By Kelli Sharpe

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University is temporarily waiving the ACT and SAT scores as requirements for incoming freshmen for Fall 2020. The modified admission requirement is a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, students will still be required to have a GPA of 2.5 or higher, completed application, and official high school transcript submitted for admission, which should indicate strong academic achievement in core coursework. 

“TSU’s decision was made in light of the testing companies’ decision and the circumstances associated with the COVID-19 pandemic,” says Dr. Alisa Mosely, interim vice president for Academic Affairs. 

“The University continues to undertake temporary measures to address and manage the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. This temporary admission adjustment applies for the Fall 2020 term only.” 

In March, the College Board and ACT, Inc., announced that they were suspending the availability of SAT and ACT testing due to logistical and safety issues associated with administering the tests during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ACT is an entrance exam most universities and colleges use to make admissions decisions. 

Dr. Carjamin Scott, TSU’s director of admissions and recruitment, says the university is committed to removing all enrollment barriers that were caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and helping talented students achieve their dream of becoming college graduates.

“The waiver will ensure that qualified students who are interested in TSU will have an opportunity to be evaluated for admission this fall. Whether on campus or online, first–year students will receive a quality education, and we have staff readily available to assist them with completing their application for enrollment,” says Scott.  

University officials say this will only apply to the upcoming fall semester. TSU joins a number of schools across the country to waive the ACT, as well as the SAT scores in response to the pandemic. 

TSU will offer summer school classes online, and is currently opened for fall registration and accepting housing applications. Students interested in enrolling for the Fall 2020 should visit www.tnstate.edu/apply.

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Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a  premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 39 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees.  TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee.  With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students  with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.