Southwest Florida College is authorized under federal law to enroll nonimmigrant students. In addition to the admissions requirements listed above, the following requirements apply to nonimmigrant students seeking admission to the College.

1. Affidavit of financial support

2. Demonstration of English language proficiency (TOEFL score of 500 or more) or equivalent

3. Must meet all current INS requirements for issuance of a Form-120, Certificate of Eligibility for nonimmigrant Student Status

Please note that all documents must be originals or certified true copies of the original documents.

Once requirements are complete, applicants will receive a Form-120 with an acceptance letter and instructions for obtaining a student visa. Please direct questions regarding completion of the admissions materials to the College's Admissions Office.

Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) provides adult learners with an opportunity to receive college credit through demonstration of prior college-level learning. The program provides a standardized process for awarding academic credit for prior college-level learning through Proficiency Examinations such as CLEP or Challenge Exams, Placement Assessment, Transcript Evaluation, Certifications and Training, and the Prior Learning Portfolio.

The PLA process helps to determine if academic credit can be awarded for the learning associated with life experiences. Such learning experiences may be associated with work, military service, professional training, hobbies, recreational activities, and other meaningful activities. These learning experiences are evaluated for their equivalency to specific Southwest Florida College courses and/or ability to satisfy institutional and degree requirements. The amount of credit which may be earned depends upon the scope and depth of the learning in each specific area. The Prior Learning Assessment Program is course-based, which means that credit may be earned for specific Southwest Florida College courses as identified in the degree plan. Careful advising is required to assure that students do not duplicate any courses previously credited. This guidance will be provided by the Portfolio Instructor and the Program Managers. Please refer to the Tuition and Fees section for information on the costs associated with PLA.

Student’s time in residence may be shortened through Transfer Credit, Standardized Testing, Challenge Exams, or through Credit for Life Experience. The Maximum amount of Advanced standing credit, regardless of source, cannot exceed 62.5% of the total program length. Academic credit that is awarded through one of the following methods is not calculated in the student’s cumulative grade point average but is factored into the determination of the maximum time in which a program must be completed.

Transfer Credit - Students with earned college credit from another regionally or nationally accredited institution may apply to have those credits transferred into their program. Students seeking transfer credit must have an official transcript of their prior work mailed directly to the registrar.

Standardized Testing - The College awards credit for the successful completion of College Level Examination Program (CLEP), ACT-PEP or DANTES subject testing as well as for other professional certification examinations that are recognized by the American Council of Education. Official test scores must be sent to the Registrar.

Challenge Exams - Challenge Exams are intended to give students with advanced knowledge and/or skills the opportunity to demonstrate their competency and receive academic credit. The College recommends that Challenge Exams be taken shortly after acceptance to help avoid scheduling conflicts. The College will allow up to 24 credit hours earned through Challenge Exams. Students wanting to take a Challenge Exam must first meet with a Financial Aid Officer to satisfy all financial requirements and then meet with the College Librarian to schedule the examination.

A specific Challenge Exam may be attempted only one time and a final score of 70% or higher is needed to earn academic credit for the course. Challenge Exams cannot be substituted for a course previously taken or for one in which the student is currently enrolled.

Compass Assessment - Entering students who score above a certain standard on the Compass Assessment have the opportunity to receive advanced standing credit and will be charged a fee equal to 25% of the current tuition for each course for which credit is granted. Students who choose to receive advanced standing credit from the Compass Assessment will be required to make payment in full, for those credits, on or before the end of their first full term of enrollment. Students unable or unwilling to make payment by that date will forfeit the opportunity and be scheduled for classes accordingly.