For tuition purposes, a resident out-of-district student is a student whose legal state of residency is New Mexico, not living within the boundaries of one of the participating school districts as outlined above.

Non-Resident/Out-of-State

For tuition purposes, a non-resident out-of-state student is a student whose legal residency is not New Mexico.

Summary of Regulations for In-District Residency for Tuition Purposes

LCC classifies all New Mexico residents in one of two categories: Resident in-district or resident out-of-district. A resident out-of-district student must follow the same procedures that apply to a non-resident out-of-state student in order to satisfy resident in-district requirements for tuition purposes.

LCC is supported by a local three-mill levy assessed to those local school districts that have elected to be a participating school district of the LCC service area. In-district tuition calculations are based upon a student’s residency status within one of these participating school districts. Some residency information is initially determined from information provided on the application for admission.

Participating School Districts

The participating school districts are: West Las Vegas Schools, Las Vegas City Schools, Santa Rosa Consolidated Schools, Mora Independent Schools, Springer Municipal Schools, Maxwell Municipal Schools and Wagon Mound Public Schools.

APPELLATE PROCESS FOR RESIDENCY

If a student’s petition for residency is denied, the student may amend his/her petition with additional information in support of his/her cause. Amended petitions are reviewed by the same standards as original petitions. If the amended petition is denied, the student may appeal to the Residency Appeals Committee. The committee consists of the Director of Admissions, Registrar, Fiscal Office representative, and the Dean for Student Learning & Support Services (or his designee). This is the student’s last recourse prior to the courts.