Admission Clearance

General Information

Prospective students who have felony criminal history, have been suspended or expelled from a previous institution, or are required to register with local law enforcement are required to be cleared by Student Support and Conduct (SS&C) before admission can be considered under normal academic criteria. In order to determine whether or not a clearance is warranted, Student Conduct will individually review each situation. Oklahoma State University has the responsibility to maintain a safe community environment and has minors on campus on a continual basis.

Please note, individuals whom have been convicted of a forcible or non-forcible sexual offense and have been incarcerated are ineligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant.

Oklahoma State University upholds disciplinary suspensions and expulsions issued by other institutions.

Clearance Process

To facilitate the review of the application, all applicants with a previous felony or separation from an institution will be required to submit documentation, which generally includes at least the following:

In cases of suspension or expulsion: A copy of your complete discipline file from all institutions of higher education you have attended. These can generally be procured by contacting the Office of Student Conduct or the Dean of Students at the previous institution.
In cases of felony: A copy of the police affidavit, presentence investigation report and final adjudication for all criminal charges. These are most often public court records that the applicant can obtain from his/her attorney or the Clerk of the Court.
In cases of felony: Complete the Previous Felony Admission Clearance Form.
A detailed written explanation describing the nature and specifics of the situation, and a narrative about the your status in relation to the situation at issue. This is your opportunity to tell us what happened in your own words, and explain what the status of this situation is now (e.g. are you on probation or parole, is the suspension current or expired, etc.).
A written description of any treatment, education or work experience you have had since the situation at issue, and documentation of all treatment and education.
At least one letter of reference from a professional source who has had frequent contact with you in the past three to six months (e.g., professor, supervisor, etc.). References from family members and friends do not qualify.

Following a review of the submitted documentation, SS&C may conduct a criminal background check, schedule an interview, speak to probation and parole officers or Student Conduct officers, and undertake other action designed to illicit more information about the applicant and the situation at issue.

Result

Following the completion of the review, Student Conduct will issue one of three results:

The applicant is denied admission clearance and the application will not be considered further. The applicant may appeal this decision.
The applicant is granted outright admission clearance. The application will then be considered by Undergraduate Admission or the Graduate College for a final determination on the student's application, based on normal academic criteria.
The applicant is granted provisional clearance with conditions. The most common conditions of admission in these situations are conduct probation and a determination that the applicant not be permitted to reside in on-campus housing, though conditions are often specifically tailored to the applicant and the presenting situation. The application will then be considered by Undergraduate Admission or the Graduate College for a final determination on the student's application, based on normal academic criteria. If the student is admitted and chooses to enroll, they will be required to comply with all conditions specified.

Honesty During the Application Process

Be honest. Having a felony, suspension or expulsion on your record will not automatically disqualify an applicant from consideration. However, submission of false information or withholding information at the time of application or admission or dishonesty with OSU staff may make an individual ineligible for admission to Oklahoma State University.