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Low GPA when applying for CBE undergrad program - Printable Version

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Low GPA when applying for CBE undergrad program - LookinAhead - 01-31-2026

Hopefully this is a good location for the question, but please let me know if I should move it elsewhere.

I’m looking to finish my degree, which has been on hold for 30 years. I stopped in the middle of my second semester, which resulted in some incomplete classes dragging my already weak GPA down further. 

I’m trying to understand how that’ll impact enrolling in a CBE undergrad program at places like ETAMU, UMPI, WGU, and the like. 

How strict are inbound GPA requirements, and are some programs more flexible than others for someone looking to restart their education journey? 

Do these programs look at the previous GPA overall or just the GPA of classes accepted to be transferred in?

Is there a way to have courses from Sophia, Study.com, Coursera and the like be included in the GPA when applying?

Thanks!

RE: Low GPA when applying for CBE undergrad program - ss20ts - 01-31-2026

What do you mean by a low GPA? UMPI will admit you as a non-degree seeking student and once you complete a couple of classes then you can move into a degree seeking student.

RE: Low GPA when applying for CBE undergrad program - SpartacusPM - 01-31-2026

I know ETAMU and UMPI have minimum requirements for previous GPA. I am not sure about WGU, but it wouldn't surprise me. I think ETAMU and UMPI are around 2.0. But this information is easily searchable on their respective websites. Take a look and see what you can find.

If you send your transcripts from Sophia via Parchment you will get a letter grade. If you send them directly from Sophia using Credly, it will be a pass/fail. Which I believe counts as a 3.0, but can't remember 100%.

I don't remember my Coursera courses coming over with a grade since I sent this via Credly, I believe

RE: Low GPA when applying for CBE undergrad program - LookinAhead - 01-31-2026

Thank you both for the quick reply. At the heart of it, I did the searches and found that my old GPA is too low to meet the admissions standards. So, I'm trying to understand if I will be able to raise it via the courses I plan to take at Sophia, Study.com and/or Corsera.

SpartacusPM, if I'm reading your response correctly, it sounds like those courses do come over with either a letter grade or pass/fail, which would be great, if ETAMU, UMPI, et al then look at a combined GPA (my old one plus the new. I hadn't realized there was more than one way to send the grades over and that the methods could impact the GPA. Assuming I do well, it sounds like I'd want to use Parchment to have letter grades...

ss20ts, I hadn't thought about applying as a non-degree seeking student, that may be a good path if GPAs wouldn't be combined then considered.

RE: Low GPA when applying for CBE undergrad program - ss20ts - 01-31-2026

You won't earn a GPA from Study or Sophia. Those courses are ACE credits not RA credits and they're pass/fail.

RE: Low GPA when applying for CBE undergrad program - SpartacusPM - 01-31-2026

(01-31-2026, 07:47 PM)ss20ts Wrote: You won't earn a GPA from Study or Sophia. Those courses are ACE credits not RA credits and they're pass/fail.

When sending to ETAMU vis parchment they actually have grades. Can’t speak to other schools.

RE: Low GPA when applying for CBE undergrad program - LevelUP - 02-01-2026

You can raise your GPA with ASU universal learner courses.

RE: Low GPA when applying for CBE undergrad program - ss20ts - 02-01-2026

(01-31-2026, 08:55 PM)SpartacusPM Wrote:
(01-31-2026, 07:47 PM)ss20ts Wrote: You won't earn a GPA from Study or Sophia. Those courses are ACE credits not RA credits and they're pass/fail.

When sending to ETAMU vis parchment they actually have grades. Can’t speak to other schools.

They're pass/fail at UMPI and many other colleges. Transfer credit doesn't apply to a GPA.

RE: Low GPA when applying for CBE undergrad program - SpartacusPM - 02-01-2026

(02-01-2026, 12:34 PM)ss20ts Wrote:
(01-31-2026, 08:55 PM)SpartacusPM Wrote:
(01-31-2026, 07:47 PM)ss20ts Wrote: You won't earn a GPA from Study or Sophia. Those courses are ACE credits not RA credits and they're pass/fail.

When sending to ETAMU vis parchment they actually have grades. Can’t speak to other schools.

They're pass/fail at UMPI and many other colleges. Transfer credit doesn't apply to a GPA.
A nice leg up for those that choose to go to ETAMU then and need to boost their GPA. The way it works for more clarity is they take the percentage grade you received and convert that to a letter grade when send via parchment. 90% =A (4.0), etc. when sending via credly it is straight pass/fail and is counted by ETAMU as a B or 3.0.

RE: Low GPA when applying for CBE undergrad program - bjcheung77 - 02-02-2026

For low grades, such as C- and lower (D, F's, etc), your best bet is to retake the class at the institution you have the grade from. It'll take several A grades from another institution to offset the one grade. If you just want to bump up your grade slightly, you can take ETAMUC, UMPI, or any CBE program and get the higher letter grade bump by completing them.