Admissions

Students from other colleges or universities (outside the USC system) wishing to enroll at USCA to take courses they plan to transfer back to their home institution are considered transient students.

Transient students are responsible for determining if the courses they plan to take at USCA will transfer to their current college or university. Transient students are not eligible to receive financial aid through USCA but should contact their home institutions' Office of Financial Aid regarding transient financial aid eligibility.

Please note that acceptance to USCA does not guarantee enrollment into specific classes. Please refer to our Academic Bulletin for course restrictions and pre-requisite requirements. Many courses reach maximum capacity during priority registration before transient student registration.

Students from other USC campuses should contact their academic advisor or home campus registrar about the procedure they should follow to take courses on the Aiken campus.

Transient Student Admissions Process

1. Meet with your academic advisor at your home institution to determine which courses would be appropriate and obtain a transient permission form signed by your home institution permitting you to take a specified course or courses at USCA. Only your college or university can approve the transferability of courses. Providing this transient permission form waives the USCA Advisement requirement.
2. Complete a USCA undergraduate application (select the non-degree seeking status) and pay the $45 non-refundable application fee.
3. Turn in the transient permission form from your home institution to USCA's Office of Admissions. You must provide this form to be accepted to USCA. as a transient student.
4. Submit transcripts showing all college/university coursework attempted. This is required as the student may need to show proof of pre-requisite courses before registering for a specific course at USCA. Transcripts may be official or unofficial and should be sent to Admissions at admit@usca.edu. 
5. Verify your US citizenship or lawful immigration status - complete the Citizenship Form and return it to the Office of Admissions with supporting documentation.
6. Return documentation for all required Immunizations to the Office of Admissions.

Steps to Enroll:

1. If you wish to claim in-state residency for tuition purposes, please do so by logging in to your SSA ("Self Service Aiken" system) and completing the “South Carolina Residency Certification” process (button at the top right of the SSA Student tab). Self Service Aiken is a convenient, one-stop website enabling you to conduct most student transactions with a secure connection to your academic, financial, personal, and technology pages.
2. Transient students will be registered after USCA's continuing students have had the opportunity to participate in priority registration but before open registration begins for new students. You must complete the steps above before registration can take place.
3. Transfer Student Initiatives and Services Office will contact you regarding the course(s) you requested.
4. Pay fees. Fees may be paid online via the SSA system or in person in the Business Services Office, room 114, in the Penland Administration building.

Other Important Information

Campus Technology. For information on your USCA email account and other campus technology, visit the Help Desk website.

Books. Required texts and materials are available at the USCA Bookstore. 

Parking Decals. All students must pay a public safety fee and are issued a parking decal. After you pay your bill, parking decals are available at the University Police Office, Pacer Downs Community Building, during regular office hours

ID cards. All students will be issued a USCA ID (also known as a Carolina Card). ID cards are made in the University Police Office, Pacer Downs Community Building, during regular office hours

Campus Map. View USCA Campus Map

SSA - ("Self Service Aiken") is a convenient, one-stop website that enables you to conduct most of your student transactions with a secure connection to your academic, financial, personal, and technology pages.

Transferring credit back to home institution

After your course is over, you must have a USC transcript sent to your home institution to have your course credit transferred back. To request a PDF transcript, you must log in to your SSA account, select the “Student Records” tab, and click the "Request Your Electronic PDF Transcript" link.