Undergraduate Admissions Policy
Thomas Edison State University was established to serve adult learners. Its mission “…provides distinctive undergraduate and graduate education for self-directed adults.” The University’s admission policy is reflective of its mission and purpose. Application for admissions does not guarantee admission to the University.
Criteria for Admission
In order to be admitted to the University as a regular student, an applicant must:
- possess a high school degree or its GED equivalent, or a secondary home school diploma that meets the requirements of the applicant's state of residency, and
- be 20 years of age or older, or 18 years or older and an active member of the United States military.
- individuals under 18 years of age will not be permitted to take courses or enroll in the University.
Admission Waiver
Applicants (degree seeking and nonmatriculated) who are 18-19 years, and who do not meet the military criteria for admission may apply for special consideration by:
- possessing a high school degree, GED, or a secondary home school diploma that meets the requirements of the applicant’s state of residency, and having earned a minimum of 24 credits from an institutionally accredited college/university with a grade point average of 2.0 or higher; and
- completing the Age Waiver Petition Request Form.
Applicants (degree seeking and non-matriculated) who are 18-19 years, and who possess a high school degree, GED, or a secondary home school diploma that meets the requirements of the applicant’s state of residency, but have earned LESS than 24 credits, or have earned their credits from an approved University course provider who is not institutionally accredited, must take the Accuplacer, next Generation examination within 30 days of applying, and achieve scores of:
Reading Comprehension: 236 or higher
Sentence Skills: 241 or higher
Arithmetic: 216 or higher
Students are limited to taking the Accuplacer examination to two times within a 12-month period.
Students may request Accuplacer information be sent to them by completing the Age Waiver Petition Request Form.
It is strongly encouraged that applicants between the ages of 18-20 make filling out the Age Waiver Petition Request Form their first step in the application process.
Thomas Edison State University contracts with professional organizations, businesses, governmental entities, and other colleges and universities for the delivery of various educational services. Individuals affiliated with these groups seeking to enroll at the University will be subject to the admissions qualifications contained in the relevant contracts. (Interested parties should contact their human resources department or admissions@tesu.edu to determine if their employer currently contracts with the University for higher education opportunities and if their agreements contain any unique admissions requirements.)
The University maintains sole discretion for determining those students who would benefit appropriately from the learning and educational processes of this institution. The University also has the discretion to require applicants to submit any information that the University deems significant, including documentation from other institutions that requires an applicant's consent for release. Failure to cooperate and/or to follow the admissions procedures and University directions may result in revised status, including the rescission of admission. The University reserves the authority to revise an applicant's status at any time, based on continued consideration of eligibility, up until the time an applicant becomes an enrolled student. Thomas Edison State University is an Equal Opportunity institution, in compliance with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 and other applicable laws and regulations.