Academic Credit

Credit Transfer

CGCC accepts college-level credits earned at colleges and universities that are accredited by regional accrediting associations.

Courses must be at 100 or 200 level. 300 level coursework may be accepted if equivalent to the required prerequisites for a program.

Grades for the courses must be a “C-” or higher. “P” grades are only transferable if the transferring institution awarded that grade for a “C-” or higher grade.

Transfer GPAs are not included in the overall GPA on CGCC transcripts.

Courses will be considered equivalent if they have credit/contact hours, curriculum and outcomes that are equivalent to courses offered at CGCC, are graded on a similar basis, or are otherwise deemed appropriate substitutions for CGCC courses.

All records submitted, filed and accumulated in the Registrar’s Office become the property of the college.

Credit Substitution

Students have the right to petition for the substitution of course work to meet degree and/or certificate requirements. No student may graduate with fewer than the required number of credits in a degree or certificate. Credit can be given for a substitution of additional course work, but the number of credits cannot be waived.

Requests for substitutions of course work in the ASOT, AAOT, AS and AGS degrees require approvals by the Registrar in accordance with generally accepted practices.

Requests for substitution of course work in AAS degrees and certificates require approval by the department chair from which the student is earning the degree and/or certificate, consistent with degree outcomes.

All substitutions must meet state guidelines for each degree or certificate as established by the State of Oregon’s Higher Education Coordinating Commission degree and certificate rules. The Registrar’s office provides institutional approval for substitution decisions based on accreditation standards, government regulations and degree outcomes. Substitution forms are available online or at Student Services.

Independent Study

Independent Study courses are those completed in a self-paced format with limited instructional support. A limited number of courses may be taken as independent study classes when a lecture class is not an option and must be approved in advance by the vice-president of Instructional Services.

Course Challenge for Credit

Students may elect to challenge a course for credit prior to enrollment in the course. Only select credit courses are eligible for challenge.

  • Students must be currently registered in credit courses or have previously completed credit courses at Columbia Gorge Community College in order to challenge a course.
  • Challenge credit may not be used to meet the residency requirement or count towards financial aid award status.
  • Students may take the challenge exam for a given course only once.
  • Students may not challenge a course in which they have previously enrolled and received a letter grade (A, B, C, D, F, P, or NP).
  • The department may issue a letter grade or “Pass” for successful completion of a challenge.
  • No more than 25 percent of required degree or certificate credits can be met through course challenge.

If the challenge is successful and a student would like the credit transcripted, the course tuition rate in effect at the time of testing, less the initial $10 testing fee, is required. If the challenge test is for competency to meet a prerequisite, the student only pays for the testing fee. All challenge courses will appear on a transcript as “by examination.”

Non-Traditional Credit

  • Students must have an established transcript at CGCC before non-traditional credit can be awarded.
  • A maximum of 45 credits of non-traditional credit may be granted.
  • Non-traditional credit may not be used to establish CGCC’s residency requirement.
  • Only those subject areas taught by CGCC will be considered.

Non-Traditional Credit Evaluation

Only college credit CGCC students may request a non-traditional credit evaluation. The student must submit to the Registrar verification of completion of non-traditional credit by nationally standardized tests such as Advance Placement Scores (AP), College Level Examination Program (CLEP), International Baccalaureate (IB), and other non-accredited training programs. Each evaluation requires a non-refundable $10 fee prior to evaluation. All documentation and the Non-Traditional Credit form must be submitted with fee. Information on how the test scores convert to credit is located on the transfer credit webpage. Click on nontraditional credit.

Advanced Placement (AP)

Students must submit an official AP exam score along with the appropriate form and fee. Students will be awarded credit based on the evaluation standards on the date all documentation and fees were received. The evaluator will determine which Advanced Placement Program examinations are accepted for credits as well as what score is acceptable to receive credits.

Upon receipt of the completed advanced placement courses on an official transcript, the Registrar will determine applicability of courses to the student’s chosen program.

College Level Examination Program (CLEP)

The College Level Examination Program (CLEP) includes nationally normed examinations. CLEP offers subject matter examinations. CGCC accepts CLEP scores for some, but not all, subject areas. The score cutoffs vary from subject to subject. Students must submit scores to the Registrar’s office, along with a Non-Traditional Credit form.

International Baccalaureate (IB)

Students who complete IB Exams are eligible to receive college credit based on the exam score. A minimum score of 5 is required for both standard level and higher level.

Military Service Credit

American Council on Education (ACE) guidelines will be used with discretion when considering military credit for courses (not occupations) documented on the DD214 and/or other official training documents. Typically, credit is considered only when it is equivalent to regular course offerings at CGCC, when it is not duplicated, and when it is applicable to a student’s degree requirements.

CGCC will award two (2) credit hours toward PE requirements for Basic Training. The fee will be waived for the PE credits. CGCC accepts a maximum of twelve (12) Career and Technical Education (CTE) credits toward electives. Students must complete a Request for Awarding Military Credit form. Course Work at Non-Accredited Institutions Credit may be granted for course work completed at training sites other than those listed in the “Transfer Credit Practices Directory” published by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers.

Students must furnish detailed training records, course outlines and, whenever possible, transcripts. Individual departments will evaluate and assign CGCC equivalencies. Only those subject areas taught by CGCC will be considered. Contact the Student Services Office for details.

Credit Evaluation for Veterans Education Benefits

Students using any type of Federal Veterans Administration (VA) Education Benefit are required to have all prior credit history evaluated. It is the student’s responsibility to request official transcripts from all previous colleges and submit them to the CGCC Student Records Office. A student’s first term of VA benefits may be certified while waiting for transcript evaluation, however no subsequent terms will be certified for VA Benefits until transfer credit evaluation is complete. All credits will be evaluated and transferred according to the policies stated in this catalog.