Records

Submitting Official Transcripts

Please Note: During the on-campus closure, transcripts that are submitted by mail will not be uploaded or reviewed until the on-campus closure has ended. We recommend submitting transcripts electronically to avoid this delay in processing.

Electronically
If the sending institution sends official transcripts electronically via PDF, electronic transcripts can be emailed to gwctranscripts@gwc.cccd.edu. The transcripts must be sent directly from the sending institutions authorized agent. GWC cannot accept forwarded transcripts from the student.

By Mail
Students that have completed classes at another accredited College or University, and wish to submit the transcripts for prerequisite clearance or for meeting degree/certificate requirements, may send official transcripts to:

Golden West College
ATTN: ADMISSIONS & RECORDS
15744 Golden West Street
Huntington Beach CA 92647

Ordering of Official Transcripts

Current Students
You may access this service and order official transcripts through the secure student portal as an option within your MyGWC account. By using this secured personal access, you will not be required to sign a consent form releasing your transcript, therefore expediting your order.

Once logged in to your MyGWC account, click on the My Records tab. Under the Transcripts section, select Order Official Transcripts.

Former Students
If you are a former student, you may access the online transcript ordering service by clicking on the link below. Your signed consent will be required to fulfill your transcript order. For your convenience, a consent form will be generated for your order that you can return via email to arinfo@gwc.cccd.edu

STOP! DO NOT REQUEST CSU GE OR IGETC CERTIFICATION ON AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT UNLESS YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE COMPLETED ALL THE REQUIREMENTS AND ARE READY TO SUBMIT CERTIFICATION TO YOUR TRANSFER SCHOOL OF CHOICE. WE STRONGLY ADVISE YOU TO CHECK YOUR DEGREEWORKS “WHAT IF” ANALYSIS AND CONSULT WITH COUNSELING BEFORE PLACING AN ORDER FOR GE CERTIFICATION.

Unofficial Transcripts

Current Students
Unofficial transcripts are accessible via your MyGWC account. Once logged in to your MyGWC account, select the My Records tab and then select Unofficial Transcripts under the Transcript section of the page.

Former students who no longer have access to their MyGWC portal will be required to order a PDF of their Official Transcript. For directions please review the Official Transcript directions.

Transcript Fees

Rates as of August 2022

Transcript Policies

• Transcript orders will NOT be processed until all outstanding debts and/or holds are cleared.
• The first two transcripts and/or verifications (lifetime) ordered are free. If you do not believe you have had your two free items, please select the option under Special Order Condition(s) on the Order Options tab of the online transcript order form.
• Grades for the current semester will be available approximately 10 days after the last day of the term. If you are enrolled in the current semester and want your transcript to include those course grades, you can pre-order your transcript two weeks before the semester ends. Mark your request after final grades are posted and once grades are in the system and finalized your request will be processed in the order it was received. GWC does not accept Special Handling (Rush) requests for the end of semester transcripts.
• Requests marked pick up are available at the Admissions & Records counter located in the Student Services Center. Photo Identification is required to pick up the order. If you would like to have someone else pick up your transcript, you must give them written permission to do so. The person must provide photo identification.
• In accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, records may not be released to a third party without the written, signed authorization of the student.
• If you do not receive your transcripts within 30 days, please contact theAdmissions & Records at 714-895-8306 or email gwctranscripts@gwc.cccd.edu

Transcripts Received from Other Colleges

How do I know if my transcripts were received?

Students can view whether Golden West College has received their transcripts from other institutions by viewing the Priority Registration tab in the Registration section of MyGWC.com. Transcripts will appear in the "Transcripts Received from Other Colleges" section under the heading. Please follow the steps below:

What is the General Education (GE) Certification?
Certification is an indication of the completion of the entire pattern of general education (GE) for the California State University (CSU) and/or University of California (UC) campuses. This is often notated on the transcript or can be included with the transcript as a Certification Form. Students must request certification on their transcript. Certification allows students to satisfy their lower-division general education requirements by following the approved community college curriculum rather than the university's lower-division general education pattern. Students must still complete upper division general education and campus-specific degree coursework after transfer.

What is the CSU GE Breadth?
The CSU General Education Breadth is a pattern of courses that community college students can use to satisfy lower division general education requirements for any California State University campus. This agreement describes the coursework that students must take to fulfill the lower division  requirements for the CSU campuses.  CSU GE Breadth Requirements
 
What is the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC)?
The Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) is a pattern of courses that community college students can use to satisfy lower division general education requirements for any University of California or California State University campus. This agreement describes the coursework that students must take to fulfill the lower division requirements. IGETC Requirements  (Note: On some UC campuses, IGETC is not recommended for some majors.)

Are CSU GE Breadth and IGETC Certification the same?
No. While similar, there are some key distinctions between the two patterns. IGETC has a foreign language competency requirement that can be met in a variety of ways. Most students will satisfy this requirement with either two years of high school foreign language with grades of C or better, or one semester of foreign language at the college level.

The CSU GE Breadth requirements include an oral communications course, as well as the graduation requirement of U.S. History, Constitution, and American Ideals. This graduation requirement can be met at the community college and can be included in the general education coursework. 

Which General Education pattern should I choose?
It depends. If you plan on applying to both the UC and CSU, then the IGETC is an appropriate pattern as it meets the requirements for both systems. If you are only seeking transfer to the CSU, then you can follow the CSU GE Breadth requirements.

Is completion of IGETC or CSU GE Breadth required for admission to the UC or CSU?
No. Students are not guaranteed admission to any campus on the basis of completing general education coursework. However, of the lower-division breadth requirements may improve a transfer applicant's chances of admission to a competitive campus and/or program.

There are two ways to check what requirements you have completed:

Your unofficial transcript

1. Log-in to your MyGWC portal.
2. Click on My Records on the left navigation bar.
3. Click on Unofficial Transcripts under Transcripts.
4. Transcripts Level: All Levels // Transcripts Type: Unofficial Transcripts // Click Submit
5. Click on Transcripts Totals. This will take you to the bottom of the page where you will find the completed requirements for the GE Breadth and/or IGETC. 

1. Log-in to your MyGWC portal.
2. Click on Degree Works on the left navigation bar.
3. Enter your GWC student ID number.
4. Click on What-If.
5. Under degrees pick either GWC Cert - GE Breadth Certification or GWC Cert - IGETC: GE Certification.
6. Click on Process.
7. Scroll down to see what requirements are completed or missing.

Disclaimer
You are encouraged to use this Degree Works worksheet audit report as a guide when planning your progress toward completion of the above requirements. Contact your Counselor for assistance in interpreting this report or regarding your official degree/certificate completion status. This audit is not your academic transcript and it is not official notification of completion of degree, certificate, or transfer requirements. It is only used as a guiding tool. 

How do I request a GE Breadth/IGETC certification?
The GE Breadth/IGETC certification must be initiated by the student (it’s not automatic.) 

• To request a certification, submit an official transcript request to the Student Records Office and indicate that you need certification with the transcript.
• Mark the GE Breadth or IGETC certification box on the transcript request form.
• IGETC certification can only be mailed directly to the transfer school.  
• Certifications should be requested on the last (final) transcript going to your transfer school.
• If you’ve completed coursework at other institutions, official transcripts from those schools must be on file at Golden West College prior to your request.
• If you have not completed the CSU Breadth or IGETC transfer patterns, you are not ready to send your transcript with this certification. 

Students may use high school transcripts to:

•  Satisfy the Math competency requirement for AA (Option 1: no Transfer)
•  Satisfy the Language Other Than English for completion of Area 6 IGETC requirement to transfer to UC
•  Place into second or third level language courses

You can use the Parchment Digital Credential Service to order your official transcripts to be sent to Golden West College.  Most transcripts are sent digitally, and you will receive a confirmation email when they have been received by our Admissions/Records office.

Paper Transcripts:
Golden West College
Attn: Admissions & Records
15744 Goldenwest Street
Huntington Beach, CA 92647

Electronic Transcripts:
Official transcripts may be submitted electronically to Admissions and Records from your sending institution via PDF. The transcripts must be sent directly from the sending institutions authorized agent to gwctranscripts@gwc.cccd.edu. GWC will not accept forwarded transcripts from the student.

www.parchment.com

Even if you had your AP scores sent to a previous college, the scores won't transfer to GWC with your official transcript from the college you attended.  If you want the AP scores to be applied toward credit at Golden West College, you will need to order official scores from College Board to be sent to GWC. You will receive a confirmation email when they have been received by our Admissions/Records office.

www.collegeboard.org

Students with an earned bachelor’s degree from an institution regionally accredited by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) will be exempt from General Education requirements under the AA Option 1 GE pattern.

Students will need to complete the following for an Associate of Arts Degree:

• 12 units of residency at Golden West College
• Completion of major coursework as stated in catalog

Submission of official transcripts is required. This does not apply to Associate Degree for Transfer options, the CSU-GE Breadth or IGETC requirements. Please see a counselor for further details on this process and remaining requirements for the degree.

Note: Students pursuing a nursing degree must still undergo a full transcript evaluation for equivalent coursework and complete any deficiencies for the nursing degree.

If you have completed a degree (Associate degree, Baccalaureate degree, etc.) and intend to use coursework toward a degree here at Golden West, have your official transcripts sent to Golden West College.  Once you receive confirmation that they have been received, contact Counseling for an official evaluation.

www.parchment.com

GWC grants credit for courses taken at regionally accredited institutions outside of the United States.

Students seeking credit for foreign coursework must provide a transcript evaluated by an accredited evaluation and translation service (see the Counseling Center or International Student Center for referrals). Students must turn in the official evaluation to Admissions and Records for inclusion in their record and then schedule an appointment with Counseling so that international coursework may be evaluated. Coursework from foreign institutions cannot be used for CSU GE Breadth or IGETC certification except to validate the foreign language requirement. Credit can be granted for GWC AA General Education requirements in the Natural Sciences, Humanities, Social Sciences, and Lifelong Learning and Self Development, or Math Competency areas only. 

Transfer to a University

We cannot apply international coursework to CSU General Education Certification or IGETC Certification for transfer purposes. Although some courses may be accepted by the institution to which the student transfers, it is up to the destination institution to evaluate and determine what coursework will be accepted and how it will apply to the degree. For more information consult directly with the 4-year college that is the transfer destination.

A Maximum of 40 units in the following categories will be awarded.

Students will be mailed an evaluation after the required documents have been submitted. Awarded credit is not transferable to other colleges and universities; it is subject to the individual policies of the respective institutions.

TRANSCRIPT EVALUATION

If you have had official transcripts sent to Golden West College, you may request an official transcript evaluation to see how your previous coursework may apply toward your studies at GWC.  Please allow 3-5 business days for your evaluation to be completed. You will receive a notification once your evaluation is complete.

Request for Transcript Evaluation

 
Students may also make an appointment with a Counselor and request an official evaluation for the meeting.  This is more beneficial as you can work with a Counselor to apply your previous credit as you develop your Student Education Plan (SEP). Please contact Counseling and request an appointment for Transcript Evaluation.

Contact Counseling for appointment

Transcripts submitted to Golden West College are evaluated for every lower division, degree applicable course completed with a grade of A, B, C, D, F, CR or P. These courses, units, and grades earned are applied as appropriate to the student's GWC goal and used for educational planning purposes. Courses with W, NC or NP notations are not reviewed or applied. Students must request copies of official sealed transcripts be sent to Admissions and Records from each college attended before an evaluation can be performed.

GWC does not accept coursework completed at any institution that is not regionally accredited by one of the following agencies:

• Middle States Commission on Higher Education

• Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

• Higher Learning Commission

• New England Commission of Higher Education

• Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

• Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges - Western Association of Schools and Colleges

• WASC Senior College and University Commission

Please note that some courses have similar titles, and appear to be equivalent to courses offered by GWC. However, the elements of the course may not be congruent with the GWC course.

Please review the Policies and Regulations for more details.

You may obtain semester grades using the following options:

Option #1 MyGWC View/Print your Unofficial Transcript 
Grades for the most recent semester are available via the MyGWC portal approximately 10 working days after the end of the semester. This option is available to current students only.

Option #2 Order an Official Transcript
If you need an official copy of your transcript, which includes all coursework taken at Golden West College, please make sure you mark after grades are posted on your transcript order to ensure that your most recent semester grades appear on your transcript. Semester grades are available approximately 10 working days after the end of the semester (excluding holiday periods.) Official transcripts can be ordered online through your MyGWC account or through Credentials, our third-party transcript ordering service.

NOTE: If you need your grades before the official transcripts are available, you can complete an Early Grade Report. You may pick up the form at the Admissions & Records counter up to three weeks before the course ends and ask your instructor to sign it. This will act as a temporary grade report until official grades are available.

Grading

Student performance in courses is indicated by one of 10 grades. Grades which carry point value, and which are used in determining the grade point average (GPA), are as follows:

• A Excellent 4 grade points per unit
• B Good 3 grade points per unit
• C Satisfactory 2 grade points per unit
• D Passing, less than satisfactory 1 grade point per unit
• F Failing 0 grade points per unit

To determine your GPA, divide the total number of grade points by the total number of units attempted for the grades of A, B, C, D and F (P and NP are not used in this calculation).

Pass/No Pass classes are not computed into GPA, but successful completion gives additional units of credit.

The following grades are not part of the GPA computation:

• P Pass, at least satisfactory Unit credit granted (See Grading options)
• NP No Pass, less than satisfactory or failing No units granted (See Grading options)
• W Withdrawal No units granted
• I Incomplete No units granted
• IP In Progress No units granted
• MW Military Withdrawal No units granted/No penalty
• NG Non-Graded No units granted
• RD Report Delayed No units granted

Courses in which you previously earned a “D”, “F”, NP or NC grade can be repeated to improve the grade. The original grade will always be visible and will never be erased from your transcript, but an “E” will appear next to the original grade indicating the grade has been excluded from your GPA.Students who receive substandard grades (D, F, NP or NC) and/or one of more Withdrawals (W) may attempt to successfully complete the course up to total of two additional times within the Coast Community College District, if necessary to alleviate the substandard grade or successfully complete the course.

There is also a process for eliminating up to 30 units of CCCD coursework from your GPA. This process is called Academic Renewal and can be processed when your past coursework is not reflective of your current abilities and the courses you earned a substandard grade in (D or F) are not fulfilling requirements towards your current education objective. At GWC, this can be petitioned after completion of  12 units of coursework with a GPA of 2.0 or greater. since the substandard cousework you are trying to remove from your GPA. Academic Renewal petitions are available through the Counseling Department.

Students who enroll in courses designated "Graded or Pass/No Pass Option" may change the grade mode by logging into MyCoast. In courses where one performance standard determines unit credit, there’s no option and only a letter grade or P/NP is given. Students should consult with a counselor before changing grade options. Generally, it is recommended that students select a letter grade in courses satisfying requirements for majors, general education, or for a high school course deficiency.

A maximum of 15 units of "P (Pass)" option coursework earned at an accredited college or university is counted toward the degree requirements for the Associate in Arts Degree. Grades of "NP (No Pass)" are considered unsatisfactory and are counted towards progress probation and/or dismissal.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Once the grade option deadline has passed, the grading option cannot be reversed. There are no exceptions to the deadline dates. 

How To Change Your Grading Option on MyGWC
1. Log into your MyCoast portal page.
2. Click on the Registration tab on the left-hand side.
3. Click on the "Add or Drop Classes" in the Registration Tools box.
4. If you see the Registration home page, click on "Register for Classes". 
5. If you see the "Select a Term" page, select the term from the "Terms Open for Registration" drop down menu and click "Continue".
6. Click on the "Schedule and Options" tab.
7. Look for the class you want to change to a Pass/No Pass and under the Grade Mode column on the right-hand side, click the drop down menu and select "Pass/No Pass". If it does not show a "Pass/No Pass" option here, it means that the course cannot be taken for P/NP or the deadline has passed for choosing the P/NP grade option.
8. Click "Submit" at the bottom of the page. If you do not click Submit, it will not save your request.

 
Important: Verify your request was processed successfully by printing your Student Class Program (Web Schedule Bill). You can access the Student Class Program via MyGWC: Registration>Other Student Resources>Student Class Program (Web Schedule Bill).

Students not able to Select Pass/No Pass on MyCoast portal:
If it does not show a "Pass/No Pass" option for you on the student portal, it means that the course cannot be taken for P/NP or the deadline has passed for choosing the P/NP grade option. Similarly, once the class begins, you may not be able to utilize the Pass/No Pass option via the student portal. If you receive an error message (e.g. Authorization Required or Census Date), then you must submit a Pass/No Pass Form  to the Admission and Records by the deadline for each class. See Deadlines and Dates to Remember for corresponding deadlines.

Please go to the Admission and Records for a Pass/No Pass Form.

How to Request a Verification of Enrollment

Third parties wishing to verify attendance and degrees must contact the National Student Clearinghouse directly. 

If you are a current or former student, there are three ways to request a verification of your enrollment, attendance, and/or GPA at Golden West College:

Option 1: Online via the National Student Clearinghouse
The quickest way to obtain a verification is by using Enrollment Verify through the National Student Clearinghouse at https://secure.studentclearinghouse.org/vslandingui/.

**Current Students (Students with MyCoast Portal Access)
Log into the MyGWC portal. Click on the “Registration” tab. Under the “Other Student Resources” table, click on the "Verify Enrollment" link. You will be redirected to the National Student Clearinghouse website. There is no charge for use of this service!
You will be able to select the following:

-Obtain an Enrollment Certificate (Choose “Current Enrollment” or “All Enrollment” before clicking on link)
-Print Enrollment Verification Certificate.
-View Enrollment Information on File
-View Student Loan Deferment Notifications
-View Proofs of Enrollment

**Former Students (Students without MyCoast Portal Access)
Former students who would like to request verifications online can request it via the National Student Clearinghouse at https://secure.studentclearinghouse.org/vslandingui/  Please note that they will be charging for the request based on the information being requested and the amount may vary.

Option 2: Via GWC Forms
Enrollment Verifications can be requested through the attached link.  
Verifications for future or current semesters are only given after Census. 
Use this link for government and insurance forms, also.

Option 3: Via E-mail
You can request your verification by e-mailing mcarr17@gwc.cccd.edu. In order to validate that the request is coming from you, the student, the email must be sent from your Coast (CCCD) student email address. If you are unable to send the request from your student email address, please attach a picture of your photo ID (student ID preferred) to your email. You must request a new verification for each new semester thereafter.

• Transcripts: New name will appear on GWC transcript (OCC or CCC transcript if applicable).
• Course Roster(s): New name will appear on instructor(s) on-line class roster(s).
• Financial Aid recipients: Notify the Financial Aid Office of name change.

1. Change of Name Form
2. Your court ordered name change, marriage license, or certificate of citizenship
3. Your state issued identification card reflecting the new name.(e.g. driver’s license or identification card)

You may submit your Change of Name form and documentation to Jessica Sanchez at jvillalobos@gwc.cccd.edu

Note: If you ever worked within the Coast Community College District, name changes have to be done with the human resource department.

American Opportunity Tax Credit (Formerly Hope Tax Credit) Form (1098T)
Students, who registered during a calendar year, will receive a 1098T American Opportunity Tax Credit Form for that year. These forms are available via MyGWC (for tax years 2009 and later). The forms will be posted no later than January 31st for the preceding year. Previous years forms are available throughout the year. The form indicates the amount of fees charged during the calendar year (regardless of which term the charges were for). Forms will be mailed unless you Opt-In to receive the form electronically online. Once you Opt-In you can only receive the form online. You will not receive a American Opportunity Tax Credit Form (1098T) if you did not supply the college with your social security number at the time you applied to GWC.

GWC is not able to provide a 1098T if the SSN or TID is not on file by March 1st. There are no exceptions!

What is a 1098T?

The 1098T form is for your use when preparing your taxes.

The 1098T form will be provided by January 31st of each year for the previous calendar year.

Frequently asked Questions by Golden West College Students: 1.

Is this form a bill?

No, it is not a bill nor a request for payment.

Is this form a source of income that I must include on my tax forms?

No, this form is a statement of the amount of enrollment and health fees charged to your student account in the prior calendar year.

How is the amount determined?

It will include the amount charged for enrollment fees.

It includes charges made during the prior calendar year, without regard to the semester the charges apply to. For example, if a charge was processed by the District in December 2017 for the Spring semester beginning January 2018, the charge would be included on the 1098T for calendar year 2017.

Who do I contact if I think the information is incorrect?

It is important to remember that the amount on this form consists of charges assessed by the District in a calendar year.

Please read the complete FAQ for answers to questions:

1098T FAQ

If you still have questions regarding the current years 1098T, please contact Admission & Records.

Who do I contact if I cannot access my 1098T?

If you have accessed your MyGWC account within the past 365 days, log into your MyGWC account and access the 1098T online. If you cannot access your MyGWC account, submit a service request to Support Services at the following link Technical Support.

I get an information missing message when I try to access my 1098T online.

You did not supply your Social Security Number or Tax ID number when you applied. You must go to the Admission & Records in the Student Services Center and show your Social Security Card or Tax Id information to be able to receive a 1098T. The Social security Number or Tax ID Number must be supplied before March 1st of the reporting year. GWC is not able to provide a 1098T if the SSN or TID is not on file by March 1st. There are no exceptions!

For additional information, you may access the 1098T FAQ on the Coast District website.

For tax information or if you have additional questions or concerns please consult your tax advisor or contact the Internal Revenue Service Center.

Visit the IRS website at https://www.irs.gov/.