Technology Interruptions Information for Students

You can now go to MyCollege to check and pay for any tuition and fee balance due.

• If you would like to pay by credit card, go to MyCollege and choose "Make a Payment" under the "Financial Information" menu.
• If you are receiving financial aid, scholarships, or sponsorships, you may not owe a balance.
• If you would like to pay by cash, check, or money order, you can go to a Central Piedmont Business Office location. (We recommend that you make an appointment.) We can't accept in-person credit card payments at this time.

Go to the tuition and payment page for the Business Office locations, hours, and contact information.

Corporate and Continuing Education

You can make online payments Corporate and Continuing Education courses for classes with a credit or debit card through MyCollege only. Contact Corporate and Continuing Education Customer Service at 704.330.4223 with any questions or concerns.

Please do not come to campus if you have been recently exposed to, diagnosed with, or are exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19.

Make sure you have reactivated your Central Piedmont username (even if you never lost access to your email) so that you get notifications and specific instructions from your instructors.

Keep checking this and the technology interruptions for more details.

How the Pass/Emergency Option Works

Beginning March 1, 2021 through Saturday, July 31, 2021, you have the option to convert your final grade to a Pass/Emergency (PE) grade for one, some, or all of your spring 2021 courses.

A PE grade indicates a final grade of C or better. Consider the following before opting for the PE grade:

• A PE grade will fulfill degree requirements and prerequisites for transfer and non-transfer students at Central Piedmont only.
• If you want to transfer a class to a four-year institution, ask that institution to if you can transfer the class with a PE grade before you choose the PE option.
• The PE option can be applied on a course-by-course basis.
• Once applied, the PE grade cannot be reversed.
• A PE grade will not impact your GPA or negatively impact your financial aid.

You should discuss the decision with an advisor, particularly if you are receiving financial aid and/or are in the following programs:

• university transfer: ask that institution to if you can transfer the class with a PE grade before you choose the PE option
• Career & College Promise (dually enrolled high school students)
• programs requiring licensure in order to practice in the field
• programs subject to special program accreditation

Learn more about the college grading policy. Contact your faculty advisor if you have questions about how a PE grade may impact your specific program.

How to Convert a Final Grade to a Pass/Emergency Grade

1. Discuss the decision with your advisor.
2. If your advisor and you determine a PE is the best option for you, the advisor will complete an internal PE grade request form.
3. The PE grade request form will be routed to the Registrar’s Office. The Registrar’s Office will change the grade.

You can now register for Corporate and Continuing Education courses again. Your instructors will let you know of any changes to any classes you were already registered for. Make sure you have activated your Central Piedmont username (even if you never lost access to your email) so that you get notifications and specific instructions from your instructors.

Refunds for canceled courses will automatically be processed. Contact Corporate and Continuing Education Customer Service for information at 704.330.4223.

Thank you for your patience. Please keep checking this page for updates.

Given that the cyberattack has interrupted our spring semester, the planned spring break from March 8–12 will now need to be teaching days for many classes. This is unfortunately the only way to keep you on track to complete the spring semester on time. Staying on track is important, especially for those of you in the last semester of your program who absolutely need to complete your program on time.

Keep checking this and the technology interruptions for more details.

Any information that was already in MyCollege Student Planning before the technology interruptions (like classes you've already registered for) appears to be safe — we do not expect any impacts.

Student services are available on campus just like they were before the technology interruptions, including academic advising.

The college’s public website (www.cpcc.edu) links to many college services and tools (the employee directory, support forms, etc.). Even though the website is up, the links on the site to other college services that are down will not work right now.

If you’ve submitted a support form you found on the public website on or after February 11, staff may not have been able to access your form. Unless you're told otherwise, please hold off on submitting a support form for now until we know our support staff are accessible to help — we want to make sure we can respond to your request.

Learn more about available services, activities, and academic support by contacting the Information Services/call center at 704.330.2722.

As a reminder, you and your household family members still have access to the McLaughlin Young Student Assistance Program, which offers short-term counseling, expert legal or financial consultation, and work-life resources. Visit the student assistance program page to learn more.

All Central Piedmont online courses will now use Brightspace instead of Blackboard. If you have not used Brightspace yet, you can start learning how to use Brightspace using these resources:

• Brightspace orientation sessions
• Central Piedmont Library student Brightspace help guide
• Brightspace help videos YouTube channel

It is safe for you to use your college Gmail.

Central Piedmont employees, including instructors, lost access to their employee email on February 11. Employees are now able to get back into their email, but it could take some time for all employees to reactivate their accounts and to then get their new emails organized. Please re-send any messages you sent to your instructor(s) or any Central Piedmont employee between February 11–22 if you still haven't heard back from them.

As always, be careful in opening any suspicious emails or emails from anyone you don’t know — these could be phishing attempts. Never open an attachment from someone you don’t know. Remember, Central Piedmont will never ask for your password or any personal information through email or text.

IT security tips

If you don't have access to technology to do your coursework, contact Single Stop.

You can use still use the document creation and storage features of your Chromebook without having to log in with your Central Piedmont credentials. However, until we get access to our systems back, you won't be able to access Central Piedmont-provided services through your Chromebook.

The college can only issue transcripts electronically right now — printed copies are not available.

Visit the transcripts page for instructions on how to request a transcript electronically.

Keep checking the college events calendar for details.

Email your financial aid advisor with any questions. You can find your financial aid counselor in MyCollege. The apply for aid page walks you through how to find your counselor in MyCollege if you are not sure.

If you stay enrolled in your classes right now, your financial aid award will not be impacted. Withdrawing from your classes may impact your financial aid eligibility and the financial aid you may have already received. If you are receiving financial aid and never attended a course you had registered for, or if you stop attending all your courses, you may owe money back to the Department of Education. Check with your financial aid counselor before withdrawing from any courses. (We have listed financial aid counselor contacts in the next section). Learn more about how withdrawing affects financial aid.

Financial aid refund dates will be adjusted due to the technology interruption. Learn more about financial aid refunds and monitor the financial aid refund schedule for updates.

Thank you for your patience. We encourage you to stay the course as we resolve technical issues to keep you on track this semester.

If you are receiving Veterans Affairs (VA) Education Benefits, there will be no change in your benefit as long as you stay enrolled in your current classes. If you drop a class without notice, change a program without proper advising, or withdraw from a second term class that has been approved, your aid may be affected. Please contact your academic advisor or a VA certifying official:

• General advising questions: Glenda Gibson (glenda.gibson@cpcc.edu)
• Certification questions: Dr. Brandyy Fernandes (brandyy.fernandes@cpcc.edu)

You can buy textbooks at Central Piedmont Barnes & Noble bookstores through Monday, March 15. Visit the bookstores to learn about payment options and purchase instructions.

You can still submit your FAFSA right now. If you have not already submitted your 2020-21 or 2021-22 FAFSA, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible. Applying early by submitting your 2021-22 FAFSA as soon as possible increases your chances of getting free aid you don’t have to repay, such as grants or scholarships. (Remember that you have to submit a FAFSA each school year.)

Central Piedmont will process all 2020-21 FAFSAs as soon as possible once we get access to our technology back.

Submit your FAFSA.

If you receive financial aid and/or veterans’ affairs educational benefits, you must maintain satisfactory academic progress. Learn more about standards of academic progress.

You can view any documents received and/or needed to process your financial aid application and award in MyCollege.

CARES Student Relief Grant funds are available for the spring semester. The dates when CARES fund applications are processed and when funds are disbursed will be adjusted based on when we get access to technology back. If you submitted a CARES Student Relief Grant applications before the technology interruption, your application will be reviewed by Friday, March 12.

Learn more about CARES Act Student Relief Grants and contact dena.shonts@cpcc.edu with questions.

You can still submit the admissions application via the College Foundation of North Carolina.

International students (F-1 visa) applying from abroad can once again apply to Central Piedmont. Apply as an international student.

Learn more about the steps to apply to the college.

New students, you can make an advising appointment using the instructions on the academic advising page. You are required to meet with an advisor before you can register for classes.

New student orientation has resumed — please register for a live Central Piedmont online orientation today. You do not need to have your student username and password created in order to sign up, but you do need to have your student ID number. (You get your student ID number after you submit the admissions application.)

Learn more about the steps to apply to the college.

We are able to make student ID cards at every campus.

Your information is safe, and you do not need to reapply. If you submitted your application during the technology interruption, the college has downloaded the application.

If you submitted an international student (F-1 visa) application during the technology interruption, please resubmit it to international.programs@cpcc.edu.

Visit the testing center page to make or reschedule a testing appointment. Tests are currently being administered by paper and pencil only. We can do computerized testing again once we get access to other college systems back.

Visit the testing center page to make or reschedule a testing appointment.

If you have reactivated your Central Piedmont account, you can now make a TEAS appointment on our TEAS page. The testing fee must be paid with cash, check, or money order — card payments are not currently available.

Health program application deadlines are being reviewed; any changes to application deadlines will be posted to the program's website.

For other testing locations, visit the TEAS website. You can also contact other North Carolina community colleges in the area and ask about TEAS testing availability.

You may qualify to take the GED® final exams virtually right now. Visit the GED® site to learn more. You can also select an alternate testing site when scheduling your appointment on the GED® site.

We can do in-person testing again once we get access to all our systems back.

Final HiSET® high school equivalency exam testing is available again, in the paper-based format only. Make a HiSET® testing appointment online or by calling HiSET® customer service at 1.855.MyHiSET (1.855.694.4738). You will take the test on Central Campus in the North Classroom Building.

You may also be able to qualify for the "test at home" option.

Keep checking for when on-campus computer-based HiSET® testing is available again.

There is currently no option for remote testing. Testing will resume once we get access to systems back. You can go to the CLEP® website to find other testing sites.

Visit the testing center page to make a testing appointment.

This service has been paused during the pandemic, but we may be able to start offering it again later this spring or early this summer.