Credits
Withdrawal or Change to Non-Credit
After the Attendance Verification period has ended, if a student is not able to complete a course, it is the responsibility of the student to withdraw from the course, prior to the established withdrawal deadline. A W will appear on the permanent academic record for the course. After the 70th percent point of a course, the student is not able to process a withdrawal and a final grade will be assigned.
Early F Grade
After the 70th percent point of a course, an instructor may assign an F, which will appear on the permanent record, to a student who has stopped attending class. Instructors will not withdraw a student for excessive absences.
Attendance policies differ between credit hour programs and clock hour certificate programs. Consult the appropriate attendance policy for more information.
The text below will appear in the Grading Policies section.
F Grade Assigned Early
A grade of F, which will appear on the permanent record, may be assigned by an instructor before the end of the term, in any of the following circumstances.
- After the 70th percent point of a course, an instructor may assign an F, which will appear on the permanent record, to a student who has stopped attending class. Instructors will not withdraw a student for excessive absences.
- An instructor may assign a grade of F, which will appear on the permanent record, at any point during the term for the student who has plagiarized or committed academic cheating of any kind.
- An instructor may assign a grade of F, which will appear on the permanent record, at any point during the term for the student who stops attending a course being attempted for the third time.
Audit and Non-Credit Status
The fees paid to audit a course or to take a course for no credit are the same as to take the course for a grade.
Audit
A student may register in a class on an audit basis by completing the appropriate audit form in a registration office. A student may change to the audit status no later than the last day of the schedule adjustment period. A change from audit to credit is not permitted after the end of the schedule adjustment period. College preparatory or developmental courses cannot be audited.
Class examinations are not required for lecture-based courses; however, laboratory and clinical courses may require successful completion examinations. Regular class attendance is encouraged. A student auditing a class will not receive a letter grade (A through F). A mark of X will appear on the student’s transcript indicating that the course was taken for audit. Audit courses will not affect the grade point average. Courses taken on an audit basis will not be counted when determining eligibility for veteran benefits, financial aid, or certification of enrollment to outside agencies.
Non-Credit
A student may change to a non-credit status after the registration period but prior to the last date to withdraw (the 70th percent point of the course). A change from non-credit to credit is not permitted. Tests or examinations are not required for the non-credit student; however, regular attendance is encouraged. Courses taken for non-credit are not included in the calculation of the grade point average but are included in determination of academic progress. In determining academic standing, a course taken for non-credit is considered to be an attempted course that has not been completed. Courses taken for non-credit will not be counted when determining eligibility for veteran benefits, financial aid, or certification of enrollment to outside agencies.
Pass/Fail Option
A student may choose to enroll in a course using the Pass/Fail option. Students passing the course will receive a grade of P and will earn credit for the course with no effect on the grade point average. Students not passing the course will receive a grade of F, and the F grade will be calculated for GPA purposes. In both cases, the grade and credits for courses taken by the Pass/Fail option will be used in determining academic standing. See Standards of Academic Progress.
The Pass/Fail option is not available for courses classified as general education even if the course is not being taken to meet general education requirements. Some program core courses cannot be taken using the Pass/Fail option.
A transient student should consult an advisor at his/her primary institution before electing the Pass/Fail option in a course to be transferred to that institution.
The Pass/Fail option is not available for students enrolling in baccalaureate courses.
A student wishing to take a course using the Pass/Fail option must declare their intent before the end of the schedule adjustment period by completing the appropriate form at any registration office. Students may not change from the Pass/Fail option to a grade-seeking status after the end of the schedule adjustment period. The normal rules for repeating courses will apply to courses completed by the Pass/Fail option. Students earning a P in a course may not repeat the course for a letter grade.
A student enrolled in associate degree or certificate programs may choose to take up to three elective credits by the Pass/Fail option. These credits will be exclusive of any transfer credits or external credits. Students may choose to take additional courses using the Pass/Fail option, but any credits beyond the three credit maximum may not be used to meet graduation requirements.
Non-Traditional Credit (External Credit)
A student enrolled in an associate degree or certificate program may request to take up to three elective credits by the Pass/Fail option. These credits will be exclusive of any transfer credits or external credits. A student may choose to take additional courses using the Pass/Fail option, but any credits beyond the three credit maximum may not be used to meet graduation requirements.
A student may use credits earned through non-traditional learning experiences toward most degree programs offered by the College. The maximum number of non-traditional credits that may be counted toward graduation depends upon the particular program of study and the type of non-traditional credit. In all cases, no more than 15 credit hours earned through non-traditional means may be counted toward the general education requirements of the Associate in Arts degree. In all cases, no more than nine credit hours earned through non-traditional means may be counted toward the general education requirements of the associate in science degree.
Non-traditional credit earned will not appear on an official Pensacola State College transcript until a minimum of 15 credit hours of Pensacola State College course work has been earned. A student receiving financial aid should consult with a representative in the Financial Aid Office regarding non-traditional credit as it pertains to eligibility for financial assistance. A student receiving veteran benefits should consult with a representative of the Veteran Services Office regarding non-traditional credit as it pertains to benefit eligibility. Credit hours earned through non-traditional means will not be posted to the record with a letter grade. No quality points are attached to the course and the credits neither improve nor decrease the cumulative grade point average.
Departmental Exemption Exams
A student may challenge the content of certain courses and earn credit upon the successful completion of a departmental proficiency examination. A student must follow the procedure below.
- Obtain approval from the appropriate department head, the Registrar, or a designee, and pay the predetermined exemption examination fee at any cashier’s office. Registration in the course is not required. The exam fee is non-refundable. A student who is not registered in the course may take the departmental exemption exam at any time.
- Obtain approval from the appropriate department head and the Registrar and pay the exam fee if a student registers for the course. The examination must be taken no later than the end of the third week of a class for a fall or spring term and no later than the second week of class for a summer term. If a student passes the examination, registration in the course will be cancelled, and the student will receive a refund of fees paid for the course. The exam fee is non-refundable.
- The student must be currently enrolled in a credit course at the College other than the one being challenged or must have completed prior credit coursework at Pensacola State College.
- The student must not have taken the exemption examination for the course at any previous time.
- The student must not have earned a grade in the course through work at Pensacola State College or through transfer credit. A student may not use the exemption examination option to raise a grade of D or F.
Military Credit
Active duty service members and retired military personnel may request a review of military experiences for possible credit. An official copy of military service school training should be submitted to the Registrar’s Office for possible credit. Credits for military experiences will be granted according to the recommendations of the American Council on Education (ACE) as published in the latest editions of The Guide to the Evaluation of Education in the Armed Services. Information regarding points of contact are provided in the table below.
| Branch of Military |
Contact for Documentation |
| Navy |
https://jst.doded.mil |
| Marine Corps |
https://jst.doded.mil |
| Army |
https://jst.doded.mil |
| Air Force |
Community College of the Air Force at https://www.airuniversity.af.edu/Barnes/CCAF/ |
| Reservists and National Guard |
Contact the Military Education Officer for the DD295; the DD295 must be certified by an authorized commissioned officer and sent directly to the Pensacola State College Records Office. |
| Retired Military |
Copies of the retired service member’s DD214 will be accepted. |
Advanced Placement (AP)
Credit is awarded to a student who has earned a score of 3 or higher on a high school AP exam after completion of an AP course. The State Department of Education determines credit awarded. Official score reports are to be sent to the Admissions and Records Office directly from College Board.
College Level Examination Program (CLEP)
CLEP exams are administered to anyone who wishes to document knowledge in a specific subject area. Those who wish to register for CLEP exams should contact the Pensacola Campus Test Center for dates and costs. The State Department of Education determines credit awarded. Official score reports are to be sent to the Admissions and Records Office.
International Baccalaureate (IB)
Credit is awarded to a student who has completed courses in an International Baccalaureate (IB) program in high school. The State Department of Education determines credit. Official copies of the score report should be sent directly to the Records Office from the high school at which the student completed or attended the IB program.
Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES)
DANTES exams are administered to military personnel to document educational achievement. Test results must be sent directly to the College from DANTES. The State Department of Education determines credit awarded.