The minimum standards for admission to the programs at Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Service, require that each applicant:

• Be at least 18 years of age
• Graduate from an accredited four-year high school or its equivalent (such as a recognized G.E.D.).  If any official school documents are in a foreign language, they will need to be translated and certified that the applicant has completed formal education requirements equivalent to high school graduation in the United States.  The translated documents need to be accurate before submission.
• Satisfy ONE of the following academic requirements:
  • Graduate in the upper one-fourth of the applicant’s high school class
  • Transfer ALL General Education credits (AAS degree only) OR have successfully completed 16 semester hours of college credit with a 2.0 GPA (Certificate only)
  • ACT composite score of 21
  • SAT combined score of 990 (If taken after April 1, 1995)

If none of the above 4 academic requirements are met, then an applicant must submit a typed, one-page, double-spaced essay.  The college’s admissions committee will review the essays of these candidates for the purpose of acceptance selections.  An applicant’s essay must answer the following two questions:

• Why are you pursuing a career in funeral service?
• Why did you choose Commonwealth Institute for your funeral service education?

Applications are completed online though the school website, and they are processed in the order in which they are received. However, in all cases, new enrollees are given priority over re-enrolling students and students transferring from other ABFSE accredited programs. The deadline for acceptance is 60 days prior to the start date of each academic quarter. You must be accepted by that date to be considered for the upcoming term.

NOTE: Submitting all documents by the stated acceptance deadline neither guarantees nor constitutes acceptance into a program.

All students must provide a valid email address. Official CIFS communication occurs through the email provided on the application for admission. A student who desires to utilize an email address different than the one provided on the application must immediately notify CIFS staff in writing. Only one (1) valid email address should be used when communicating with CIFS, to avoid missed messages.  Students are responsible for checking their email on a daily basis. Information emailed to students’ official email accounts is considered to be sufficient public notification. In addition to utilizing the resources available on campus, CIFS encourages our students to communicate openly and honestly with their families and employers on all matters; especially those areas relevant to academic progress, personal concerns, and disciplinary action.

It is the students’ responsibility to keep their address, phone number, and email address current with the administrative office.