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Eligibility

Residency: Students must live with a parent and/or legal guardian who is a full-time resident of, and meets all the residency requirements of, a participating Northern Virginia school division to be eligible to apply for admission.

Residency must precede application to TJHSST. If you are not living in a participating Northern Virginia school division at the time of application, you are not eligible to apply to TJHSST. You cannot first apply to TJHSST and wait to see if you are admitted before deciding to move to a participating school division.

Full-time residence in a participating school division must continue throughout the four years of enrollment and is subject to verification at any time. School divisions currently participating are: the counties of:

• Arlington
• Fairfax (includes City of Fairfax)
• Fauquier
• Loudoun
• Prince William
• City of Falls Church

If you have any questions regarding the residency requirement, or if you are relocating to this area, please contact the Admissions Director at 703-658-5824 or via email at Judith.Howard@fcps.edu.

Proof of Residency: If an applicant is not currently enrolled in a public middle or high school in a participating school division at the time of application, proof of residency is required. Applicants' parents or legal guardian must provide a copy of their lease, deed, or current mortgage statement AND a copy of a current utility bill (gas, electric, water, or land-line telephone). Additional documentation may be required by the Admissions Office at any time.

Attendance Cap: By contractual agreement between Fairfax County Public Schools and the participating school divisions, there is a cap, or limit, on the number of students who can attend TJHSST from each of the divisions outside Fairfax County. This cap is calculated yearly for the incoming freshman class based on the number of eighth graders in each school division relative to the total number of eighth graders in the region.

Processing Fees

A processing fee of $90 is required for application to Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. Students who are eligible for free or reduced-price meals pay a processing fee of $25. A waiver of the fee is available by contacting the school counselor or the Admissions Director, Judy Howard, at 703-658-5824. Checks should be made payable to "Fairfax County Public Schools" or to "FCPS". There are no refunds.

Prerequisite Courses for Application

Freshman Algebra 1 Prerequisite: Students must be enrolled in Algebra 1 or a higher level math course in grade 8 to apply to TJHSST.

Students who are enrolled in Math 8 may be allowed to apply, under special circumstances, if they obtain written approval from the Admissions Director prior to the application deadline. All requests for a waiver of the Algebra 1 requirement must be in writing.

Students applying in the Summer Round (i.e., those who moved to a participating school division after September 30, 2007) must have completed Algebra 1 in grade 8.

Sophomore/Junior Prerequisites: Students applying for sophomore and junior admissions have specific course requirements for application and attendance. Those requirements are listed in Sophomores and Juniors.

Declaration of Nondiscrimination

No student or employee in Fairfax County Public Schools shall, on the basis of age, sex, race, religion, national origin, marital status, or handicapping condition, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity. Compliance with Section 504 is coordinated by the Director of the Office of Design and Construction Services (703-246-6270) when it concerns access to facilities, by the Director of the Office of Equity and Compliance (571-423-3050) when it concerns employment and personnel policies, and by the Coordinator of the Office of Monitoring and Compliance (571-423-4210) when it concerns programs for students with disabilities.