A First-Time-in-College (FTIC) student is an entering student who has never attended any college. FTIC includes students who enter with advanced standing (college credits earned before graduation from high school). 

As an open-enrollment institution, incoming student guidelines for admissions, verification, and financial assistance purposes include:

• Submit an official high school transcript. (If the transcript submitted is not final, a final record must be submitted post-high school graduation.)  

​- or -​

• Submit an official copy of the General Education Development (GED) certificate of completion.
• Submit additional supporting documentation as required for admission verification purposes.

If college credits are earned before graduation from high school, submit an official college transcript. (If college courses are in progress at the time of submission, an updated college transcript with all completed coursework must be submitted.)

'Individual Approval Restricted Admissions' is granted to those students who are 18 years of age or older and did not graduate from high school or its equivalent. Concurrent enrollment is encouraged for those students interested in earning their GED Certificate. Applicants are required to challenge the Texas Success Initiative Assessment (TSIA) test to enroll in college-level courses.

Note: First-Time-in-College (FTIC) students who earned their degrees internationally may require an evaluation by the American Association of Collegiate Registrar and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) for equivalency purposes. Laredo College reserves the right to accept or reject the results of the evaluation completed by the professional agency. Students who completed their studies in a country where English is not the native language will be required to submit proof of English Proficiency. International students will be required to submit additional supporting documentation, see International Student.