Credit/No Credit Policy FAQ

This policy applies only to courses taken during the Fall 2020 semester.

This policy was designed in consultation with campus presidents and deans, the University Faculty Senate, the University Council of Registrars, and the University Student Senate to provide students with maximum flexibility during the ongoing pandemic.

This policy applies to all Hunter College students who are enrolled in credit-bearing courses for the Fall 2020 semester, including undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral courses, with the exception of those courses listed that have been designated to be excluded from opt-in as indicated on the Excluded Courses List.

Course grades will not automatically convert to Credit/No Credit. The change is optional, at the student’s discretion.

Students will have up to 20 business days after the University’s final grade submission deadline to elect Credit/No Credit.

Undergraduate students who are graduating and whose cumulative or major GPAs are below a 2.0, or graduate students who have a GPA below a 3.0 should consult with their advisor before electing the option.

A student can opt to take the Credit/No Credit option for all, some, or none of their graded classes for Fall 2020 semester, with the exception of those courses listed above that have been designated to be excluded from opt-in as indicated on the Excluded Courses List.

Students will not be denied the right to opt-in to receive a Credit/No Credit grade for a course that applies toward their degree (general education courses, electives, major, minor, and prerequisite courses) based upon this policy, with the exception of those courses listed above that have been designated to be excluded from opt-in as indicated on the Excluded Courses List.

A grade of Credit/No Credit may not be acceptable to licensing, accreditation, or other bodies external to CUNY. Students should consult with their program advisors or the external body prior to making the decision to elect Credit/No Credit.

Graduation

If an undergraduate student’s major GPA and/or cumulative GPA is below a 2.0, and the student is graduating, and the letter grade will raise the GPA to at least a 2.0, then choosing the Credit/No Credit option would prevent the student from graduating. Similarly, if a graduate student’s cumulative GPA is below a 3.0, and the student is graduating, and the letter grade will raise the GPA to at least a 3.0, then choosing the Credit/No Credit option would prevent the student from graduating.

Professional Licensure, Transfer, and Graduate School Admission

Some professional licensure organizations, and graduate schools outside of CUNY, may not accept a grade of CR. As such, students, in consultation with program advisors, should weigh the potential impact of electing the Credit/No Credit option on their ability to: earn licenses, transfer credit to non-CUNY institutions, and/or gain admission into graduate school outside of CUNY. For example , there are some graduate programs that typically convert a CR grade to a C and an NC grade to an F when evaluating a transcript.

The University will endeavor to ensure that the flexibility afforded by this policy works in the best interest of students. Students will be encouraged to be in contact with external scholarship organizations, the transfer admissions offices of non-CUNY institutions, the graduate admissions offices of non-CUNY institutions and any organization external to CUNY that could have an impact on their current or future educational or professional plans.

No. This policy currently applies exclusively to courses taken during the Fall 2020 semester.

Yes. Every CUNY campus catalog will be updated with Policy on Credit/No Credit for students, faculty, and staff.

No. After the University’s final grade submission deadline a student will have up to 20 business days to elect the Credit/No Credit option. Once a student chooses to convert course grades to the Credit/No Credit, the decision is final. Importantly, there may be circumstances where electing the Credit/No Credit option may not be in the best interests of the student, some of which are described below.

• There may be cases where a student’s eligibility for financial aid could be adversely impacted by electing the Credit/No Credit option, including private scholarships, state student aid, and federal student aid. Students should meet with financial aid advisors prior to choosing Credit/No Credit.
• Federal Student Aid: Students who receive federal aid are required to successfully complete courses within a specified period of time, with a determined GPA and at a pace based on the length of their academic program, known as Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).  The federal CARES Act allows for a college to exclude any attempted credits that you did not complete, for class meeting dates that includes December 31, 2020 or the end date for the Federally-declared emergency from SAP calculation, because of COVID-19. You will not need to submit an appeal for the exception.
• State Student Aid: Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC), New York State’s higher education student financial aid agency, has determined that students certified by the college as impacted by COVID-19 and receiving state financial aid will not suffer negative consequences regarding their current or future awards. You will be required to submit the CUNY COVID-19 Financial Aid Documentation form to the college where you are enrolled as supporting documentation. The form can be found here.
• Private Scholarships: Private scholarship organizations may not accept a grade of CR. Considering that, financial aid counselors can help students to best leverage the flexibility afforded by the Credit/No Credit option by reviewing private scholarships with students and advising them to communicate with private scholarship organizations. Most scholarships will not be affected by a change in grading system unless they are for more than one year and have academic requirements.

Neither the CR nor the NC is included in the calculation of the GPA. The CR grade will allow the student to earn credit (for credit bearing courses) but is not factored into the GPA. If the student elects an NC grade in place of an F then it is not factored into the GPA, but the student will not earn the credit. A student should carefully consider the advantages and disadvantages of electing the Credit/No Credit option, particularly on matters related to graduation, professional licensure requirements, financial aid eligibility, and transfer of credit and/or graduate admissions to non-CUNY institutions

Yes. A course with a grade of CR earned at one CUNY institution will transfer to another CUNY institution. There are no exception to this.

All students opting for a CR grade will receive credit for that course (for credit bearing courses). Students will not be prevented from registering for courses in subsequent semesters that require specific grades in courses completed in the Fall 2020 semester, including students who transfer.

Prerequisites for all courses, with the exception of those courses listed above that have been designated to be excluded from opt-in as indicated on the Excluded Courses List, and programs will be considered complete with a CR grade, at all CUNY institutions. Students should, however, consider the likelihood of succeeding in subsequent courses, in which they will earn a letter grade, if they have not mastered the material in a related lower-level course.

In the case of programs that fulfill the academic requirements for licensed professions, student decisions to pursue the Credit/No Credit option may impact their acceptance into the program (or graduate program). These students are encouraged to check with their respective departments.

The policy applies to all courses, with the exception of those courses listed above that have been designated to be excluded from opt-in as indicated on the Excluded Courses List, even taken via ePermit/Study Abroad, in the Fall 2020 semester.

Stops and holds will not have an impact on a student’s ability to select the Credit/No Credit option.

A grade of CR is a passing grade, will replace an F, apply towards the F-Repeat policy, and count towards the 16-credit F-Repeat limit (for credit bearing courses), but will not contribute to the calculation of the term GPA.

A NC grade will not replace a previously earned F grade.

• WU is not an earned grade and is assigned to students who stop participating in and do not complete the course; thus, student will not have option to convert to an “NC” grade.
• FIN is not an earned grade and is assigned to students who do not complete coursework for which they received an INC grade in Fall 2020 semester, thus, student will not have the option to convert to an “NC” grade.

If a student has a version of the W grade (W, WN, WA, WD) on their record for a course for the Fall 2020 semester, this option does not apply to that course.

These grades will not be included in the total number of non-letter grade courses a student may take as per the existing campus policy.

Credit/No Credit grades are not counted toward the Dean’s List and Campus Honors. Students must earn letter grades to be considered for any honors opportunities.

Hunter College has a grades appeals process that can be invoked if issues arise because of the Credit/No Credit policy.

No, the NC grade will not be replaced and will continue to appear on the transcript. A grade of NC is not calculated into the GPA; therefore, it will not impact the 16-credit university limitation on repeats. On the other hand, if an F is received in a course, then successfully repeating that course later would replace the F grade in the calculation of the GPA.

No, students found to be in violation of the academic integrity policy are not allowed to opt-in to receive a No Credit grade, as academically sanctioned F grades are not earned grades.

Beginning Thursday, December 24, 2020 – Tuesday, January 12, 2021, students will be able to elect this option after their class grades have been posted in CUNYfirst by their instructor, with the exception of courses chosen by campuses to be excluded from opt-in as indicated on the Excluded Courses List.

Beginning Thursday, December 24, 2020 – Tuesday, January 12, 2021, students will be able to elect this option for classes for which they have already received grades for Fall 2020 semester.

Students will use CUNYfirst to elect the Credit/No Credit option.

Students will be able to opt-in for all courses but those chosen by campuses to be excluded from opt-in as indicated on the Excluded Courses List.

The grade glossary, attached to each transcript, will be updated to include a notation denoting that Fall 2020 grades of CR or NC, were earned during a major emergency because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Office of the Registrar will be able to assist any student with late grade submissions and or any issue with Credit/No Credit policy, on a case-by-case basis.

A passing letter grade (A, B, C, or D) can convert to ‘CR’ with credit for the class being awarded (for credit bearing courses), while a failing grade (F) can convert to ‘NC’, with no credit awarded. Still, it is important to understand that under certain circumstances, there is a difference between a passing grade for the purposes of CUNY, and an acceptable grade in the eyes of institutions outside of CUNY, specialized programs such as Nursing, and standards for professional licensure. Students should consult with their advisors before electing the Credit/No Credit option.

Once a degree is conferred and student has graduated, changes to an academic record, including grade change due to Credit/No Credit option, cannot be made.

Stops and holds will not have an impact on a student’s ability to select the Credit/No Credit option.

• Existing Credit/No Credit (or “pass/fail” or “pass/no credit”) options Hunter College continues to apply in the Fall 2020 semester according to established rules set by the College, provided these are selected by the student up until their established deadline and before grades are posted.
• The Fall 2020 Credit/No Credit Policy for the Credit/No Credit only applies after the grades are posted, with the exception of those courses designated by the College to be excluded from opt-in as indicated on the Excluded Courses List.
• If, upon seeing their posted letter grade in CUNYfirst, a student wants to change an earned letter grade to Credit/No Credit, they can then opt-in to elect this option, with the exception of those courses designated by the College to be excluded from opt-in as indicated on the Excluded Courses List.
• The dates of this opt-in period are from when the final grades are posted until twenty (20) days from grade posting. It is during this period that if the student wishes to change a letter grade to the Credit/No Credit option they may do so, with the exception of courses chosen by campuses to be excluded from opt-in as indicated on the Excluded Courses List.
• Once the choice is made in CUNYfirst, it is irrevocable.

For courses taken in the Fall 2020 semester only, we will honor and transfer in binary grades for all courses that would normally transfer, without negative impact on admission, transfer credit, or degree requirements.​

International students should consult campus International Student and Scholar Services before initiating this option. For Fall 2020, international students will be able to opt-in to Credit/No Credit without any impact on their visa status if the decision is due to the COVID-19 crisis.

The VA does not typically pay for classes for which the grade received, such as Credit/No Credit, may not contribute to student progress standards for graduation (what the VA calls “non-punitive grades).” Non punitive grades have the same effect as taking a class in “audit” status. If COVID 19 is reported by the institution as a mitigating circumstance for the student’s receipt of a non punitive grade (i.e., Fail in a Pass/Fail class) then VA will pay for the class. As a mitigating circumstance, Veteran students should consult campus Veterans Support Services before initiating this option. More information is available here.

The policy applies to all students taking courses in the Fall 2020 semester regardless of matriculation status, with the exception of courses chosen by campuses to be excluded from opt-in as indicated on the Excluded Courses List.

The policy applies to all courses applicable to all CUNY undergraduate programs equally, with the exception of those courses designated by Hunter College to be excluded from opt-in as indicated on the Excluded Courses List.

Admission to many of the licensed health profession programs at CUNY is highly competitive. There are more students interested in these programs than there are clinical placements available, therefore there is a selection process based upon a review of the academic record of each student seeking admission. While no student will be deprived the right to a CR grade in any class at CUNY, overall GPA is not the only indicator in admissions decisions to licensed health profession programs. Students are encouraged to review the admissions criteria, which can be viewed on the program’s webpage, for acceptance to the program. Program directors will review the full transcript of each student and will make their admissions decisions based upon conclusions drawn from the review of those transcripts. Opting for a CR grade instead of a letter grade in a course may impact your ability to meet the expected admission criteria and acceptance into the program. Students doing poorly in a course may be advised to withdraw from a course, which has been extended to last day of classes, or take a Credit/No Credit grade option, with the exception of courses chosen by campuses to be excluded from opt-in as indicated on the Excluded Courses List and repeat the course in a subsequent term.

• No student will be denied the right to elect the Credit/No Credit grade option, with the exception of courses chosen by campuses to be excluded from opt-in as indicated on the Excluded Courses List.
• All students, regardless of their field of study need to consider the impact that their level of proficiency in a Fall 2020 course will have on their success in a future course or in successfully advancing in the program in which they will earn a letter grade or choose a Credit/No Credit.
• This consideration is particularly important for students in programs preparing them to take licensing examinations in one of the health professions upon graduation.
• Students doing poorly in a course may be advised to withdraw from a course or take an NC grade and repeat the course in a subsequent term.
• Students should contact their professor or advisor either prior to the end of the semester or certainly prior to opting for the Credit/No Credit grade.

Each graduate program will view these grades as they see fit. Many colleges and universities throughout the United States are implementing similar type grading options for students for the Fall 2020 semester, so your transcript will most likely not be the only one with a Credit/No Credit. Students may consider admission criteria for graduate schools in your selected health profession to inform decisions on eligibility and other conditions that may potentially impact admission to the program.

You have twenty days after your letter grade has been submitted to decide if you want to opt in for the Credit/No Credit grade, with the exception of courses chosen by campuses to be excluded from opt-in as indicated on the Excluded Courses List.

We advise you to use that time to check with the admissions office of each program to which you have applied to make an informed decision.

Candidates who complete a registered program would apply for certification through the approved program pathway. In this pathway, NY State Education Department (OTI) looks for the institutions’ recommendation for certification in the candidates’ TEACH account and does not look at courses on a transcript. Credit/No Credit courses would not be an issue in this case.

• Candidates who complete college courses but are not matriculating in a registered program and would not receive an institution recommendation for certification, may apply for certification through the individual evaluation pathway. In this pathway, “candidates” must have achieved at least a C or its equivalent in any undergraduate level course and at least a B- or its equivalent in any graduate level course in order for the semester hours associated with that course to be credited toward meeting the content core or pedagogical core semester hour requirements for a certificate”, according to the regulations.
• Students pursuing the individual evaluation pathway who earn at least a C or its equivalent in any undergraduate level course and at least a B- or its equivalent in any graduate level course may decide to accept the letter grade (and not convert it to CR) so their transcript can be more readily assessed by NY State Education Department.

The minimum letter grade requirement does not apply to the general core (liberal arts and science) courses unless they are also counting towards the content core semester hour requirements. Credit/No Credit grades would be acceptable for those courses. In addition, any grade is acceptable, including pass/fail grades, for the 12-semester hour graduate coursework content core for the Professional certificate master’s degree requirement if the college granted degree credit for the course.

Each graduate program will view these grades as they see fit. Many colleges and universities throughout the United States are implementing similar type grading options for students for the Fall 2020 semester, so your transcript will most likely not be the only one with a Credit/No Credit or P/F or P/NC grade. CUNY’s Credit/No Credit grades will not impact the students’ GPA. You have twenty days after your letter grade has been submitted to decide if you want to opt in for the Credit/No Credit We advise you to use that time to check with the admissions office of each program to which you have applied to make an informed decision.

Colleges may give students additional advice stemming from their accrediting bodies, etc. (CUNY will send letters explaining the Credit/No Credit policy to CAEP and AAQEP, in addition to Middle States.) Before choosing this grading option for one or more of their classes, students will consult with their academic and financial aid advisors regarding potential impact to their financial aid, licensure requirements, and graduate school admissions