Special Admissions for Minor Students

For students under age 18 interested in taking college-level courses.

With HCC's Special Admissions for Minor Students process, students under age 18 can take college-level courses while still attending high school. Special Admissions apply to underage students who are not enrolled in a dual credit program and have not yet graduated from high school or completed an equivalent home school degree.

Other key points to remember:

  • Special Admissions applicants must complete the first year of high school or the home school equivalent by the start of the anticipated academic year.
  • Special Admissions courses do not replace the need for students to complete their high school diploma or equivalent. 

We’ll walk you through the steps to get started:

  1. Apply to HCC
  2. Go through enrollment checklists
  3. Submit supporting documents
  4. Meet with a Dean of Student Success
  5. Register and pay for classes

Read on for more details.

Steps to Apply as a Minor Student

  1. Apply to HCC

    First, go to HCC's online application:

    • Start a new application or continue with a saved application form.
    • If you selected "Start a new application," on the next screen select "Degree-Seeking Application" from the menu and proceed to complete the application.

    Upon completing the application, you will receive your acceptance letter and a welcome email that contains your HCC Student ID number and P-number (if assigned).

    Apply Now

  2. Go through Enrollment Checklists

    Once you have received your welcome email, you'll need to access our Student System for the first time before you can proceed.

    After signing into the Student System, you will see the "My Checklists" menu option. Your checklist items may have four types of checklist items: policy, onboarding/pre-enrollment; financial aid; or other. To avoid delays in the processing of your application, please complete all To-Do List items.

    My Checklists

    See the links below for additional information on your specific checklist items:

    For additional assistance with checklist items don't hesitate to get in touch with us through the Virtual Lobby or in person at a campus near you.

  3. Submit Required Documents

    Letter of Reference

    • A recommendation letter from a counselor addressing the student's maturity and readiness for college.

    FERPA Confidentiality Form

    FERPA Release Form

    Special Admissions for Minor Students - Parental Consent Form

    • Required PDF form for students aged 14-17

    Special Admissions for Minor Students - Student Acknowledgement Form

    • Minor students must complete this PDF form

    These can be submitted via email to the relevant college location:

  4. Meet with a Dean of Student Success or Designee

    Once admitted, the student and the parent/legal guardian must meet with the HCC Dean of Student Success or designee before registering for courses. Below is the contact information for each Dean of Student Success. Please contact the college location you are interested in attending. 

    • Central College - 713.718.6219
    • Coleman College - 713.718.7685
    • Northeast College  - 713.718.8066
    • Northwest College - 713.718.5888
    • Southeast College - 713.718.7006
    • Southwest College - 713.718.7789
    • Online College - 713-718-5275

  5. Register & Pay for Classes

    Enroll in Approved Course Load

    To request permission for course overload, students must fill out the Enrollment Authorization Form found in the catalog's Academic Information section. The Dean of Student Success may also consider other factors, such as disciplinary records.

    To be eligible for re-enrollment in the following semesters, students must earn a grade of "C" or better in all college-level courses and meet TSI requirements, prerequisites, and other restrictions.

    To ensure academic progress, students must meet with the Dean of Student Success or designate each semester, maintain a GPA of 2.0 or above and stay on the correct program plan.

    Log in to the Student Center and start adding classes to your schedule to enroll.

    • If this is your first time logging in to the Student Center or have forgotten your Student Center password, you'll need to gain access to your account. You will need your Social Security Number or “P” number, if applicable.

    Please visit the "Financial Account" tab to review your account balance, due date, and payment options.

    Enroll Now

    Need help enrolling in classes?

    Watch our helpful video tutorials on how to enroll in classes.

    Video Playlist

Additional Resources

Get prepared for your first day of class with these helpful links.

Our Locations

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Reference Guide

Specially admitted students ages 14 – 16 years old must have a parent, legal guardian, or authorized adult on site at all times at an HCC location to monitor the student's activities outside of class and to be immediately available in case of an emergency. Failure to do so will cause the student to be removed from each enrolled class. The parent or legal guardian will not be allowed to be in the classroom with the student.

Specially admitted students ages 14 -17 must obtain and submit a Parental Consent Form. Please reference details in the forms section below.

Once admitted, the student and the parent/legal guardian must meet with HCC Dean of Student Success or designee prior to registering in courses. Contact information for each Dean of Student Success is listed in the Steps to Apply section of this page.

Below are the forms and documents that parents and legal guardians may be asked to submit during the Special Admissions for Minor Students process. Any of the forms or documents listed below may be submitted via email to the college location the student anticipates attending. College email addresses are listed in the Steps to Apply section of this page.

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) Forms

Once a student is registered in a college course, their records fall under the rules of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and parents/guardians may not have access to their student’s records without their written permission or proof that they claimed the student as a dependent on their most recent income tax return. Students will have to complete and submit FERPA form online to authorize release of information to third-party or a family member. For details about submitting a FERPA form, please visit the Admissions and Enrollment Forms webpage.

Parental Consent Form

Parents of specially admitted students ages 14 -17 must download, fill out and submit a Special Admissions for Minor Students - Parental Consent Form to one of the emails noted in the Steps to Apply section of this page.

The purpose of the Special Admissions Process is to provide students and their families a safeguard to have a fair review process. If you are not satisfied with the special admissions outcome, you may appeal the decision according to HCC’s Board Policy FLD (Local) by contacting the respective colleges’ Dean of Student Success at the phone numbers listed in the Steps to Apply section of this page.

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