The first day of classes for the Spring 2025 semester is January 13, 2025.

Move-in date for new/incoming students attending NSO: Monday, January 6, 2025 between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.  
Contact Maydee Vande Hey or Ray Perry, at [email protected] or [email protected], for more information.

Effective October 1, 2013, TEC 51.9192 (Texas law) requires all students under age 22 entering an institution of higher education to provide current proof of vaccination against bacterial meningitis (an immunization given within 5 years of the date of intended enrollment) or meet certain requirements for declining such a vaccination.  New students who have not provided documentation of vaccination will have a hold placed on their account.  Students with a hold will not be allowed to register for classes or enter the SWCD campus. The hold will be removed once the appropriate immunization documentation has been provided to SWCD/HC.

Detailed information regarding the vaccination requirements and exemptions can be found at
https://catalog.howardcollege.edu/content.php?catoid=23&navoid=1213#Bacterial_Meningitis_Vaccination_Requirement

For questions regarding FAFSA or financial aid, you may contact Sandra Sloat, Financial Aid Advisor, at [email protected] or (432) 218-4182 VP/VRS.  

Although the priority deadline for the Fall semester is June 30, we recommend you complete the 2024-2025 FAFSA and turn in any required paperwork as soon as possible.  Information received after the deadline may not be processed in time for registration.

Students must contact the Financial Aid Office to ensure that all files/information are on file in the Financial Aid Office regardless of grant eligibility.

In order to be eligible for financial assistance, you must first complete and submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).  It is available online at www.studentaid.gov.  There is no cost to submit the FAFSA.  It must be renewed every year.  The FAFSA school code for SWCD/HC is 003574.

Go to the web page: Scholarships – Howard College for more information. You may contact Sandra Sloat, Financial Aid Advisor, at 432-218-4182 VP/VRS or [email protected] for further information about scholarships.

Students may view their account statements in their Student Portal account.  Tuition, fees, and room & board are due at registration.  Students have the option to participate in a payment plan which requires 50% of tuition and fees to be paid when the contract starts.  There is also a similar payment plan for those who do not have full financing for their room and board. Each payment plan requires a $30.00 enrollment fee.  Payment plans are done in the Student Portal. The Howard College Business Office will e-mail students with more information about the payment plans.  Students must sign up for the payment plan or pay in full by December 9th, 2024.  Students who preregistered but have not paid their tuition in full or have not signed up for a payment plan may be dropped from all courses at that time.  All later registrations pay when registered.

You will receive a printed class schedule, statement, and book list on January 9th, 2025.  You must send all these documents to your TWC/VR immediately.  The service authorizations (payments) from TWC/VR need to be sent to the Howard College Business Office, 1001 Birdwell Lane, Big Spring, TX, 79720, faxed to 432-264-5133, or emailed to [email protected].

The HC Business Office phone number is 432-264-5035 if you have questions.

Service Authorizations for textbooks must be emailed to [email protected]. The Bookstore phone number is 432-264-5050, if you have questions.

A tool kit is a set of tools required for certain majors. This is a one-time charge (if self-pay, sales tax will be applied) when the student enrolls in a major that requires a tool kit. The SWCD Welding program requires the purchase of a tool kit. Contact Jennifer Key at 432-264-3752 V or 432-218-4183 VP or [email protected] for further information.

SWCD New Student Registration will take place on Thursday, January 9, 2025 from 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. at the SWCD campus. After new students complete the assessments for class placement, they will receive assistance from their academic advisors with their registration for classes. 

All new or transfer deaf/hard-of-hearing students with demonstrated limited English proficiency and who have not been otherwise exempted from placement testing, will receive an ESOL Waiver (TAC Title 19, Part 1, Chapter 4C Rule 4.54) exempting them from the TSIA/TSIA2 in English Language Arts and Reading (ELAR). They will take the Math TSIA2 for Math placement and the TABE test for Reading and Writing placement.

Effective August 26, 2013, all students entering degree programs will be tested for TSI purposes (they must test on the TSIA/TSIA2) unless receiving an ESOL waiver.

In accordance with the TEC 51.306 and 51.403, SWCD/HC will assess and correctly place undergraduate students entering our institution.  Students who do not have college-level skills in reading, writing, or math, as determined by initial testing, will be placed in a developmental education program or ESOL program to improve any skill areas that are found deficient.  The minimum passing standards and testing exemptions can be found at: https://catalog.howardcollege.edu/content.php?catoid=23&navoid=1213#college-readiness.

New or transfer students, who require testing, will take placement tests. TSIA2 is only available in Texas. Students who took the TSIA/TSIA2 within the past year may submit their scores to SWCD Enrollment Services. The placement testing fee is $24.00 or $12/section for any retest. If you are attending New Student Orientation (NSO), the testing fee is included in the NSO fee. Degree-seeking students will take the English TSIA2 (ELAR) during their second long semester. 

When the students’ scores and their new class schedules are on file in their Academic Advisors’ offices, they will be able to register for classes. 

Students may change majors only after the semester ends.  Students must meet with their TWC/VR counselor (if applicable) to discuss changing their Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE).  After they change their IPE, they must meet with their academic advisors to complete a Major Change form, and then submit the form to the Office of Enrollment Services at SWCD.

Depending on the availability of vehicles and drivers, SWCD provides free transportation for first-year students coming from Midland International Air and Space Port at the beginning of the semester. First-year students may contact Maydee Vande Hey, Coordinator of Residence Education, at [email protected] and provide the following information: your name, flight number, airline, or bus schedule, and the date & time you will be arriving. 

If SWCD cannot provide transportation, you may contact TRAX at (800) 245-9028.

Another option for transportation, including local trips is Uber (https://www.uber.com/).

Please contact the Coordinator of Residence Education (CRE) for move-in and move-out dates for the Fall and Spring terms. 

Residence halls are closed during Thanksgiving Break, Winter Break, and Spring Break and residents are expected to vacate the residence halls. Please contact the Coordinator of Residence Education for closure dates and details. The college is not responsible for any personal belongings left in rooms during closures. 

If you have a disability and require specific accommodations to complete the TSIA2/TABE placement exams, please contact Jeff Anderson, District/SWCD ADA Coordinator at 432-218-4051 (VP or V) or at [email protected] to discuss your needs. Reasonable testing accommodations are provided to allow students with documented disabilities an opportunity to demonstrate their skills and knowledge. Students who need testing accommodations must submit documentation of their disability to Jeff Anderson, District/SWCD ADA Coordinator, at least two weeks prior to the scheduled testing date for review.

Since SWCD is a school for the deaf and hard-of-hearing, all classes on our campus are taught by teachers who are proficient in ASL. ASL interpreters and note-takers are provided if a student is enrolled in class(es) at the Howard College location.  No additional documentation is necessary for those accomodations.

For all other disabilities that require accommodation(s), including academic, residential, mobility, visual, or dietary accommodations, you will need to submit documentation of the disability.  The documentation needs to be submitted to Jeff Anderson, District/SWCD ADA Coordinator. You are encouraged to contact Jeff Anderson, District/SWCD ADA Coordinator at 432-218-4051 (VP or V) or at [email protected] as soon as possible in order to ensure that you receive the necessary accommodation(s).

Note regarding emotional support animal accommodations: If you have an emotional support animal you wish to bring with you to campus, please review the emotional support animal policy found in the online Student Handbook. You can find the forms required for an emotional support animal at https://howardcollege.edu/come-to-howard-college/disability-services/.

Please contact Jeff Anderson, District/SWCD ADA Coordinator, at (432) 218-4051 (VP or V) or [email protected] if you have any questions.

At SouthWest College for the Deaf, we believe sound emotional health is integral to a student’s ability to succeed in college. As such, counseling services are provided to assist students who need help addressing issues that might interfere with their academic progress. Personal counseling is confidential, and services are free to current students on a short-term basis. The counseling role is to support and assist students in facing the emotional challenges that often accompany the college experience. Common issues for which students seek counseling include stress, anxiety, depression, drug and alcohol problems, self-esteem, relationship issues, grief, family concerns, and more.

Short-term personal counseling is time-limited and solution-focused. Most students benefit from an average of six sessions. Should long-term therapy be needed, the counselor will help make the appropriate referrals to human service organizations and/or mental health providers in the area.

If you need assistance, please come to the SWCD Office of Student Services or you may contact Shannon Creswell, Director of Student and Administrative Services, (432) 218-4059 VP or (432) 264-3777 V. You may also contact Jennifer Key, Assistant to the Director of Student and Administrative Services, (432) 218-4183 VP or (432) 264-3752 V.