Further Education for Immigrants

1. You have not finished high school in your country (or cannot prove that you have) but your goal is to attend college in the US. What should you do next?

• Completing a high school equivalency program (HISET or GED) is the first step along with learning English before you can apply.
• You are not alone in this! There are many organizations, such as LitNet of Southern Berkshires, Literacy Volunteers of Berkshire County, and The William Stickney Pittsfield Adult Learning Center in Pittsfield that can help you achieve this goal.

2. You already have a high school diploma from the US or from your country or a high school equivalency and you can prove it. What do you do next?

• You have to prove that you are college-ready in Math and English. To do so you must take a placement test called the Accuplacer.
• The Accuplacer is a tool to assess college readiness in order to make an accurate placement for some credit courses. The Accuplacer includes a variety of reading, writing, and math assessments. You can’t fail or pass the Accuplacer. These tests only measure your academic skills and help in placing you in the right courses at the beginning of your college career. You can take it at no cost at Berkshire Community College, in person or via Zoom. If you need to practice for the Accuplacer tests, try this FREE STUDY APP.
• If English is not your first language you may have to take additional placement tests to assess your English skills.
• If you don’t do well on the Accuplacer, there is good news! You can retest another time! If your English was not good enough, you can take some ESOL classes at the BCC Adult ESOL Program for free and then try again! If you feel comfortable with your results, you may be ready to start your journey to a college education in the US.

3. You are ready for college. What’s next?

• Starting your postsecondary education at a community college is a financially smart decision for those of you who would like to save some money in the process.
• If you live in the Berkshires, you may consider attending Berkshire Community College (BCC) as your next step in your academic career for the following reasons:
  • To enter BCC you don’t have to pay for or pass an Admission test.
  • BCC doesn’t charge application fees and has an open enrollment policy, which means ANYONE can apply any time of the academic year! The Fall semester goes from September to December. The Spring semester runs from January to May. The Summer semester goes from July to August. BE AWARE: Anyone in Massachusetts can attend college, regardless of their immigration status! Having a social security number or a green card is not required to apply, but could make a difference in the cost of your tuition and your access to certain sources of financial aid because you will be considered an out-of-state student, even if you live in MA.
  • BCC is a two-year college, which means you can get an Associate in Arts or Science after completing 60 credits in two years if you are a full-time student. If you can not take 15 credits per semester, you can do it at your own pace.
  • The cost of attending BCC  or a community college is significantly lower than going to a four-year college or a University. The cost of tuition and fees at BCC for a full-time, in- state student is about $6,692 per year.
  • Once you finish your Associate’s Degree, you can start working, or you can transfer and finish a Bachelor’s Degree (which requires an additional 60 credits) at one of the colleges and universities that BCC has transferring agreements with.
  • KEEP IN MIND: If you are an undocumented immigrant student, you can SAVE LOTS OF MONEY at BCC by taking classes in the evening (after 4:30 pm), during the summer, or online. Also, always apply for different types of scholarships!
  • American citizens and green card holders can apply for Federal loans and grants to cover tuition costs and fees. Undocumented students can access BCC scholarships if they earn good grades.
• If you have questions or need help at BCC, contact Admissions Counselor Cheryl Mirer.

4. You already have college credits or a degree from your country and you need to evaluate them to continue your education at a US college or university. What should you do next?

• A good place to start is by contacting the college or university you want to apply to and talk to an Admissions Counselor. Many community colleges allow students to transfer up to 50% or more of their credits from other institutions. Each educational institution uses a different company to help students who studied in another country to transfer their credits or have a degree equivalency evaluation of their international credentials.
• Some reputable companies that can support you in this process include the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES), The World Education Services (WES), and The Center for Educational Documentation (CED), among others.

5. You have a Bachelor’s or a Master’s Degree and you would like to be re-licensed in your professional field. What’s next?

• Be aware that getting a professional license (for example in nursing, teaching or plumbing) in the US is a complex, lengthy and expensive process because every licensed professional field has its own particular state requirements. It is also beneficial to understand that there are alternative ways to work in your professional field at a level that does not require a license.
• Global Talent Bridge is a World Education Services (WES) initiative that provides valuable information about career pathways for skilled immigrant professionals. It offers E-Guides for different Career Pathways covering areas such as engineering, education, law, information technology, pharmacy, architecture, nursing,