Course Retake

Administrative Procedure 1.203

Students may retake any Elgin Community College (ECC) course at the regular cost of the course subject to the following conditions:

• If the student has not completed the 100-level or above course with a grade of C or better and the course/grade is necessary to satisfy degree or certificate requirements, the course may be retaken once.
• If a higher grade is required to raise a student’s grade point average to the minimum required for graduation, the course may be retaken once.
• If a retake is approved by an academic advisor.

Students who wish to enroll in a developmental or college level course for a third or subsequent attempt must meet with an academic advisor to discuss strategies for success and to appeal to register beyond the second attempt.

Some selective admissions programs may have different retake policies. Students are encouraged to speak with the Program Director of the program in which they are applying for more information on the impact of the retake of the course(s) in the selection process.

A student who retakes any course does so with the understanding that only the higher grade will be used to compute the grade point average at ECC. All attempted courses will appear on the official ECC transcript along with a summary of the retake policy.

Students transferring to another college or university should know that not all institutions honor ECC’s course retake policy. Instead of using the higher grade to compute a student’s grade point average, some schools use the average of both grades earned or they use the most recent attempt. To avoid difficulties in transferring, students are encouraged to contact the admissions office of their intended transfer institution and review its current catalog.

Students using financial aid should speak with the financial aid department to understand the impact of retaking a course. A grade of D or higher is considered passing for financial aid purposes regardless of institutional policy or program of study. A student may receive financial aid for a previously passed course one additional time for a total of two attempts. If a student enrolls in a previously passed course for a third time, this course will not count towards the student’s enrollment for financial aid purposes. Students may receive financial aid for a course that has not been previously passed regardless of the number of attempts.

• This procedure does not apply to Adult Basic Education (ABEC) courses or to continuing education courses.
• This procedure does not apply when a student chooses to audit a course.

This policy was last reviewed on 12/15/2025.