International Admissions

Apply to Tacoma Community College

Eligibility:

• Applicant must be at least 16 years of age by program start date
• High School graduation NOT required (see High School Completion Program)

Required Admission Documents:

• Bank Statement (proof of funding) showing at least USD $22,746.
  • The "Bank Statement" may include checking or savings accounts, stocks, certificates of deposit, or other easily liquidated assets. Please indicate the relationship between the student and the person listed on the bank statement in the online application. All proof of funding documents must be dated within the last 6 months.
  • Note: If the name of the person listed on the bank statement is other than yourself or a family member, you must also upload a Sponsor Affidavit Form signed by the bank account holder. You may also use any letter or form in any format instead of the Sponsor Affidavit Form.
  • Note: If you are bringing dependents to the US, your bank statement must show an additional US$5000 for each dependent.
• Copy of High School or College Transcript
• Copy of Passport Photo Page
  • If you have no passport at the time of application, you may submit a copy of any government issued ID (Driver's License, National ID Card, etc.).
  • Note: If you are bringing dependents to the US, include a copy of passport photo page for each dependent.
• Transferring in from another U.S. school? Submit the Transfer In Form with your application
  • Note: Please be aware that all classes can fill up day by day once registration is open. Class availability, especially at the college level, may be extremely limited if you apply close to the application deadlines. We encourage you to apply as soon as our application becomes available for each quarter.
• Under age 18? Submit the Under 18 Consent Form with your application
• $50 non-refundable application fee (Pay from your application status portal account)
  
  

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Missing information? Be sure to review:

Tuition and Fees Dates and Deadlines 

English Proficiency:

English Proficiency is not required for admission. However, students who have taken an English proficiency test within the last two years are encouraged to submit their score with the online application. The following scores will place a student directly into college-level English (ENG 101). 

• IELTS: 5.5
• TOEFL: 65 (iBT or iBT Special Home Edition)
• Duolingo: 90
• Pearson: 46
• Eiken: Pre-1 Level
• Oxford ELLT: Level 5 (Discount code for Oxford ELLT Digital: TCC10)
• LanguageCert Academic: 60
• SAT: 470 Reading Score
• ACT: 19
• Cambridge A & O Level Scores: C in English
• IB Diploma: Completion of full diploma or a score of 3 in English
• U.S. High School: Completion of two years at a U.S. high school with a 2.5 GPA in English
• U.S. College: Completion of one year with an overall 2.0 college level GPA
• Other Assessment: CEFR B2 Level
• Native-English proficiency: Ask our team if this applies to you!

 

Application Processing

After your completed application is received, it is reviewed by our admission staff. The processing time may vary depending on the volume of applications that we process, but typically it's within a few weeks. In the event that your application was submitted incomplete, please use the following resources to finalize your submission.

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS

Missed a supporting document when completing the online application? Submit additional documents:

• Online: Submit Supporting Documents

PAYING FEES

For all applications, there is a $50 application fee. Students can pay fees:

• Through the Online Payment Form
• With a check from an American bank, bank draft or Cashier's check (payable to Tacoma Community College)
• Via money order from the postal service (not Western Union)
• With a U.S. credit card (a credit card issued by a non-U.S. financial institution cannot be accepted)

ADDITIONAL FORMS

• Deferral Request Form: Defer your TCC admission to a different quarter
  • Note: Effective November 1, 2024, an application can be deferred to another quarter once without paying a new application fee. For any further deferrals, the new application fee must be paid each time. If requested, a new bank statement (issued within the last 6 months) must be uploaded. 
  • Note: Through October 31, 2024, a new application fee ($50) is required after every two deferrals. For instance, if your original application is for Fall 2022, you can defer it twice for free (defer to Winter 2023, then again to Spring 2023).  After that, you must pay another application fee to move your application to a future term.
• Authorization to Release Information: Give TCC staff permission to share your academic progress and tuition bill with any people/agency/school you authorize

*After you are admitted to TCC, some academic programs including but not limited to Nursing and Emergency Medical Services may require additional application steps before joining the program. Please review the website of respective programs for more details and contact the program department directly for questions.

Admissions Packet

After your completed application is processed, an admissions package will be created. The time for you to receive your admissions package may vary depending on the volume of applications that we process, but typically it's within a week. This package contains:

• TCC Admission letter
• A Consulate letter (supporting your request for a student visa)
• A High School Completion Dual Degree letter (for students who have not graduated High School)
• University Conditional Admission letter (select one of our University Partners where you'd like to transfer after graduating from TCC)
• Your I-20 (this document confirms your acceptance as an international student in the U.S.)

I-20 and Visa Interview

You will need to pay a SEVIS and visa fee, make an interview appointment with the U.S. Consular Office in your home country and present the complete admissions package to them during your interview.

Be sure to keep your documents safe! If you lose any of your documents, please notify us immediately.

FIND A U.S. CONSULATE NEAR YOU

U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT WEBSITE

WHAT TO EXPECT WITH YOUR VISA INTERVIEW

• Most interviews last only 1-2 minutes and are conducted in English*
• Preparing for your visa interview is very important
• Providing thorough and honest answers is absolutely necessary

ESSENTIAL THINGS TO REMEMBER

• This is a Study Visa. Be sure to have a clear plan of what you plan to study and where you intend to transfer after TacomaCC.
• Students who arrive to the U.S. with a Tacoma Community College I-20 must study on TCC’s campus for at least one quarter. If you choose to transfer out before completing your first quarter, your TCC I-20 will be cancelled and transferred in terminated status.
• Demonstrate you can afford tuition and living expenses. You can do this by providing valid sources of funding and how those will be sustained throughout your time in the U.S.
• *Request to be interviewed in your native language, if you intend to study English (EAP) first.
• Show your intention to return home. Demonstrate strong ties to your home country and a motive to return home after you complete your studies.

WHAT QUESTIONS TO PREPARE FOR

• Why have you chosen to study at Tacoma Community College?
• How will you fund your studies? 
• Do you have family members or relatives in the United States?
• What do you intend to do at the completion of your studies? (Career plan and intent to return home)

For next steps, visit

Newly Admitted Students