Information for Families

Welcome to RCTC!  We are glad your student has chosen to enroll at Rochester Community and Technical College.  Studies show that students who have a strong support system are more likely to be successful.  We hope this webpage will give you some resources to support your student on their educational journey.

Learn More and Visit RCTC

Prior to registering for classes at RCTC, make sure you accompany your student on a campus tour or campus visit.  This helps you visualize where your student will be during the academic year and introduces you to all the support and services on campus.  Sign up for a campus visit.  Future dates are posted often, so if there’s not a date that works for you, check back often!

Do you have questions? Or not sure where to start with the college process?  College Transition Advisors are RCTC staff who spend their time within specific, local high schools to assist students and their families through the entire college process.  If you have questions about RCTC, or just the general college search, please seek them out in your high school’s guidance office.  Schools served include: Century High School, John Marshall High School, Mayo High School, Rochester ALC, and Hawthorne Education Center.

Our staff in the Welcome and One Stop Center at RCTC can also assist you and your student in person, through email, or by phone.

Is your student looking to continue their athletic career at RCTC? Please fill out the Student-Athlete questionnaire to ensure their  information is passed along to the appropriate coach.  If your student is not interested in collegiate athletics but still enjoys working out or playing intramural sports, you can still request to see the Sports Center on your campus tour.

Applying to RCTC

There are many pathways that students can take to enroll at RCTC.  We offer general admission, transfer admission, international admission, and Post-Secondary Enrollment Options for high school.

Each option has slightly different requirements, but the online application for all students is FREE.  Students who have NEVER applied or enrolled at a Minnesota State College or University will have to create an account.  This account will generate a “starID,” which is their system identification.  The starID will follow them to any Minnesota State College and University.

Rochester Community and Technical College is an “open-access” college, allowing any student who can provide proof of a high school diploma or equivalent will be admitted.  Some of the applicant options, such as international admission and PSEO admission, require additional paperwork before official admission to RCTC.  Please be timely with sending required paperwork as there are deadlines for international and PSEO admission.

Once students have completed the application process, they will receive a letter regarding their application status and next steps.  It will also provide information regarding their intended program as well as their TechID, their RCTC identification number.  Both the starID and TechID are unique to each student and cannot be shared.

Student Data Privacy

Student educational records are protected by the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).  This means that once students have completed the enrollment process, information cannot be released without the student’s consent.  This includes PSEO students.  Age is not a factor in the FERPA policy, but enrollment at a post-secondary institution is covered.  Unless your student authorizes you to receive information (including financial aid status, account balance, grades), you will NOT be able to make transactions on your student’s behalf.  During the Orientation session, more information will be presented to students and families regarding FERPA.

ACCEPTED TO RCTC!  …Now, what?

First of all, celebrate with your student!  This is an achievement worth noting and we’re just as proud of your student. Once celebrations have subsided, your student should complete the enrollment process.

Students will receive more specific information about their next steps through email. Fall students will receive this information in late February/early March, while admitted Spring students will receive this information in October.