Grades

Grades Available

To see when final grades will be available, view the Academic Calendar. You can view your grades in ctcLink.

Grading System

How to calculate your GPA

Your quarterly GPA is determined in three steps:

1. Multiply the grade earned in a course by the number of credits for the course to get your grade points.
2. Add up all the grade points from all the classes.
3. Divide the total number of grade points by the number of credits earned. Round to the nearest hundredth.

Grades of H, I, N, NP, P, W, and Z are not assigned weight and are not used in computing GPA. Use the GPA Calculator to determine you GPA.

Grade Description

Grade	Description of Grade
4.0	A
3.0	B
2.0	C
1.0	D
0.7 - 0.9	D-    (Credit can be granted but may not transfer to Washington state baccalaureate institutions)
0.0	Failure to complete minimum requirement
H	Course in progress
W	Official withdrawal from course
I	Incomplete
P	Pass (credit only, no grade point)
NP	Not Pass (no credit, no grade point)
N	Audit
Repeat	Repeat  - Excluded (This will appear on the transcript to designate the class(es) with the lowest grade(s) when a course has been repeated. The grade for a class with this designation will not be factored into the GPA.)
Repeat	Repeat - Included (This will appear on the transcript to designate the class with the highest grade when a course has been repeated. The grade for a class with this designation will be factored in the GPA.)
Z	Hardship withdrawal (no grade point)
*	Assigned when a grade is not submitted by the instructor in time to be processed. The instructor must submit the grade to Enrollment Services in writing to convert the asterisk to an earned grade.

Hardship Withdrawal

Students who experience extreme and/or unusual hardship circumstances which may affect their academic status or enrollment at Shoreline Community College, may submit the Hardship Withdrawal Request Form to the Registrar’s Office explaining and documenting their situation. Students who submit this form have their petition reviewed and decided upon by the Office of the Registrar. Students who have their petition approved are given a Z grade. This may also result in a refund being granted to the student.

Hardships, for the intent of the above-captioned withdrawal process, are defined as:

• The unexpected deployment or inducement of a student who is active duty in the military;
• A significant and unanticipated personal medical emergency or circumstance beyond the control of the petitioner.

As there are two different processes that entail similar functions, it is the intent to separate the two, and to provide students and staff a clear understanding as to what each of them is used for.

• Hardship Withdrawal: This should only be used by students who meet the requirements as noted above (Medical and Military) As these two reasons typically suggest that a student is not capable of completing their courses by situations beyond their control that a refund of the course is considered. This requires supporting documentation, as refunds are considered for this sort of withdrawal.
• Petition for Review of Circumstances: This should only be used by students who do not meet the requirements as noted above, but still wish to petition for a withdrawal due to unforeseen circumstances. This may include a sudden and traumatic change in living situations, or other unexpected event that has caused them to be incapable of finishing their course(s).

Steps for Student to initiate:

• If the student wishes to connect with the instructor first to discuss their options, they are more than welcome to do so—the instructor can show them where the Hardship Withdrawal or Petition for Review of Circumstances forms are located for them to fill out.
• Students are instructed to send both the form and supporting documentation to Enrollment Services, and to have the final decision of approval/denial housed under the Office of the Registrar.

Hardship Withdrawals and Petitions for Review of Circumstances may be reviewed for up to one calendar year after the specified term has ended.

Audit

An audit grade “N”—as mentioned above—is not assigned weight, and is not used in the GPA calculation. Please keep in mind that if a student is looking to have their grading basis changed from “graded” to “audit” before the deadline in the term (as notated in the Important Dates calendar), this could have an impact on their funding. Please be sure to review your financial aid or funding source if you are requesting a grade basis change to audit or contact our Financial Aid or Enrollment Services department for further assistance.

Repeat a Course

For more information regarding the policy for repeating a course and how this is reflected upon a student’s transcript, please visit the Repeating a Course at Shoreline Community College Information page.

Fresh Start

If you have not attended Shoreline or any other institution of higher learning for 18 months, you may request the elimination of your previous Shoreline credits and GPA. Therefore, you essentially get a "fresh start". If a Fresh Start is granted, your transcript will still show the previous courses and grades earned but the grades for previous courses will not be used in the calculation of the student’s Shoreline GPA, and credits earned may not be used to satisfy graduation requirements. If you are planning to transfer and have been granted a Fresh Start, the receiving institution may accept credits and recalculate the GPA according to its own policies. To request a Fresh Start, submit a completed Fresh Start form.