Cal Grant GPA Calculation Instructions
High School GPA
A high school GPA is calculated on a 4.00 scale to two decimal
places (between 0.00 and 4.00). Do not use a weighted scale.
Convert any grades with extra weighting for honors and
advanced placement classes to a 4.00 scale before calculating
the GPA. GPAs calculated beyond a 4.00 scale will not be
accepted.
For students who have not yet graduated high school, calculate
the GPA using all academic course work for the sophomore
year, the summer following the sophomore year, the junior year,
and the summer following the junior year. The high school GPA
excludes physical education (PE), Reserve Ofcer Training
Corps (ROTC), and remedial courses. Remedial work is dened
as any course that is not counted toward high school graduation.
Failing grades must be included in the GPA calculation unless
the course has been retaken.
GPAs for “accelerated” high school juniors graduating in spring
2012 should be calculated using academic course work earned
during the student’s sophomore year and the summer following
the sophomore year, as well as all course work completed in the
junior year by the time of certication.
For students who are out of high school but have not earned
sufcient college level units to allow calculation of either a
college GPA or reestablished GPA or as explained below, the
GPA must be calculated from high school course work earned
from the student’s sophomore year onward, regardless of
whether the student graduated. Competitive Cal Grant awards
can be made to students who have not graduated high school.
Regular California Community College GPA
For purposes of computing a community college GPA for a Cal
Grant award, “nontransferable units” and “courses not counted
in the computation for admission to a California public institution
of higher education that grants a baccalaureate degree” mean
all courses except “Associate Degree Credit Courses” as dened
by Title 5, Chapter 6, Article 1, Section 55002(a) of the California
Code of Regulations.
Reestablished Community College GPA
A reestablished community college GPA is calculated on at least
16 but less than 24 semester units or the equivalent. For any
Cal Grant deadline, a school may submit either a reestablished
GPA or a “regular” community college GPA calculated on at
least 24 semester units, or the equivalent. A reestablished
GPA is good only for Competitive Cal Grant B consideration.
Only a California Community College may submit a
reestablished GPA.
College GPA
A college GPA is calculated on all college work completed,
except for nontransferable units and courses not counted in
the computation for admission to a California public institution
of higher education that grants a baccalaureate degree.
The denition of the phrases “all college work completed”
and “nontransferable units” and “courses not counted in the
computation for admission to a California public institution
of higher education that grants a baccalaureate degree” are
described below. A college GPA or a community college GPA
must be computed for a minimum of 24 semester units or its
equivalent regardless of the grades received. The phrase “all
college work completed” includes all coursework for which
grades are known to the ofcial reporting the GPA and that are
accepted for credit at the school reporting the GPA. Failing
grades must be included.
College GPA - Baccalaureate Degree Granting
Institution
College GPA - Associate Degree Granting
Institution
For purposes of computing a college grade point average by
a postsecondary institution that grants an associate degree,
“nontransferable units” and “courses not counted in the
computation for admission to a California public institution of
higher education that grants a “baccalaureate degree” are those
courses which do not earn credit for an associate degree at the
reporting institution.
College GPA - Non-degree Granting Institution
For purposes of computing a college GPA by a postsecondary
institution that does not grant a baccalaureate or an associate
degree:
(A) “nontransferable units” are those units which are not used in
satisfying requirements for earning a baccalaureate degree from
a California public institution of higher education that grants such
a degree;
(B) “courses not counted in the computation for admission to
a California public institution of higher education that grants a
baccalaureate degree” are any courses for which the earned
grade is not used in the computation of a GPA in determining
admission eligibility, whether or not units earned for the course
are transferable to such an institution.
There are four categories of GPAs used for Cal Grant award selection - High School, College, Regular
Community College and Reestablished Community College.
For purposes of computing a college GPA by an institution
that grants a baccalaureate degree, “nontransferable units”
and “courses not counted in the computation for admission to
a California public institution of higher education that grants a
baccalaureate degree” are those courses which do not earn
credit for a baccalaureate degree from the reporting institution.
If the GPA is based on college units, and is not a reestablished GPA as described above, do not ll in any bubble.