ADMISSION TO STUDY AT SAINT MARY’S UNIVERSITY

    SMU welcomes students of any nationality or religious belief who subscribe to the objectives, policies, and the Christian spirit of the school. Applicants must meet academic requirements and regulations stated in the Student Handbook. Students admitted in SMU are classified by degree programs and curriculum year levels. The enrolment of a student is covered by the following policies:

1. A student is considered officially enrolled only after s/he has complied with the following:
   
   a. S/he has submitted all required admission credentials, namely:
   
   

• • Original form of Form 138 (HS Report Card), not cancelled but marked ELIGIBLE FOR ADMISSION TO COLLEGE;
    
  • Education Exit Assessment (BEEA) and/or NAT result (if DepEd mandates);
  • Generated College Entrance Test (CET) result 
  • PSA (former NSO) birth certificate;
  • Certificate of good moral character;
  • Transfer credential (if transferee);
  • Alien Certificate of Registration (ACR) / Study Permit from the Bureau of Immigration (if foreign student);
    
  • Marriage certificate (if married for female students). 

b.  S/he has made an initial payment of school fees;
c.  S/he has been authorized to attend classes, usually evidenced by the inclusion of one’s names in the official list or Class Monitoring Form / CMF of the teacher in each subject per semester / term. 

       2. No student shall be considered officially enrolled unless all enrolment/admission requirements are submitted before the end of the enrolment period. 
       3. Enrolment shall be conducted during the registration days indicated in the school calendar. A student may enroll after the lapse of the registration period              and will be admitted in  accordance with the reasonable rules for late enrolment, but in no case shall exceed two (2) weeks after the opening of classes                (MORPHE, 2008). 
      4. Once admitted, a student enjoys the right to enroll until graduation, except in cases of academic delinquency, violation of school rules and regulations,                  closure of the school or failure to pay school fees (MORPHE, 2008). 
       5. When a student is officially enrolled, it is understood that s/he is enrolled for the duration of the entire semester or term. 

SMU COLLEGE ENTRANCE TEST (CET) 

   Applicants for admission are required to take the SMU College Entrance Test (CET). Those who obtain a CET score of at least 90 (average I.Q.) may be admitted to the board courses, such as Accountancy, Education, Engineering, Architecture, Nursing, Medical Technology, Pharmacy, Midwifery, Psychology, Social Work and Criminology. Those who obtain a score below 90 will be admitted to the non-board courses. However, those who fail to make it to the board courses may apply for admission to the board courses at the beginning of the midyear term of their first school year if they get a General Weighted Average (GWA) of at least 82%, have no grade below 80% in Math and English and if they meet the other entrance policies of the board courses. The Academic Dean assesses the applicants through interview and scrutiny of their high school grades and CET scores.

REQUIREMENTS FOR TRANSFER STUDENTS

1. Transferees from other schools are admitted only after they have shown valid credentials and after a thorough screening by the Academic Deans. They are required to take the SMU College Entrance Test (CET) at the Guidance and Testing Office. 
2. The other requirements for admission are:
   a. Must have passed 75% of all subjects taken in the last school attended.
   b. Must be able to submit the following credentials / documents upon enrollment:
   • A certificate of Honorable Dismissal or transfer credentials;
   • A certified true copy of academic records, or complete copies of final grades for evaluation purposes;
   • Birth Certificate (photocopy) from the PSA;
   • A certificate of Good Moral Character from the school last attended; and
     

        3. Transferees are considered enrolled on probation for one semester and may be asked to sign an individual affidavit of good behavior. They must meet                  the admission requirements of  the course they want to enroll in and are required to attend the orientation program for transferees organized by the                        Guidance and Testing Office.

REQUIREMENTS FOR OLD OR “CONTINUING” STUDENTS

1. Students must follow regular procedures and schedule of enrollment published on bulletin boards and SMU websites.
2. Students should not have dropped all subjects whether officially or not during a semester or should not have discontinued his/her studies for one or more semesters, without valid reason or prior permission, otherwise he/she will be required to go to the Admissions Officer for re-admission.
3. A student must not have a case pending with the Committee on Student Discipline of the school or with any court. Students with such pending case cannot be re-admitted for the next term, unless they have been given clearance by the Associate Dean of Student Affairs and Services for Men/Women. A student who has been suspended will not be re-admitted unless he/she secures clearance from the Associate Dean of Student Affairs and Services for Men/Women.
4. Data Privacy Consent Form.

REQUIREMENTS FOR FOREIGN STUDENTS

1. Admission to SMU shall be limited to the following qualifications:
   
   a. Bona fide citizens of other countries without any pending civil or criminal case and have no police record.
   b. Must at least be 18 years old when they enroll in SMU.
   c. Must not have obtained any failing mark in their secondary or college studies.
   d. Must have finished their secondary education abroad (equivalent to senior high school).
   e. Student applicants who earned college units shall be considered as transferees and thus are likewise covered by University policies on transferees.
   
   
2.  Admission requirements for foreign student

a. Application letter addressed to the University President 
b. Scholastic records duly authenticated by the Philippine Foreign Service Post (PFSP) located in the student applicant’s country of origin or  legal residence. 
c. Certificate of good moral character
d. Photocopy of data page of the student’s passport showing date, place of birth, and birth certificate or its equivalent duly authenticated by the Philippine Foreign Service Post. Passport  should be valid for not less than 6 months beyond intended period of stay in the Philippines. 
e. Photocopy of data page of parent/guardian’s passport data page. 
f. Photocopy of birth certificate in English (original copy should be presented) verified and authenticated at the Philippine Embassy.
g. Police clearance issued by the national police authorities in the student’s country of origin or legal residence, authenticated by the PFSP having consular jurisdiction over the place. 
h. Medical health certificate issued by an authorized physician including but not limited to standard size chest x-ray, HIV and Hepatitis B clearance contained in an envelop authenticated by the Philippine Embassy. 
i. Ten (10) 2×2 ID pictures on a plain white background taken not more than 6 months prior to submission. 
j. A notarized affidavit of support executed by parents or legal guardians including bank statements or notarized notice of grant for institutional scholars to cover expenses for the student’s accommodation and subsistence as well as school dues and other incidental expenses. 
k. List of student’s contact persons in the Philippines
l. Duly accomplished personal history. 

3. For Foreign Students who are still abroad

   a. Upon receipt of the appropriate documents and application fee from the student-applicant who is still abroad, the Office of the Registrar issues a Notice of Acceptance (NOA) signed       by the University President.
   b. The Registrar or his/her duly authorized representative submits the documents to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Manila.
   c. The DFA sends the documents to the Philippine Foreign Service Post (PFSP) at the applicant’s country of origin and requires the applicant to present him/herself at the PFSP for a personal interview.
   d. After the PFSP approves the student’s application, the DFA sends notice to the accepting HEI on the issuance of student visa to the applicant, copy furnished Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Bureau of Immigration (BI), NICA.
   e. The applicant comes to the Philippines, reports to the Bureau of Immigration, and later to the school.
   f. The registrar or his/her duly authorized representative assists the applicant in obtaining the Alien Certificate of Registration (ACR) and Certificate of Residence for Temporary Students (CRTS) from the Bureau of Immigration.

4.  Study Permit for Foreign Students Already in the Philippines using another kind of visa:

  a. The student-applicant submits the following documents:

• • Duly notarized letter request from the applicant;
  • Duly notarized General Application Form accomplished by the applicant (BI Form No. MCL-07-01);
  • Original copy of the Notice of Acceptance (NOA) containing a clear impression of the school’s official dry seal or a duly notarized written endorsement from the school for the conversion of the applicant’s status signed by the school’s Registrar;
  • Original copy of Medical Certificate issued by the Bureau of Quarantine and International Health Surveillance or a government medical institution with competence to certify that the applicant is not afflicted with any dangerous, contagious or loathsome disease and is mentally fit;
  • Plain photocopy of applicant’s passport bio-page, latest admission and authorized stay; 
  • National Intelligence Coordinating Agency Clearance;
  • Bureau of Immigration (BI) Clearance Certificate; and
    
  • Transcript of Record – Red Ribbon. 

 b. The Office of the Registrar issues a NOA signed by the President, if the documents submitted are in order
 c. The Registrar or his/her duly authorized representative accompanies the student to the Bureau of Immigration (BI) for the change/conversion of admission status of an alien to that  of a student.

5. Trans-National Students

Students in the Transnational Education (TNE) Program apply for admission through the representative / operator agency in the foreign country. All admission requirements apply. They should satisfy all admission requirements that apply to resident students. All TNE students must demonstrate working proficiency in speaking English.