Release of Student Records Policy
The College will comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) when collecting, maintaining, and releasing student records. Students have rights regarding their records.
(a) The right to inspect and review their education records within 45 days of the College’s receipt of a written request for access.
(b) The right to request amendment of the student’s education records if the student believes the records are inaccurate, misleading, or violate the student’s privacy rights.
(c) The right to provide written consent before the College discloses personally identifiable information from the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.
(d) The right to file a complaint with the Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, concerning alleged failures by the College to comply with the requirements of FERPA.
The College collects directory information regarding each student. Directory information includes the student’s name, classification, full or part-time enrollment, program of study, dates of enrollment, degrees and certificates received, and awards and honors received. The College may release directory information without the student’s consent unless the student requests that the College not release directory information.
Any student objecting to the release of all or any portion of such information must complete the FERPA release at my.LoneStar.edu in the online Student Center under Personal Information - Security/FERPA Restrictions.
Release of any additional information pertaining to student records must be authorized by the student (i.e., grades, transcripts). The student’s parents may authorize release of information if the student is younger than 18 years of age and a dependent as defined by the Internal Revenue Service. A student or parents of a student under the age of 18 may request to view the student’s educational records with a written request to the student services office at the college(s) attended.
Classification Status
First year student: 0 to 29 semester hours of credit earned. (Freshman)
Second year student: 30 or more semester hours of credit earned. (Sophomore)
Enrollment Status
For the fall, spring or summer semester, a full-time student is one enrolled in at least 12 credit hours as of the Official Day of record of the semester. Verifications of enrollment are not released until the Official Day of the semester. Students can access a verification of enrollment at my.LoneStar.edu.
Exceptions may be permitted for special programs. Contact student records for additional information concerning certification of enrollment status.
Veteran’s status must be verified with the Veterans Affairs office at gibill@LoneStar.edu or 281.290.2922.
Grade Reports
Students are expected to monitor progress in their courses. Final grade reports are available at my.LoneStar.edu at the end of each semester.
Students should review the transcript/grade report for accuracy. An academic appeal is a formal request brought by a student to change a grade, or to challenge a penalty imposed for violation of standards of academic integrity, such as plagiarism or cheating. A request to change a grade or to challenge a penalty must be made within twelve (12) months of the action. A grade may only be changed by the instructor of record (or by a full-time instructor in the absence of the instructor of record) or by the Academic Appeals Committee.
Repetition of Courses
When a student repeats a course, all grades remain on the record with a notation for the course no longer used in GPA calculation. The cumulative grade point average will be adjusted to reflect the higher grade received for the course. When a course is repeated, the credit hours will be counted only once toward graduation, unless a degree plan specifies that a course may be repeated for additional credit. If a student registers again for a course with a current mark of I or Incomplete, the I becomes an F.
The College may charge a student higher tuition than standard tuition for repeated courses or carrying excess hours beyond those allowed for a student to keep paying in-state tuition and fees. The higher tuition rates and criteria are published in the College’s annual course catalog. For more details, go to LoneStar.edu/repeatcourse.
Degree Plans and Transfer Guides
Advisors, counselors, and faculty will assist students in planning course schedules to meet specific degree plans or certificates as outlined in this catalog. A currently enrolled student whose goal is to pursue a baccalaureate degree may request a transfer guide which provides specific information relating to course transfer to other colleges or universities.
Students should refer to admissions/program requirements for the four-year college or university they intend to transfer to for specific details. There have been some statewide fields of study (agreements between community colleges and universities) that have been approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) for a selected group of majors. See the advising/counseling office for additional information: LoneStar.edu/advising.
Note: Students who enroll in classes in excess of 30 hours beyond the baccalaureate degree plan (at Texas public colleges and universities) may be required to pay out-of-state tuition rates for additional credits.
Tuition rebates up to $1,000 are available to students if they complete their bachelor’s degree with having attempted no more than three hours above the requirements for the degree. This program is available for coursework related to the first baccalaureate degree received from a Texas public university, and it is available for students who have enrolled for the first time in higher education in the fall 1997 semester or later. The student must be a Texas resident and attempted all coursework at a Texas public institution of higher education.
Transfer of Credit from LSC to Other Institutions
The College shall adopt a policy to enhance the transfer of students based on the recommendations of the permanent advisory committee established by Section 51.3521 of the Education Code.
The transcript of credit earned is an official copy of the students complete academic record accumulated at Lone Star College. Transcripts can be requested at LoneStar.edu/Transcript. After the request has been submitted or after the close of a semester, the student should allow approximately one week for delivery.
Copies of student transcripts from another school will not be released through LSC. Official transcripts should always be requested from the institution at which credit was earned.
Official transcripts may be withheld if any financial obligations to the college have not been paid or if all official transfer transcripts have not been received.
Some courses in the program of instruction may not transfer. Several are designed specifically for job entry or career preparation, and these frequently are not transferable. Such courses are listed in the associate of applied science degree plans and the requirements for a certificate. Since developmental courses will not apply toward the completion of a degree, they do not transfer. In other instances, courses in the LSC curriculum which are taught at the junior level or above in a senior institution usually will transfer only as electives, not as equivalent courses. Check with the advising office for specific information.
An official transcript of credit earned at LSC will be forwarded only upon the student’s electronic request. Transcripts of credit earned at colleges or universities other than LSC must be requested from that school by the student.
Transfer of Credit from Other Institutions into LSC
Equivalent college course credits earned at other regionally accredited institutions may apply to degrees awarded by LSC if at least a grade of D was earned. Transfer of developmental courses require a grade of C or above. Transcripts from previously attended institutions are needed before registration for prerequisites and placement. The criteria for transfer from accredited institutions is on the website at LoneStar.edu/transfer-resources. Official transcripts must be received before registration or before a student is admitted to some degrees or certificate programs. If requested, it is the student’s responsibility to bring in course descriptions so the evaluator may determine if it is equivalent to a LSC course.
Students transferring credit into LSC should consult the counseling/advising office for information regarding transferability of their prior coursework.
International Transcripts
Should a student wish to use credits obtained from an institution outside the boundaries and territories of the United States toward a certificate or degree from LSC, a course by course evaluation must be completed by one of the following:
- American Association for Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) International Education Services (evaluation requests submitted to AACRAO on or before August 15, 2016)
- An evaluation service which is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services Inc. (NACES), or
- Association of International Credentials Evaluations (AICE).
Evaluations must be provided in addition to the official transcripts of credit. The evaluation may be mailed directly from the agency to the LSC student records office or the student may bring in the original evaluation completed which will be returned to the student upon review.
Transfer Credit Disputes
The THECB has enacted specific steps to resolve transfer disputes involving first- or second-year courses.
- If an institution of higher education does not accept course credit earned by a student at another institution of higher education, the receiving institution shall give written notice to the student, and to the sending institution that transfer of the course credit is denied. A receiving institution shall also provide written notice of the reasons for denying credit for a particular course or set of courses at the request of the sending institution.
- A student who receives notice as specified in Subsection (a) may dispute the denial of credit by contacting a designated official at either the sending or the receiving institution.
- The two institutions and the student shall attempt to resolve the transfer of the course credit in accordance with THECB rules and guidelines.
- If the transfer dispute is not resolved to the satisfaction of the student or the sending institution within 45 days after the date the student received written notice of denial, the institution that denies the course credit for transfer shall notify the commissioner of its denial and the reasons for the denial.
- The commissioner of higher education, or the commissioner’s designee, shall make the final determination about a dispute concerning the transfer of course credit and give written notice of the determination to the involved student and institutions.
- The THECB shall collect data on the types of transfer disputes that are reported and the disposition of each case that is considered by the commissioner or the commissioner’s designee.
- If a receiving institution has cause to believe that a course being presented by a student for transfer from another school is not of an acceptable level of quality, it should first contact the sending institution and attempt to resolve the problem. In the event that the two institutions are unable to come to a satisfactory resolution, the receiving institution may notify the commissioner of higher education, who may investigate the course. If its quality is found to be unacceptable, the Board may discontinue funding for the course.
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