Benefits of attending ALI/GSCC

• Decades of experience welcoming and educating International Students
• On-campus housing available
• Friendly, welcoming and helpful atmosphere – campus and community
• Major cities easily accessible by car: Birmingham AL, Huntsville AL, Atlanta GA, Chattanooga TN
• 30+ countries represented on campus providing balanced global perspective
• International Student Club: Students Without Borders
• 40+ student organizations and activity groups
• Highly supportive college administration

Community College Advantages

• 2-year college provides smooth transition to US Education system and transfer to 4-year universities and colleges
• Low cost
• Small class size
• Opportunities for relationships with faculty
• Competitive transfer scholarships possible for successful students

NARRATIVE: Gadsden State Community College has had an International Program since 1968, averaging 150 students in the College and Language Institute, and we have had a continuously operating ESL program, Alabama Language Institute (ALI). ALI, established in 1973, is the oldest English language institute in Alabama and one of the oldest in the Southeastern United States. It was the first 2-year college intensive English program to be recognized by NAFSA. Also recognized by EnglishUSA, ALI is the only intensive English language program in the Alabama Community College System.

The Alabama Language Institute (ALI) is a multi-level intensive English language program that helps students improve their English in order to be more successful both in the academic and the professional worlds. Students at ALI study cultural skills, grammar, pronunciation, reading and writing, speaking and listening, strategies for the TOEFL, and vocabulary. In addition, ALI offers students opportunities to interact with Americans on campus and off campus through conversation partner programs, field trips, and cultural activities. Students who complete the highest level of ALI courses with the grades of A or B can be granted a waiver for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) admission requirement at Gadsden State Community College.

The full service International Programs office serves the immigration, academic, counseling and personal needs of the students. The office is responsible for recruiting, admitting, advising, student activities, and connecting the community and the students, as well as responding daily to the myriad of challenges unique to the international student experience. International Programs and Alabama Language Institute are jointly administered. The Gadsden State Community College administration is highly supportive of these programs, as is the College Foundation, and the area community.

Gadsden has a population of about 50,000. Its location in northeast Alabama makes it easily accessible by car to other major cities like Birmingham (1 hour), Huntsville (1-1/2 hours), Chattanooga, Tennessee (1-1/2 hours), and Atlanta, Georgia (2 hours). The area offers extensive recreational facilities including tennis courts, swimming pools and gymnasiums, as well as parks, playgrounds and golf courses. Water sports, including water skiing, boating and fishing are enjoyed in the summer months. Two excellent hospitals, various health clinics and numerous private physicians serve the people of this area. The weather is mild, with temperatures in winter averaging 45 F (7 C) during the day and 28 F (-3 C) during the night. In the summer, day temperatures average 95 F (35 C), and night temperatures 75 F (24 C). Shuttle service is available between campus and shopping areas, and weekend van transportation is available to dormitory students twice daily for access to the mall, restaurants and a grocery store. The college also provides initial van transportation from the Birmingham airport to campus.