To encourage students who were not successful when they first enrolled in college and who later
return and perform successfully, Community Colleges of Spokane (CCS) developed a Grade
Forgiveness Procedure. CCS offers a one-time opportunity for students to petition to implement the
Grade Forgiveness Procedure for a particular quarter or quarters if they meet all of the following
conditions:
Return after an absence of at least 3 years.
Subsequently maintain a quarterly 2.0 or better GPA in each quarter of enrollment.
Earn at least 24 decimal grade credits since returning.
Do not withdraw from more than 5 credits in any quarter since returning.
If the petition is accepted and approved only complete quarters are forgiven. It is not an option to
forgive individual courses within a quarter. All classes within a quarter to which the Grade
Forgiveness Procedure has been applied are designated on the student’s transcript by an asterisk
symbol (*) in the grade qualifier field. The asterisk in the grade qualifier field is further defined on the
back of the official CCS transcript.
The forgiven grades remain on the student’s transcript but will not be calculated in the CCS
cumulative grade point average (GPA) and are not included in any of the cumulative totals on the
student’s CCS grading output. Forgiven grades cannot be used towards any degree or certificate
requirement or as a course pre-requisite at CCS.
Grade forgiveness may not be exercised to remove a grade awarded in a case of academic
misconduct. Forgiven grades may not be reinstated later. Grade forgiveness does not supersede
departmental requirements. Classes for which grades are forgiven are counted in the maximum
number of times a student may enroll in a class.
If a student transfers to another college, the receiving institution will receive a CCS transcript
containing all courses taken. The receiving institution may or may not honor the forgiveness of
grades. Each institution interprets transcripts, accepts credits and calculates the GPA according to its
own policies.
Considerations
Financial aid students will still be subject to federal regulations that require all attempted credits be
counted toward completion of an initial degree. Students are advised to contact the Financial Aid
Office for information on how this policy may affect their financial aid.
G. I. Bill students and others receiving Veterans Administration educational benefits are advised that
the forgiveness of any grade must be reported to the VA and may result in the retroactive reduction of
benefits for the quarter for which the forgiven grade was originally assigned. Students are advised to
contact CCS’s Veterans Affairs Office for further information on how this policy may affect their
benefits.
CCS Enrollment Management Committee 6/09
CCS Deans approved 11/09
CCS Department chairs approved 2/10
CCS Cabinet approved 3/10
