Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon Portland Community College

Tuition appeals

If you are unable to complete a course due to unforeseen circumstances, you may be eligible for a tuition appeal. You may request a nonrefundable tuition credit good towards future enrollment. The credit must be used within 1 year from the term you are appealing. The deadline to submit an appeal is 90 days from the end of the term. Appeals do not cover non-refundable lab and other course fees, nor do they change the grade assigned by the instructor. Other restrictions apply. Notification of the outcome of the appeal will be sent to your MyPCC email address within 30-45 days of receipt. Before submitting the appeal, please review PCC’s registration policies and the appeal requirements listed below. For detailed information on the drop deadline, please see the academic calendar.

If you are seeking both a tuition and transcript records change, you will need to submit two separate appeals: one for the non-refundable tuition credit and the other will be a transcript records appeal.

The deadline to appeal is 90 days from the end of the term. If it has been more than 90 days, supporting evidence must be submitted verifying why you were unable to respond by this deadline.

Wait. You may not need to file an appeal…

If your issues are related to the quality of instruction, your educational experience, or you feel you have been mis-advised, use the complaint process. Your complaint will be reviewed by the appropriate college administrator. In extreme cases, you may be allowed to retake the course at no cost or receive a full or partial tuition waiver.

If you think there is an error on your account, don’t file an appeal. Contact Student Account Services within 30 days and we will look into the matter for you. If you are not happy with the outcome, then you can file a tuition appeal.

To appeal a non-credit Community Ed class, see the bottom of the refund and drop policy for Community Ed.

To appeal an Ed2Go class, contact Ed2Go.

To appeal a Continuing Education (CEU) class (such as Professional Development or Institute for Health Professionals), contact the department that manages the class: Continuing Ed departments.

Types of tuition appeals

There are two types of tuition appeals that provide a non-refundable tuition credit for future tuition charges.

Hardship appeal

This appeal is for students who experience a hardship beyond their control that prevents the successful completion of a course. Examples of hardships include:

  • Illness or injury of student
  • Illness or injury of an immediate family member where the student is the primary caregiver
  • Death of a family member
  • Required military or career transfer outside the greater Portland/Vancouver area
  • Other serious and unplanned life events of a nature that would reasonably prevent successful completion
    • Example: referrals by internal department, incarceration – reviewed by management

Students may receive 2 hardship appeal approvals within a 7-year time frame. Hardship appeals can be approved for up to 100% of the tuition. Supporting documentation is required.

Courtesy appeal

Students can receive a courtesy appeal for other extenuating circumstances not listed above in the hardship appeal requirements, or for hardship appeals with no supporting documentation.

Students may receive 1 courtesy appeal approval within a 7-year time frame. Courtesy appeals can be approved for up to 50% of the tuition (maximum $600). Supporting documentation is encouraged but is not required.

How do I complete a tuition appeal?

All requirements must be met before your appeal will be considered. Before submitting your appeal, carefully review the information below and verify your account balance by logging into the MyPCC Paying for College tab, clicking student account information, and then clicking account summary by term.

  • Payment: You must pay all past-due charges on your account, including the amount under appeal. If you are unable to pay the full amount, please call 971-722-8888, option 3 to make payment arrangements.
  • Documentation: Include independent documentation that supports the reason for your request, along with any information you believe would be helpful to the committee in making their decision.
  • Submission deadline: The college must receive your tuition appeal within 90 days from the end of the term.

To submit your appeal for consideration:

  • Go to the MyPCC Paying for College tab.
  • Click on student account information in the My Account channel.
  • Click on tuition appeals.

Appeals that do not meet all requirements will be returned without being reviewed.