You  can apply for admission to Southwest Virginia Community College in a few easy steps.

Students choose Southwest Virginia Community College for its convenience, affordability, and welcoming environment. We work hard to ensure that you have a positive experience—beginning with our admissions process. There’s no fee to apply, and you can complete the application online. Just follow the steps below to get started.

STEP ONE:  Contact a Student Success Advisor to help you.

They will assist you with clarifying your program of study, completing any career exploration needed, and determining the correct level of English and math you are ready for. In addition, they will explain any additional steps required if you know that you want to apply for a competitive program, such as Nursing, Practical Nursing, Occupational Therapy Assistant, Radiography, Administration of Justice, and Emergency Medical Services Technology. Visit the Health Technologies page for program information and application forms.

All students have a lifetime limit on the number of college credits that can be paid for via federal financial aid. To avoid wasting credits on courses that don’t advance your educational goals, making contact with a Student Success Advisor is critical.

Advisors

STEP TWO: Determine your Program of Study.

This is a critical step. If you don’t know what you really want to do, talk to your Student Success Advisor about it, and sign in to create an account to use our free Career Assessment tool.

Once you have completed this assessment, you will be shown a list of potential careers, salary information specific to our region, and programs at Southwest that will get you there!

STEP THREE: Fill out the SWCC online admissions form.

To apply for admission to Southwest Virginia Community College, you’ll use the free online admissions system of the Virginia Community College System (VCCS).

• If you have previously attended another VCCS school, be sure to select SWCC as your default school when you fill out the application form.
• While official transcripts from your high school, and (if applicable) previous colleges or universities you’ve attended is not required to process your application, we ask that you go ahead and request them to be sent to Southwest so that if you are selected for verification, we will not have to delay your financial aid award.
• Once you submit the application you will automatically receive a free MYSouthwest account. You’ll use this account to:
  • access Navigate where you will plan out your path at Southwest;
  • the Student Information System (SIS) where you will see your official records at Southwest;
  • your student Gmail account (assigned once you enroll in classes);
  • Canvas where you will complete course activities, and find many more tools to support your learning experience.

Please note that a "New Student Hold" is placed on all new applicants. New students must schedule an advising session with a Student Success Advisor before the hold is removed and enrollment access granted.

STEP FOUR: Complete the Direct Enrollment Survey.

Placement testing is not required at Southwest. Just complete the direct enrollment survey at https://desurvey.vccs.edu/ . This will indicate what level of Math and English that will best serve your needs. You will need to know your MYSouthwest username and password in order to access the survey, and we encourage you to save a copy of your results to share with your Student Success Advisor.

STEP FIVE: Apply for Financial Aid.

Even if you don’t think you will qualify for Pell (federal aid that does not have to be repaid,) you should still apply. This will serve as the first step to qualifying for other funding sources at Southwest, include state & local financial aid programs and scholarships.

Start with completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). We have Financial Aid Specialists ready to assist you with this complex process. Contact them at 276.964.7724.

Note: You are a “Full-time” student if you plan to enroll in 12 or more credit hours. A student taking less than 12 credit hours is considered part-time.

STEP SIX: Register for Classes

Plan the order of your courses and enroll via MySouthwest. Refer to the Southwest Self-Enrollment Guide. You can view course schedules online and read course descriptions in our Catalog / Student Handbook.

STEP SEVEN: Pay your Tuition

Southwest Virginia Community College offers affordable degrees. View tuition and fee information here.

Southwest also has free tuition options available. The first step in each is to apply for financial aid (FAFSA). See tuition-free options.

If you have already completed your financial aid application and have been approved for aid, your bill will be automatically credited by the amount of your financial aid award. Please check your SIS To-Do List regularly to make sure that you do not have to supply any additional documents in order to be awarded. If you do not supply everything required, you may be responsible for your tuition.

If you do not have Financial Aid, the Paying for College page gives info on payment methods that are available to you.

If you have any questions about the admissions process, don’t hesitate to ask. We’re here to help! Contact the Southwest Virginia Community College Admissions Office at 276.964.7238 or admissions@sw.edu.

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