ABILITY TO BENEFIT (ATB) POLICY AND PROCEDURES

WHO IS REQUIRED TO TAKE THE ABILITY-TO-BENEFIT (ATB) TEST?

Applicants to Bristol Community College who do not have a high school diploma or hold a GED certificate are required to take an Ability-to-Benefit (ATB) test to be considered for Admissions.To be eligible under the Ability-to-Benefit option, a student must be at least sixteen (16) years of age and pass a United States Department of Education approved ATB test.

WHAT DOES THE THE ABILITY-TO-BENEFIT TEST CONSIST OF?

Bristol Community College administers the ATB computerized version of the College Board's ACCUPLACER test. The United States Department of Education requires students complete and pass the three computerized tests in one single testing session. Retesting will be in all three areas.

TESTS & PASSING SCORES

The minimum scores mandated by the United States Department of Education to qualify for the Accuplacer Ability-to-Benefit test are as follows:

PURPOSE

The purpose of this policy is to ensure Bristol Community College (BCC) complies with the Student Loan Default Prevention Initiative Act of 1990, subtitle A of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 (PL 101-508, enacted November 5, 1993) which amended section 484 (d) of the Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965. Moreover, it is the intention of Bristol Community College to ensure that all students admitted to the college are guaranteed the opportunity to succeed in college.

PROCEDURES

The Dean of Admissions will determine if an applicant has the requisite high school diploma or its equivalent, i.e. a GED certificate. If an applicant is missing such documentation, the Admissions Office will notify the applicant (in writing) that his/her admission to BCC is contingent upon successful completion of the ATB test. The Admissions Office will send to the Director of Testing a copy of the letter notifying students of their need to take the ATB test. The Ability to Benefit determination must be made prior to the individual’s admission to the College and/or prior to any Financial Aid award.

The Assessment Office will make ATB testing appointments with individual students by telephone. The Director of Testing will then forward letters to applicants in confirmation of the test appointments. Copies of these letters will be sent to the Admissions Office.

When the student arrives for the testing appointment, attendance will be taken. Students who miss their appointment will be given one chance to reschedule. Failure to keep two ATB test appointments will result in the student deferring for one semester the option to take the ATB test, therefore deferring his/her application for admission.  

The College Board’s computerized ACCUPLACER Reading Comprehension, Sentence Skills and Arithmetic tests appeared in the September 4^th Federal Register as tests approved by the Department of Education for ATB determinations. These tests were chosen for BCC applicants over other tests because they satisfy the criteria listed below.

(1)           The tests assess the skills and abilities requisite for successful completion of course work and programs of study at Bristol Community College.

(2)           The respective levels of difficulty are appropriate for the typical BCC student starting school.

(3)           Students who have a disabling condition can be accommodated.

Original test results will be kept on file in the Assessment Office. Any student whose scores do not meet or exceed the minimum scores on each of the three approved test in a single testing experience, will not have an exhibited an Ability to Benefit from enrolling in Bristol Community College. Such students can enroll in a GED program or non-credit developmental course work offered by the College in order to develop their basic skills. Students are welcome to retest once per semester, if they can demonstrate that extenuating circumstances impeded their optimal level of performance on their original test. If a student petitions for a third attempt, it should only be permitted if the student can provide evidence of some instructional intervention that would suggest that score improvement would be possible. Students who withdraw from Bristol Community College and reapply to the school must take a new test, if 12 months has passed since the student successfully completed the ATB test. The Admissions Office will notify the Assessment Office in writing of students who must retake the ATB test.

After the ATB test is complete, the Director of Testing will forward the results to the Admissions Office within two weeks of the student’s test date. Because the successful completion of the ATB test is a prerequisite for admission to BCC, the Admissions Office will be responsible for notifying the applicant of his/her ATB test results.