Flagstaff vol. 11, issue 25

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I a biweekly newsletter for faculty and staff
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Vol. 11 No. 25 July 7,1998
TNCC Adds Assessment Fee
J Thomas Nelson Community College has begun charging new students a $5.00 fee to cover
expenses of assessment during the admission process.
I The Assessment Fee will be collected from students new to the college for assessment testing
M ^ H jjjjj in math, reading and computer skills. It is a one-time fee and will be collected at the time of
payment of the first semester's tuition. The primary purpose of the fee is to recapture the costs
the college has been paying for the commercially prepared standardized tests used in the assess-ment
process.
All new students registering for classes at TNCC must go through the assessment process.
Going through the assessment process allows us to maximize the information available to place
a student at the appropriate level in coursework. It can also provide some useful information to
help a student, with a counselor's advice, select a curriculum. Generally, though, assessment is
for course placement. Because TNCC serves a diverse population, we need to gather as much
information as possible about each individual student's skills, knowledge, educational experi-ence,
and so on, before enrolling him or her in classes. It's the personal touch that allows us to
be widely accessible to a broad range of students.
Because the Assessment Fee applies only to new students, and will be collected during the
first semester of enrollment, overall tuition and fee costs for a full-time Thomas Nelson Commu-nity
College student during their first year is $ 1,450.50 as compared to an average of $4,216.00 for
in-state students at Virginia's four-year colleges.
Q & A
Is it true that TNCC will charge $5.00 for an assessment fee?
Yes, it is true. It went into effect July 2,1998, for anyone actually turning in an application for
admission on that day or later. People who've already been admitted for fell will not be retroac-tively
charged (the charge is posted at the time the application is loaded to the SIS).
Also, what about students who do not need to be tested. Will they still be charged $5.00?
Yes. First of all, it's not just about placement tests; it's to cover the assessment of academic
preparedness, and it's tied to tuition. This fee is for all NEW students, in their first ever term of
enrollment at TNCC. Former students will not be charged, even if they are re-applying after a
period of non-enrollment. All incoming students must pay the fee, because they are "assessed,"
even if their testing is waived based on SAT, previous college, or division waiver.
What about military people who test at Langley and Ft Eustis or at the Nimitz? Will they have
to pay the fee?
Yes if their application for admission was loaded on or after July 2,1998.
Why is this just being announced now?
page 1 We apologize for the short notice. The fee was approved just weeks ago, as part of the strategy
for dealing with our current fiscal situation. Implementation details have just been worked out,
and we needed to clarify them before we could communicate the particulars to the campus
community.