Admissions

Heritage University, because of its size, location and emphasis on personalized education, considers each applicant on an individual basis. The university welcomes students who are motivated to learn, who have a genuine desire to attend Heritage, and who show evidence of being able to benefit from the educational programs. The admissions procedure has been established to help gather information that is relevant to making a decision based on these criteria.

Acceptance to the university results from an overall assessment of background rather than arbitrary standards for grades, test scores, courses taken or achievements. Because the university is small and personalized, the administration, faculty and staff are happy to take the time to explain the admissions process.

Freshman Admission

A student who has graduated from an accredited high school is eligible for admission. The university also admits students who have successfully completed the General Educational Development (GED®) test or its equivalent. While no specific high school subject matter is required for admission, the university recommends that prospective students complete the following:

• English: 3 years
• History: 3 years
• Laboratory science: 1 year
• Mathematics: 2 years
• Other academic subjects (such as language, social science, etc.): 4 years

A Heritage University undergraduate application for admission: Available online at heritage.edu/apply.  

An official high school transcript or GED transcript: After admittance, with submission of official test scores, credit may be given for College Level Examination Program (CLEP), Seal of Biliteracy World Language Examination, Advanced Placement (AP), or International Baccalaureate (IB) coursework.

We encourage students to submit official transcript(s) for placement review. In addition, if you have taken ACT, SAT and or the Smarter Balanced exams we encourage you to submit the official scores to the Office of Admissions for placement review.

Part of transcript review may include, at the request of the student and program chair, review of world language taken at the high school level in order to potentially waive the world language content requirement needed to fulfill the General University Course Requirements. Two (2) full years (2 high school credits) of world language at the high school level (8 high school quarters, 4 semesters, or 4 trimesters) is equal to three (3) Heritage (semester) world language credits. Students should speak to their advisors regarding this potential waiver of course content.

International Undergraduate and Graduate Student Admission

Students who are U.S. citizens or have permanent resident alien (green card) status are classified as domestic students; others are classified as international students. An international student may not register for courses until full acceptance to the university has been granted. For admission, students must submit the following documents:

1. A completed application for admission (www.heritage.edu/apply).
2. An essay or writing sample submitted to admissions@heritage.edu.  Graduate students submit a statement of purpose/expectation instead of the writing sample.
3. A certified transcript from high school or equivalent studies and from each college/university attended. These documents must be provided with a foreign credential evaluation.  Transcript evaluation can be done by any of the organizations with the membership in NACES (The National Association of Credential Evaluation Services). We recommend the following companies: World Education Services and Foundation for International Services.
4. For graduate admissions, a non-refundable application fee of $95.00* paid with a check, money order or credit card by phone at (509) 865-8507.
5. A completed university Confirmation of Financial Resources form reflecting a balance covering the cost associated with the program.  For Undergraduate students $33,850 U.S. dollars and for Graduate students a range between $34,135-$56,160 depending on the graduate program of interest must be available to the student. Please click here to review the cost per program.
6. Satisfactory proof of English proficiency by one of the following:
   1. The TOEFL iBT and TOEFL PBT are accepted.
      1. A minimal score of TOEFL iBT for undergraduate is 88
      2. A minimal score of TOEFL iBT for graduate is 97
      3. A minimal score of TOEFL PBT for undergraduate is 500
      4. A minimal score of TOEFL PBT for graduate is 550
   2. Transcript from a U.S. school verifying completion of an English as a Second Language (ESL) Program reflecting satisfactory progress.
   3. High school or university instruction taught in English and verified by a transcript.

1. Personal provision must be made for housing and transportation since Heritage does not provide student housing and public transportation is not available in the area.

An I-20 form is issued only when all the above materials have been submitted and evaluated and the student has been admitted. This document authorizes the student to request a proper   visa to study at Heritage University.

These requirements may change if required by U.S. federal authorities. Consult with the Office of Admissions for the latest information.

* All monetary amounts in this document are in U.S. dollars.

Masters Degree Student Admission

Applicants with a baccalaureate, masters, or doctoral degree from an institution accredited by a regional or national accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). should send the following items to the Office of Admissions:

1. A graduate application for admission on the website (www.heritage.edu/apply)
2. A nonrefundable application fee. Please call (509)-865-8508 for more information.
3. Official transcript from the college/university from which you earned your Baccalaureate degree.

Completion of this three-step university application process is the first part of admission to a graduate program. After receiving formal notification of admission to the graduate division of the university, an applicant may then meet with a graduate program chair to, a) Seek final acceptance into a graduate program specialization, b) Develop a formalized course of study detailing required classes and the sequence of classes to be taken and c) Register for classes.

Transfer Student Admission

All transfer students must contact the Admissions office to ensure understanding of transfer credits and transfer degrees. Transfer students need to submit the following documents to Admissions:

1. A Heritage University application for admission.
2. An official transcript from each college/university attended.
3. A high school transcript or GED is also required of students who have not completed a Washington State AA-DTA degree.
4. A Heritage University Placement Assessment is required of students who have less than an A.A. degree. Exceptions are considered on an individual basis.
5. Students who have completed the appropriate Associate of Arts Direct Transfer Agreement (DTA) degree from Washington community colleges are admitted with junior standing. However, completion of an AADTA degree does not guarantee admission to Heritage University.  

See Transfer Credit Policy for more information.

Veterans Admission

Veterans of the U.S. military services apply for admittance, as indicated above, to the university and for Veterans benefits simultaneously. The university may allow credit for military service activities that have educational content to students who present acceptable military records. Credit for military service is evaluated based on the recommendation from the American Council on Education’s (ACE) Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Forces. Such official records are submitted as part of admission credentials.

University academic programs of study are approved by the Higher Education Coordinating Board’s State Approving Agency (HECB/SAA) for enrollment of persons eligible to receive educational benefits under Title 38 and Title 10, U.S. Code.

The university complies with Executive Order 13607 (Principles of Excellence). Prior to registration, Veterans need to contact the Registrar’s office for academic counseling, financial aid counseling and student support services at Heritage.

Re-Admission Undergraduate Students

Former Heritage undergraduate students who have not been actively enrolled for one year are classified as inactive and must apply for re-admittance by completing the regular admissions process. Returning students who have been inactive for one or more years graduate under the requirements listed in the catalog current at the time of re-entry.

Re-Admission Graduate Students

Heritage graduate students who have not been actively enrolled for one year are classified as inactive and must apply for re-admittance to the university by completing the regular admissions process. Returning students who have been inactive for one or more years graduate under the requirements listed in the catalog current at the time of re-entry.

Re-admission is a requirement for any matriculated student who has finished a graduate course of study and returns to Heritage for another course of study, such as a certificate or an endorsement. Students seeking re-admittance need to apply for re-admission and pay the current admission fee.

Non-Degree Students

Students who do not wish to pursue a program leading toward a degree or certificate may register for courses if space permits; if prerequisites are satisfied; and if they hold a high school diploma, GED, or its equivalent. Non-Degree seeking students are not eligible for financial aid. Non-Degree seeking undergraduate students may earn a maximum of 12 credits while Non-Degree graduate students may only take 8 semester credits. . The maximum amount of credits for undergraduate students may be applied to a degree or certificate depending on program requirements and acceptance to the institution as well as the grade received in the courses. In addition, graduate credits earned as a non-degree seeking student may not be applied to any degree or certificate unless the non-degree seeking student applies to the institution as a graduate student and is officially admitted into a graduate program.

Auditing Courses

Students who wish to take a course but without tests, credits, or grade may register to audit. Permission to audit is granted on the condition that space is available. The special fees for audit are detailed in the financial policies section.