Prospective Students

It is never too late to start your college experience. Start a new chapter in your life and experience a whole new world. Let the institutions located in the Higher Education Center help you get your degree one step at a time!

Prospective students of HEC can use this page to explore our new and exciting facility and all it has to offer. The HEC is a convenient method for students to return to or begin college. It can also offer an alternative learning experience for those students straight out of high school. With five of the six state universities and WDT offering courses, the HEC can accommodate a great variety of student needs by offering a large number of degrees in a multitude of disciplines.

We offer classes at the following sites: HEC, SDSU School of Nursing, Ellsworth AFB Education Center, SD School of Mines & Technology and Western Dakota Tech.

Learn more about classes being offered now, go to Class Schedules
Learn more about the degrees offered through the HEC, go to Degrees
Learn more about Financial Aid, go to Financial

Immunization Requirements for Registration
Due to regulations mandated by the Board of Regents, all students, whatever their classification or status, must document their immune status for measles, mumps and rubella. Proof of two doses of measles vaccine or of the presence of an immune antibody titer against measles is required. Immunization forms are available at the HEC or any SD university. Students who fail to provide the required, signed proof of immunization will not be permitted to register for or to attend classes at any state institution until in compliance. Students born before January 1957 are exempt from providing immunization.

Placement Tests
What are Placement Tests?
To ensure that students are proficient in the skills necessary to successfully complete general education coursework, competencies in reading, writing and math are evaluated. All incoming, degree-seeking students or students wishing to enroll in math or English courses must provide valid Enhanced ACT scores or complete computerized placement tests. To be valid, the student must have taken the Enhanced ACT examination within five years of the date of initial enrollment. For all students without valid ACT scores, the ACT COMPASS (computerized placement tests) will be used to determine placement in English and math courses.

What do the results mean and when are they received?
Results of the COMPASS exam are available immediately after the student completes the tests. Students and their advisors receive placement reports with their scores and specific course requirements.

How do I schedule the test?
To reserve a time to take COMPASS, call the HEC.

Scholarships
Each of the four universities has a variety of scholarships to offer students. Check the following links for information.