Undergraduate Admission

Tamara Long, Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Engagement
ACU Box 29000; Abilene, Texas 79699-9000
Hunter Welcome Center, Suite 140

Phone: 325-674-2949
            800-460-6228
Fax: 325-674-2130
Email: info@admissions.acu.edu
Web: www.acu.edu/admissions

A goal of the dean of admissions is to admit a broad range of well-prepared students. The availability of student financial aid facilitates this goal by permitting the university to consider applicants without regard to their ability to pay full tuition costs (See the Financial Aid  section of this catalog.) Abilene Christian University complies with all applicable federal and state non-discrimination laws and does not engage in prohibited discrimination on the basis of race, color, nationality or ethnic origin, gender, age or disability in admissions decisions, financial aid and provision of student services, programs and activities. As a private educational institution, however, ACU reserves the right to deny admission to any applicant whose academic preparation, character or personal conduct is determined to be inconsistent with the purposes and objectives of the university.

The purpose of the admissions process is to identify applicants who are likely to succeed academically at ACU and contribute positively to the campus community. The process considers such factors as high school records (including courses taken, grade trends and rank in class), score on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), the American College Test (ACT), or the Classic Learning Test (CLT), extracurricular activities and honors. Admission or denial of admission is not based on any single factor.

Admission Categories

Freshman Student - A student matriculating from high school (regardless of college credits) or the GED program.

International Student - A student who is not a U.S. citizen and holds a non-immigrant visa (eligible to study in the U.S.).

Transfer Student - A student who has attended another accredited college or university and desires to attend ACU to pursue a degree.

Graduate Student - A student who has received a bachelor’s degree and is admitted to a master’s, specialist, doctoral degree program, or a graduate certificate program.

Former ACU Student (Readmission) - A student who previously attended ACU, was away for one or more semesters, and desires to return (includes students who were required to leave).

Second Baccalaureate Degree-Seeking Student - A student who has already completed one baccalaureate degree from ACU or another accredited university and is seeking to complete a second baccalaureate degree from ACU.

Transient (Special or Short Term) Student - A student who desires to take one or more courses at ACU without pursuing a degree.

Dual Credit Student - A student currently enrolled in high school who wishes to take college credit that also meets high school graduation requirements.

Intercollegiate Student  - A student who is admitted to ACU, Hardin-Simmons or McMurry and who takes courses at any of these universities to count toward his or her degree by completing an intercollegiate enrollment form.

Military or Veteran Student - Military service personnel and veterans of military service.

Academic Fresh Start Student - A student who previously attended ACU and has not been enrolled in any college or university for at least five years may request approval for Academic Fresh Start.

Online Baccalaureate Student - An adult student who desires to enroll in an online program.

Undergraduate Certificate Student - A student enrolling only in an undergraduate certificate program.

Freshman Admission

To be considered for admission to an undergraduate degree program at ACU, a prospective student must see that the dean of admissions receives the following:

1. Completed application form accompanied by a nonrefundable processing fee.
2. Official transcripts of all previous academic work. Students are required to submit official transcripts from the high school from which they graduated and any colleges they have attended. An official transcript is one that is delivered to the university via Docufide, SEND.edu, or in a sealed envelope, marked as official, and contains a date of graduation if applicable. The Dean of Admissions can consider freshman applications from students who have not graduated from high school but have passed the General Educational Development (GED) equivalency test and from persons 21 years of age or older who present strong evidence of ability to succeed in college. To prepare for the general education requirements at ACU, a strong college preparatory program is recommended, including coursework in humanities, science, social science, and several years of mathematics, English, and foreign language.
3. Students can apply for admissions test-optional, or with a college admissions test. The SAT, ACT, or CLT scores (not required of some transfer and International students, see the Transfer Admission or International Admission sections of this catalog) can be considered for admissions.

College Board - SAT Programs (Customer Service)
PO Box 025505
Miami, Florida 33102
SAT COLLEGE CODE FOR ACU IS 6001.
www.collegeboard.com

ACT Records
301 ACT Drive
PO Box 451
Iowa City, Iowa 52243-0451
ACT COLLEGE CODE FOR ACU IS 4050.
www.actstudent.org

CLT Records
73 Franklin Street
Annapolis, MD 21401
info@cltexam.com

SAT, ACT, or CLT scores are not required for admission. Students applying and admitted without test scores are required to take the Accuplacer placement exams for college course placement. Contact SAT or ACT directly to request scores.

Additional Requirements After Being Granted Admission to ACU

1. Residence Halls
   ACU Box 29004; Abilene, Texas 79699-9004
   McGlothlin Campus Center, Lower Level
   Phone: 325-674-2066
   Fax: 325-6746475
   Email: reslife@acu.edu
   Web: www.acu.edu/reslife
   All students who have been out of high school less than two years are required to live in ACU residence halls. Newly admitted students must request housing online through their myACU portal. Assignments are made according to several factors, including the date applications are completed within the portal, roommate preferences, and hall availability. Current students apply for second-year residence halls through a lottery process held in the spring semester of each year. An off-campus housing petition is required of students who are making a special request to live off campus for one of the following reasons: they wish to live with their parent or guardian, they are married, they have been out of high school more than two years, or they are 21 or older. To obtain an application, please visit www.acu.edu/reslife. Additional information on living and learning at ACU can be found in the Residence Life Education and Housing section of this catalog.
    
2. Student Immunization Form
   Completed student immunization forms with a current medical history and immunization records are required at the time of registration. Student immunization forms must be submitted to Health Services by August 1 for the fall term. Deadline for the spring term is December 1. Forms are available at acu.edu/medical, in the “forms” section.
   To ensure the health and safety of our campus, immunization against communicable diseases is extremely important. Vaccination against Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) and Meningococcal Meningitis, as well as a Tetanus booster and a completed Tuberculosis questionnaire, are required of all first-time freshmen and transfer students.
   Please have the Student Immunization Form completed and signed by a healthcare professional, or complete the form and include an official photocopy of your records (see list of acceptable records below), and send to:

   Student Immunization Form ACU Box 29000 Abilene, Texas 79699-9000 Or fax it to 325-674-2130.

   Acceptable records demonstrating your immunizations may only be obtained from the following;

   High School or previous college or university records - These may contain some, but not all of your immunization information. They must have an official stamp or signature. Your immunization records do not transfer automatically. You must request a copy. Personal shot records - Must be verified by a doctor’s stamp or signature or by a clinic or health department stamp. Local Health Department Military records or WHO (World Health Organization) documents

   Be certain that your name, date of birth and ID number appear on each sheet and that all forms are submitted together. The records must include the dates of vaccine administration - including the month, day and year. All records must be in English. Please keep a copy for your records.
   
   If you have any questions about these immunizations, please call the ACU Health Services Office at 325-674-2625 or visit the web site at www.acu.edu/medical.
    
3. Final High School Transcript
   To enroll in course work at ACU, all students must submit an official, final high school transcript with a posted graduation date. If a student’s academic performance significantly declines between the time of application submission and the receipt of final transcripts, or if their self-reported test scores are inaccurate, an offer of admission may be revoked.

International Student Admission

Janet Chowning, Director of International Admissions
Office of Admissions
Hunter Welcome Center 241
ACU Box 29000; Abilene, Texas 79699-9000 USA

Phone: 325-674-4917
Fax: 325-674-2710
Email: acu.international@acu.edu
Web: www.acu.edu/international

International students applying for admission to Abilene Christian University are given the same consideration as domestic students, except that they might substitute the SAT and ACT requirements, at the discretion of the ACU Dean of Admissions, with other international standardized assessments. Also, international students must show evidence of their ability to understand and use English sufficiently well to succeed in their work at ACU. ACU may request that an applicant have their transcript evaluated by a preferred third party (usually a NACES member organization) for degree clarification.

University Access Programs issues the I-20 form and Certificate of Eligibility to international students admitted to the university.

University Access Programs issues immigration documents to admitted international students who have met the English language and financial requirements of the university.

International Students in Online Programs

International students admitted to online programs are fully responsible for maintaining their immigration status by other means, because the online programs do not satisfy the requirements of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Therefore, no student visa will be issued through online programs. International students admitted to online programs must submit evidence of English proficiency but will not be required to submit financial documents.

Transfer Admission

Regardless of college credits, students matriculating from high school in 2024 will follow the freshman admission procedure.

For students with 24 or more transferable hours at the time of application:

Transfer applicants must submit an official transcript from each college previously attended. To be official, a transcript labeled “official” by the issuing institution must be transmitted in a sealed envelope directly from the issuing institution to ACU or be submitted through an approved electronic source such as Docufide or SEND.edu. They must be in good standing with the college or university previously attended. Those on suspension at another institution are not eligible for admission to ACU.

For students with less than 24 transferable hours at the time of application:

Transfer applicants must meet freshmen admission requirements and submit an official transcript from each college previously attended. To be official, a transcript labeled “official” by the issuing institution must be transmitted in a sealed envelope directly from the issuing institution to ACU or be submitted through an approved electronic source such as Docufide or SEND.edu. They must be in good standing with the college or university previously attended. Those on suspension at another institution are not eligible for admission to ACU.

*Note: All students must complete a minimum of 40 hours at ACU regardless of how many transfer hours they bring in.

Texas Core Complete

Undergraduate students who transfer to ACU who have earned credit for all core requirements for a degree at a Texas public institution and are designated as “Core Complete” on their official transcript will have limited ACU General Education Requirements to complete. Transfer students who are designated as “Core Complete” will take 9-12 hours of Bible (based on the total number of hours credited to their ACU degree) and 3 hours of sophomore literature; all other General Education Requirements are satisfied.

Bible and CORE Requirements for Transfer Students

Incoming students transferring to ACU who have been full time students at other institutions (and having matriculated from high school prior to 2024) will have university Bible and CORE requirements based on the number of hours credited to their ACU degrees as specified in the following tables:

Transferring Credit from Institutions that are Not Regionally Accredited

Students wishing to transfer courses to ACU from institutions that are not regionally accredited must:

• Complete one semester as a full-time student at ACU with a GPA of at least 2.5.
• Provide course descriptions and academic credentials of each instructor for the courses that are to be considered for transfer.
• Request a transfer reevaluation after their first semester at ACU.

During their first semester at ACU, students will qualify for financial aid based only on the number of hours previously earned at regionally accredited institutions, if any. After one semester, financial aid eligibility will be recalculated, upon request, and based on the total number of hours that have been awarded under this policy.

Graduate Admission

See the Graduate Academic Information  section of this catalog.

Former ACU Student (Readmission)

Office of the Registrar
ACU Box 29141; Abilene, Texas 79699-9141
Hardin Administration Building, Room 207

Phone: 325-674-2236
Fax: 325-674-2238
Email: registrar@acu.edu
Web: www.acu.edu/registrar

All students who leave the university for more than one long semester must apply for readmission. All students who leave the university on academic probation or suspension or with disciplinary concerns must also apply for readmission. Their cases will be taken before the University Readmission Committee to determine their eligibility to return to ACU. Decisions made by the committee are made based on a variety of factors, looking at the holistic view of the student, rather than just one factor. The decision of the University Readmission Committee is final. Those students on academic suspension from another institution will not be eligible for readmission to ACU.

Students wanting to apply for readmission should refer to Office of the Registrar’s website for links to the Undergraduate or Graduate Readmission instructions and application forms. Note that the deadlines for applying each semester will be strictly enforced.

Second Baccalaureate Degree Student

Office of the Registrar
ACU Box 29141; Abilene, Texas 79699-9141
Hardin Administration Building, Room 207

Phone: 325-674-2236
Fax: 325-674-2238
Email: registrar@acu.edu
Web: www.acu.edu/registrar

Students who have already attained a baccalaureate degree from ACU must apply for re-admission through the Office of the Registrar.

All students who have a baccalaureate degree from another accredited institution must apply for admission to the university through the Admissions office.

Students applying to ACU in this category will be required to provide copies of all college transcripts, as well as all other admissions documents that are required for other undergraduate students. Students seeking a second baccalaureate degree will be required to meet the university requirements for the degree they are pursuing and must have at least 24 hours in addition to the work completed for their first degree. All students must complete a minimum of 40 hours at ACU regardless of how many transfer hours they bring in.

Transient (Special or Short Term) Students

Office of the Registrar
ACU Box 29141; Abilene, Texas 79699-9141
Hardin Administration Building, Room 207

Phone: 325-674-2236
Fax: 325-674-2238
Email: registrar@acu.edu
Web: www.acu.edu/registrar

Students who want to take courses for academic credit but are not seeking a degree from ACU may be admitted on a semester-by-semester basis as transient, or non-degree, students. This provision applies, for example, to students enrolled in another college, qualified high school students, and visiting summer students. Transient applicants must:

1. Complete a Special Student Application, available in the Office of the Registrar or online at www.acu.edu/registrar.
2. Submit an official high school or college transcript.
3. High school students must also submit a letter of permission from a high school counselor or principal.

Students from other institutions are urged to confer with their own advisor before enrolling at ACU. Students who have a baccalaureate degree but want to take additional undergraduate courses must apply through the ACU’s Office of the Registrar.

Non-degree students who later decide to continue their work at ACU must apply for admission to a degree program following published procedures. The fact that they have been admitted to non-degree status for one or more semesters does not guarantee their admission to a degree program at ACU.

Dual Credit Courses at ACU

Jonathan Shelburne
Wildcat Central
McGlothlin Campus Center, Rm 122G
Abilene, Texas 79699-9002

Phone: 325-674-6759
Email: jbs14a@acu.edu
Web: https://acu.edu/office-of-the-provost/dual-transfer-credit/

ACU offers the opportunity for students to take up to seven credit hours per fall or spring term with a maximum of 24 credit hours which can apply both as college credit and toward fulfilling high school requirements. Any course at ACU may be taken as dual credit provided the student meets requirements for admission and prerequisite requirements for the course. Prerequisite requirements for courses can be found in the Course Descriptions  section of the catalog.

Students at participating private secondary schools may enroll in up to seven hours of ACU’s online, hybrid, or classroom-based dual credit offerings at their schools.

Costs

These courses are offered to high school students at greatly reduced rates. Students will be responsible for books and/or materials for each course taken. The cost for books and materials varies greatly by course. Individual course fees also may apply. On-campus students will be responsible for purchasing an ACU Parking Pass. No other discounts or scholarships, such as the Faculty-Employee Discount, will apply to these hours.

Requirements

• Students must have high school counselor and parent approval prior to enrollment.
• Admission to dual credit is based on a student’s application and ACT or SAT college readiness scores. English/Reading scores of 19-ACT or 470-SAT and Math/Quantitative scores of 20-ACT or 500-SAT are the preferred minimum section score requirements. If a student has not taken the ACT or SAT, or has not met ACU’s desired minimum, a high school counselor or administrator can recommend a student for dual enrollment through our Dual Credit Recommendation Form on the dual credit webpage.
• Students will be limited to a maximum of seven credit hours per semester.
• On campus students are to adhere to ACU’s Immunization Policy.
• Students must follow student conduct expectations as specified in the ACU Student Handbook.

Other Information

Students enrolling in an on-campus course for dual credit will be registered after current ACU students have registered. Typically, this means that students will be registered in late May for the fall term and in late November for the spring term. When an ACU section is full, no dual credit students will be allowed to register for that section without special permission of the department and instructor. Students seeking to take upper level courses at ACU also will need special permission from the department and instructor of the class.

Students enrolled in an on-campus course are expected to attend class based on the ACU Academic Calendar and not their high school calendar.

Military and Veterans Admission

Jenna Cheatham, VA Certification Officer
Office of the Registrar
ACU Box 29141; Abilene, Texas 79699-9141
Hardin Administration Building, Room 309

Phone: 325-674-2777
Fax: 325-674-2238
Email: vabenefits@acu.edu
Web: www.acu.edu/registrar/veterans.html

Veterans (or dependents planning to use benefits) applying for admission to the university should follow the normal university admissions process, but they should also contact, as early as possible, the VA Certification Officer in the Office of the Registrar to expedite the handling of VA forms needed to qualify for benefits.

Military service personnel and veterans may be admitted as freshmen or transfer students. In addition, they may receive credit for successful completion of college-level military service schools as set forth in the American Council on Education’s “Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services.”

Veterans will be required to submit all military transcripts to ACU as a condition of admission, even though some hours of military credit may not count toward ACU degree plans.

Academic Fresh Start Applicant

Dr. Eric Gumm, Registrar
ACU Box 29104; Abilene, Texas 79699-9104
Hardin Administration Building, Room 207

Phone: 325-674-2300
Fax: 325-674-6112
Email: registrar@acu.edu

Academic Fresh Start allows students who previously attended Abilene Christian University to start over and have all previous courses and grades excluded from a new degree program. All previous courses and grades remain on the student’s transcript but are not counted toward the new degree program, earned hours or GPA.

Any undergraduate student who previously attended ACU may request approval for Academic Fresh Start provided at least five years have elapsed since he or she was last enrolled in any college or university. Approval for Academic Fresh Start must be made before registering in courses.

Online Baccalaureate Student Admission

Jessica Manning, Chief Enrollment and Partnerships Officer
Online Admissions, ACU Dallas Campus
16633 Dallas Parkway Suite 800
Addison, TX 75001

Email: onlineadmissions@acu.edu
Web: https://www.acu.edu/online.html 

Abilene Christian University’s Online Baccalaureate programs are intended for non-traditional students interested in obtaining a bachelor’s degree online. 

Students should send the following to the Online Admissions office:

• Completed “Online Undergraduate Program” application accompanied by a non-refundable processing fee.  
• Official transcripts of all previous academic work. Students are required to submit official transcripts from any colleges they have attended by the end of the second session in the online program. For students who have fewer than 24 hours accepted for credit, the official high school transcript or official GED certificate must be submitted by the end of the second session.

Admission to an Undergraduate Certificate Program

ACU offers multiple undergraduate certificate programs. Some students complete these certificate programs in conjunction with an undergraduate degree program. If a student is not matriculated in an undergraduate degree program, he or she must apply for the certificate program. If the student decides to apply any part of the certificate toward an undergraduate degree, he or she must apply and be admitted into that degree program.