Admissions Frequently Asked Questions

Below are answers to Admissions and Record's most commonly asked questions.

FAQ Questions

No, a high school diploma or HSE (formerly GED) is not required to attend TMCC, unless you are applying for special admission or wish to declare a degree program.

General

Yes! TMCC's Student Ambassadors provide tours of the Dandini Campus. Also check out our online virtual tour!

Students are eligible to participate in Commencement if they have completed all degree or certificate requirements in the Fall or Spring prior to Commencement, or are completing their degree in the Summer term directly following Commencement.

All graduating students are encouraged to participate in Commencement exercises held at the close of the Spring Semester each year. At that time, all associate degrees and certificates of achievement are conferred upon Fall, Spring and Summer graduates for the academic year.

Applicants for graduation will be sent information on Commencement ceremonies during the Spring Semester.

No. Truckee Meadows Community College does not offer or provide student housing.

See Also: International Student housing information »

Si! TMCC En Español »

See Also: list of bilingual staff »

Only in very specific cases can students qualify for a refund exception. Check the refund deadlines for classes you are enrolled in. You are responsible for officially dropping a class you are not attending.

If are you a veteran, international student, health sciences student, work-study student or receiving financial aid, contact those departments for more information; your status may affect refund processing.

If you are not in one of the groups listed above, and you drop a class during the 100% refund period, the charges will be refunded to you. After the 100% refund period, you will still owe either 50% or all of the fees, and you will get a "W" on your transcript. Shorter classes have refund dates based on when those classes begin and how long they last. Check Dates and Deadlines for full term refund dates.

To determine the refund period for your specific class(es):

  1. Log in to MyTMCC and go to your Student Center.
  2. Look in the "Finances" section
  3. Click on the "Class Refund Dates" link

Complete and submit the Duplicate Diploma Request.

To verify your enrollment follow these instructions.

Access the National Student Clearinghouse:

  • Log in to MyTMCC and click on "Print Enrollment Verification Certificate" on the left-hand side. This opens a new window giving you access to the options below.

At the National Student Clearinghouse, choose one of these options:

  • Print a Certificate of Enrollment that can be forwarded to a health insurer, housing provider, credit issuer, or other student services provider.
  • Order an official transcript.
  • View enrollment information that may have been provided to a student services provider.
  • View electronic notifications and deferment forms that have been sent to your lenders.
  • View a list of your lenders and real-time student loan information details, such as outstanding principal balance and next payment due date, provided by some lenders.

Once your graduation application has been processed, your degree is posted to your transcript and a communication is sent to your communications center in MyTMCC and to your TMCC email address notifying you that you have met the requirements for your degree.

If you are a current TMCC student, you are able to view and print out your unofficial transcripts using MyTMCC. Access to request your official transcript is available using MyTMCC.

The National Student Clearinghouse provides the following services (please note that these services are not free):

Yes. Each school in the Nevada System of Higher Education has its own admissions process. To become a TMCC student, complete the online application.

The MyTMCC student portal is a "one-stop" gateway for accessing many TMCC applications and tools. Use it to search, register and pay for your classes.

MyTMCC is part of the Nevada statewide iNtegrate project hosted by System Computing Services (SCS), a unit of the Nevada System for Higher Education, and provides TMCC students, faculty and staff personalized access to information and tools in one secure, centralized location.

Through the portal, you have 24/7 access to the following:

  • A checklist of "to do" items
  • All communications from the College
  • Shopping cart style course registration
  • Advanced planning tools

To access MyTMCC, visit my.tmcc.edu.

Admissions

No, a high school diploma or HSE (formerly GED) is not required to attend TMCC, unless you are applying for special admission or wish to declare a degree program.

No, TMCC does not have an admissions application deadline.

We encourage students to apply as early as possible to ensure they can complete the needed Steps to Enroll and get their preferred classes. In addition, we want you to be successful! Research shows students who apply well in advance of the first class meeting have much better success rates.

Please begin by reviewing TMCC's Steps to Enroll. Once you have been admitted to TMCC, you will receive your student ID number, username, and password.

Then, prior to enrolling in classes, you will be asked to complete New Student Orientation (NSO) online.

If you have more questions, please feel free to contact the Admissions and Records Office.

New students are mailed (either by postal mail or email) their MyTMCC login information based on the communication preference they indicate on their application for admission.

All adults are welcome to apply at TMCC.

If you are 17-years-old or younger or not a U.S. citizen, additional information is required. Contact the Admissions and Records Office for more information.

The student admission process typically takes between 3-5 business days. Depending on the preference you selected, you will receive your admissions letter either by email or postal mail.

If you have not heard from us after 7 business days, please contact the Admissions and Records Office.

Cost to attend full time at TMCC is considerably less than attending a university. See the tuition and fees section for current information.

There is no difference; they are the same.

TMCC students are issued an official 10-digit Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) Student ID number that is included in your official letter of admission from the TMCC Admissions and Records Office.

This is sometimes referred to as your TMCC ID or just Student ID

Your NSHE Student ID number can be used throughout all NSHE institutions. The Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) oversees all higher education in Nevada, including TMCC.

TMCC's High School Equivalency (HSE) program (formerly "GED") will help prepare you to take the HSE examination.

Please visit the International Student Services website for detailed information available to international students.

All new, degree-seeking students must complete the Steps to Enroll. TMCC requires this to ensure your success as new college students. Finishing each required enrollment step will help prepare you for your first semester at TMCC and guide you towards graduation.

Add Drop Classes

Search for open classes/class sections either through the online Class Schedule or in MyTMCC  > Find Open Classes (on the Add/Drop Classes screen).

To find drop deadlines for classes you are enrolled in:

  1. Log in to MyTMCC and go to your Student Center.
  2. In the "Academics" box you will see a list of classes you are enrolled in.
  3. To the left of each class there is a calendar icon.
  4. Click on the icon to see drop deadline information.

For a class that you are enrolled in but has not started yet:

  1. In MyTMCC: click on the "My Class Schedule" link in the Academics box in your Student Center.
  2. The next page lists your enrollment activity for the term. You can sort to show only your enrolled classes.
  3. On the far right of each listing you will see "Deadlines".
  4. Underneath that heading will be the calendar icon.
  5. Clicking on the icon will give you drop deadlines.

To find refund deadlines:

  1. Log in to MyTMCC and go to your Student Center.
  2. In the "Finances" box click on the "Class Refund Dates" hyperlink.
  3. Choose the appropriate semester and click the green "Check Refund Date" box.

Refund deadlines differ depending on what type of class you are taking; that is, a full-term or a short-term section. Students should check the deadlines for their specific short-term classes.

See Also: key date refund guidelines.

Adding a class

You may add classes anytime during the published registration period. Late starting classes may be added using MyTMCC up until the published start date of the class. Note: If you add classes or register late, you become immediately responsible for the fees for these classes and should be aware that you may not be eligible for any refunds if you drop from these classes.

Withdrawing from a class

Students may use MyTMCC to withdraw from classes until the mid-point (60%) of a class.

Unless the class is officially dropped, the student is responsible for the fees and the instructor may assign a failing grade. It is important for students to verify the accuracy of their enrollment schedules and fees any time a change is made.

Refunds for withdrawing from classes are based on the times the class has met and not on the attendance of a particular student.

To enroll in classes at TMCC, follow these instructions.

First: submit an application for admission to the College. You will receive an admissions letter with your student ID, username and initial password.

Then: log in to MyTMCC and click on the "Student Center". Check your Enrollment Dates (from the area on the right). If the links says "Open Enrollment Dates", you are eligible to enroll at any time.

All registration activity happens in the shopping cart.

  • Under the "Academics" section, click on the "Enroll" link or the "Enrollment Shopping Cart" link.
  • If you do not know the class number for the class you would like to add, use the search function on the shopping cart screen to search for open sections by subject and course number. From the list generated, select an open class (designated by a green circle). This puts the class into your shopping cart.
  • To finish enrolling in the class: select the box next to the class and click "Enroll".
  • Confirm this is the correct class and then click "Finish Enrolling".

Access your grade report through MyTMCC. Grades are available approximately one week after the end of the semester. 

If you need a printed copy of the grades, you can use MyTMCC to print an unofficial copy of your transcript that will show all your classes and grades, including previous terms.

Prior to the beginning of any term, log in to MyTMCC, and go to your Student Center. There you can drop one class and add another.

If it is past the 100% refund period, you must get permission to get into the new class late by completing an Add/Drop Form, available from the academic department. The Add/Drop Form should be completed with signatures from the instructor and the department chair, then submit it to the Admissions and Records Office.

If you are experiencing difficulty enrolling in classes you should try the following:

  • Check your holds. There are a variety of enrollment holds that may affect you as a student. For example, you may have a hold because you need to complete New Student Orientation, meet with an Academic Advisor, pay a past due balance, or update your information with Admissions and Records.
    • Log in to MyTMCC. Click on your "Student Center", to see if you have any holds listed. Contact Admissions and Records for clarification on any holds listed here.
    • Click on "Details" in the Holds section. These "Details" will outline steps required to remove the hold and the appropriate department to contact.
  • Check your Enrollment Appointment.
    • Log in to MyTMCC and go to your Student Center.
    • Look for the "Enrollment Dates" box (in the blue column on the right side of the screen). Click on the (blue) link in that box to see the date and time after which you can complete the enrollment process.
  • Check your prerequisites.You may not have completed the prerequisites for the class(es) you are trying to enroll in.
    • Prerequisites are listed in the College Catalog and also in the class schedule search, underneath each class identifier.
    • Log in to MyTMCC and check your transcript for classes that you have completed.

If you have any further questions regarding enrollment, contact Admissions and Records.

View our step-by-step Registration Tutorial.

Or, follow these steps:

  1. Log in to MyTMCC.
  2. Select the 'Student Center' link.
  3. Select your shopping cart.
  4. Select the classes you wish to enroll in by checking the box next to the class.
  5. Click the 'Enroll' button.
  6. Click the 'Finish Enrolling' button to complete the process.
  7. Use the delete button to remove classes that you are not planning to enroll in.

A student who audits a course will not receive a grade nor credit for that course. A student who is auditing pays regular fees and, at the discretion of the instructor, must meet all regular class requirements.

Changing from audit to credit, or from credit to audit, must be done by submitting an Audit or Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory Grade Change form before the last day to drop a class.

For full term classes, these dates can be found in Dates and Deadlines.

For short term classes, this information can be found by signing into MyTMCC and then looking at your class information in the Academics box. Clicking on the small calendar icon that appears to the left of each class you are taking will bring up the last date to drop or change to audit or satisfactory/unsatisfactory.

If you are in a special student group, such as veterans or international students, you cannot drop classes without first clearing the process with the respective department. Also, if you are using financial aid to pay for classes, dropping a class can affect your award, so please check with the Financial Aid Office.

Remember that an option instead of dropping a class is to change to audit. You will still pay for the class but will not receive a grade. If you are challenged by the work in a class, auditing it first and then taking the class for credit might be a good idea. You will need to speak with your instructor and complete an Audit or Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory Grade Change form.

It is important to check the drop dates for the class you’re thinking of dropping. Do this by signing into MyTMCC and then looking at your class information in the Academics box. Clicking on the small calendar icon that appears to the left of each class you are taking will bring up the various drop dates.

The drop and refund dates vary based on the length of the class. This means that shorter term classes will have different drop periods than full term classes. If you drop a class during the 100% period, you will receive a full refund and the class will not show on your transcript. If you drop during the 50% period, you will receive a 50% refund and a W will appear on your transcript for the class. If you drop after the 50% period and before the final day to drop, you will not receive a refund and a "W" will appear on your transcript for the class.

A student who has repeated a course may petition to have the higher grade remain on his/her transcript and have the lower grade changed to an "R" to indicate the course was retaken.

Students may replace up to 12 semester credits.

To petition for grade replacement, please complete and submit a Grade Replacement Request for Repeated Courses form. Students will not receive duplicate credit for repeated courses.

Check your schedule for add/drop deadlines and use MyTMCC.

Records

To change your residency, follow these instructions:

You may change your degree online by completing a Degree/Emphasis Change form.

If you are an International Student on an F-1 visa, you will need to meet with an International Student Advisor to change your degree.

  • Log into MyTMCC.
  • Click on "Student Center".
  • Under the "Personal Information" area, click on the dropdown menu.
  • Select "Privacy Settings".
  • Click on the double arrow.
  • Click on the green "Edit FERPA/Directory Restrictions" button (bottom of the screen).
  • Select the option you would like to change to (we recommend the second option: no release for commercial purposes)
  • Click "Save".

Visit the Steps to Graduate web page or contact Academic Advising for information.

Log in to MyTMCC to update your personal information.

Once you are logged in, click on "Student Center". Under "Personal Information" select the demographic data link to update your information.

If you have been placed on an address hold, you must contact Admissions and Records to have the hold removed.

Complete the Request to Change Personal Identification Data form and turn it in, along with the legal proof of name change, to the Admissions and Records Office.

Truckee Meadows Community College recognizes that members of our community use names other than their legal name to identify themselves. To support our community and their sense of identity, students and/or employees will be referred to by a preferred name whenever possible within the campus community. This preferred name will appear in select college-related systems and documents. The primary/legal name will continue to be used in all college-related systems and documents that require a verified legal name.

To update a preferred name, log into your MyTMCC student account. In the Student Center, under Personal Information, there is a link labeled Names. If a preferred name already exists click on the pencil icon to the right of the name to update it. If a preferred name does not exist click on the yellow button labeled Add a new name.

Preferred names may be used in the following systems and records, including but not limited to: MyTMCC, Class Rosters, and Grade Rosters

Legal names will continue to be used for official College records, including but not limited to: Official and unofficial transcripts, Student ID Cards, Student Account Statements (bills), Testing in the TMCC Testing Services office, Financial Aid and Scholarships, Paychecks, W2s, and other payroll documents.

Yes! If you would like to also change your TMCC username/TMCC email address, please contact Information Technology.

If you would like to change your name in Canvas, please contact WebCollege.

If you contact these offices, please have your Student ID number available.

Transcripts

Transcripts are not required unless you are 17 years old or younger, applying for financial aid, or have recent ACT/SAT scores on your transcripts.

View the information for Credit Evaluation for Transfer Students.

Current students may view and print out unofficial transcripts using MyTMCC (log in to your Student Center).

Official TMCC transcripts can be sent to other NSHE schools free of charge. Complete the online Transcript Request form.

For official transcripts being sent to all other colleges and universities, please go the National Student Clearinghouse. Note: there is a fee associated with this request.

To have transcripts sent from another institution to TMCC, you must order the transcript directly from the institution you previously attended. Contact the institution to find out their requirements, transcript request forms and costs. Official electronic transcripts can be sent to transcripts@tmcc.edu. To have to transcript sent to TMCC via mail please use the following address: 

Truckee Meadows Community College
Admissions and Records RDMT 319
7000 Dandini Blvd.
Reno, NV 89512

Please contact the Admissions and Records Office for copies of your records.

No. MyTMCC will not replace each institution's transcript request process.

This system allows syncing of information between institutions and the electronic delivery of transcripts from one institution to another, but it is still a student-initiated decision to have a transcript sent from one institution to another. Most schools will require that you arrange to have all previous coursework sent to the most recent institution you are attending.

Transfer Credit Evaluation

Once your transfer credits have been evaluated officially, you will see the courses in your MyTMCC Student Center on the transfer credit report, in your course history, and in your advisement report. Transfer credits will not appear on your TMCC transcript.

Transfer courses are evaluated for general transferability by the Admissions and Records Office evaluators. Accepted courses at the university level may or may not apply toward a student's degree program. For more specific information, consult the Transfer Credit Policy.

Applicability of transfer courses toward a student's degree program is determined by their the respective academic departments. Please contact Academic Advising for transfer course applicability.

TMCC will only accept a maximum of 45 credits in transfer. View more information on the Credit Evaluation for Transfer Students website.