Apply for a GPS Waiver

Course Replacements

Many students arrive at UCCS with equivalent courses or experiences that meet the requirements for the Compass Curriculum. The information and links below explain how you can petition to use previous course work and experience to meet Compass requirements.

Many courses have been approved by the State of Colorado to meet Guaranteed Transfer (GT-Pathways) requirements. UCCS accepts all GT-Pathways courses for their appropriate designations.

GPS Waivers

GPS courses focus on an introduction to college, the Compass Curriculum, and oral communication among other skills that will help you succeed at UCCS. Students who take GPS are more likely to graduate from UCCS as well as have better success in their courses. However, many students arrive at UCCS with comparable experiences and are not require to complete GPS.

The three most common exemptions to GPS requirements are all handled directly by your UCCS Advisor.

Please note that calculation of credit hours for GPS Waivers do not include credit by exam such as credit earned through AP, BI, CLEP, or DSST.

  • Students who matriculate with 30 or more credit hours are exempt from GPS 1010.
  • Students with 24-29 credits from colleges other than UCCS and a 2.4 GPA or higher need approval from their designated UCCS advisor to be exempt from GPS. You can contact your advisor on the UCCS Advising Website.
  • Students who have completed a course similar to GPS at another college may work with their designated UCCS advisor to determine if the course can be transferred as a substitute for GPS. You can contact your advisor on the UCCS Advising Website.

GPS Waiver Options

In the Fall term, GPS 1010 starts a couple of days before the semester and ends before Thanksgiving.  For students using VA Education Benefits, specifically, Post 9/11 GI Bill (Ch 33) or Veteran Readiness and Employment (Ch 31), it is important to understand your enrollment is reported to the VA based on the number of credit hours you are enrolled in and the dates of the courses, not just the total credit hours for the semester.  If you are enrolled in 12 credit hours for the full semester but you are in a GPS 1010 section that ends before the last day of the term, you will drop to less than full-time when that course ends, which will reduce your monthly housing allowance for the rest of the semester.  If this will impact you negatively, it is recommended you enroll in GPS 3010, Transitions Seminar, instead of a GPS 1010 course.

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.

f this applies to you click here for the GPS Appeals Petition.

Are you a transfer student with more than 30 Credit hours? You may be exempt from taking GPS 1010.

If this applies to you click here for the GPS Appeals Petition.