Admissions Requirements

CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CONDITIONS FOR ADMISSIONS AND ACTIVE ENROLLMENTS

UTI is committed to providing a safe learning environment for all students and faculty. An application from a prospective student that indicates a history of being convicted of or pleading guilty or no contest to a violent crime or other type of felony will be subject to further review by UTI before being accepted. This policy extends to those students who have already enrolled or are active students. Conviction of a felony while attending or while awaiting a first class start is grounds for termination or denial. Certain felony convictions and charges or convictions for drug offenses will also limit an applicant's eligibility to apply for and receive federal student loans and grants. With regard to admissions decisions, UTI, after its review, will notify students in writing of its decision to accept or deny the application for enrollment.

UTI WILL NOT ACCEPT APPLICANTS WHO:

• Have been convicted, or pleaded guilty or no contest to a violent crime involving a weapon, resulting in a felony.
• Have been convicted of, or pleaded guilty or no contest to sexual assault, attempted sexual assault or other sexually related crime, including but not limited to child pornography or any non-consensual, involuntary sexual act, resulting in a felony.
• Have been convicted of, or pleaded guilty or no contest to any felony within one year of expected enrollment date.
• Have been convicted of, or pleaded guilty or no contest to a felony and released from prison/jail within one year of expected enrollment date.
• Have been convicted of, or pleaded guilty or no contest to murder, attempted murder, vehicular manslaughter, or involuntary or voluntary manslaughter, resulting in a felony.
• Have been convicted of, or pleaded guilty or no contest to selling, transporting, delivering, cultivating and manufacturing, or intending to sell illegal drugs or controlled substances, resulting in a felony unless such conviction or plea is more than 15 years old.
• Have been convicted of, or pleaded guilty or no contest to human trafficking, resulting in a felony.
• Have been convicted of, or pleaded guilty or no contest to two or more felonies unless the most recent felony is more than 10 years old.

The above restrictions apply to convictions received as an adult, as well as those received as a juvenile if the applicant was convicted as an adult. An applicant's entire criminal background, including misdemeanor convictions, is considered when reviewing his or her application for enrollment. Applicants convicted of a misdemeanor after their most recent felony conviction and within the past year are ineligible for enrollment until at least one year after their most recent conviction. Applicants convicted in a military court proceeding (e.g., general court-martial) fall under the same felony review process and must provide all appropriate background paperwork. Applicants from states that do not use felony and misdemeanor language have the same requirements for equivalent offenses.

Applicants who have a pending felony charge must resolve the situation to final disposition before consideration by the appeals committee. Also, applicants who have a disposition of adjudication withheld and have not completed the requirements of their disposition will be required to complete all aspects of their adjudication and receive final disposition before being reviewed by the appeals committee. Finally, applicants who have a disposition of adjudication withheld and have proof of final disposition will be required to go through the criminal background process and be reviewed by the appeals committee.

For the safety and security of the campus and depending upon the circumstances, it may be advisable to deny application based on the applicant's past criminal background even if the applicant does not fall into the above categories. Applicants with a criminal background will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Actively enrolled students are expected to notify Financial Aid and Student Services representatives if they are charged or convicted, or there are changes in charge/conviction status related to a violent crime, felony or drug offense while attending UTI. Students who incur a qualifying offense will be subject to the same process and evaluation as new applicants, which may lead to termination of enrollment.

The Central Enrollment Office has the responsibility of reviewing and approving enrollment agreements to ensure proper qualifications in accordance with admissions standards. Applicants who are denied admission will be notified promptly in writing by the campus.

In support of a drug-free environment, UTI students agree, as a condition of acceptance, to UTI's Substance Abuse Prevention policy. Specific details are published in this catalog and are available upon request from the Student Services Department.

UTI, based on information obtained during the interview process, may request a criminal background check on any applicant. Adverse reports will be taken into consideration regarding acceptance.