FAQs

What can I learn to do or what can I prepare myself for by attending P&HCC? You may study in a program designed to transfer directly to a four-year college or university, you can learn new skills to prepare for immediate employment, you can update your skills, or you can take classes simply because you want to.

Can I get help in choosing a major? If you don’t know what program of study you want, visit the Student Success and Enrollment Services office in the Walker Fine Arts/Student Center. P&HCC has staff available to help you evaluate your interests and options. Feel free to contact them to talk informally about yourself and your goals.

How do I register for my classes? If you are a new student, contact the staff of the Student Success and Enrollment Services Office to make sure that you have completed all necessary forms. Once you have completed the online Application for Admission and completed the direct enrollment survey, the Enrollment Services staff will assist you from there. If you are a returning student who has completed 15 college credits (excluding developmental courses), see your program advisor or follow the procedures on the P&HCC web site “Registration Next Steps.”

Can I register after classes have already begun? There is a brief period of late registration for most classes, but it is extremely important to register as early as possible. Contact your advisor or the Enrollment Services Office in Walker Fine Arts/Student Center for help. The schedule of Classes, with dates and times, is listed on our P&HCC web site.  The college also offers a limited number of courses that start mid-semester for students to enroll in.

If you register for a class after it has already started, consult the instructor immediately to get information you have missed.

If I change my mind about a class or make a mistake when I register, can I change to another class, add a new class, or withdraw from the wrong class? Yes, but only during the Add/Drop period listed for that specific class or classes. P&HCC allows time for students to change, drop, add, or withdraw from classes, and even receive tuition refunds, but you must do it within the time permitted. These times can be found on the “Session Calendar.”

May I stop coming to class after I sign up? Yes, but DO NOT just quit coming to school. You may receive a grade of “F” if you do not formally withdraw from the class before the last Add/Drop date for the course. Talk to the instructor and your advisor about your need to withdraw from the class.

There is a period of time each semester when students may withdraw from classes without being penalized by their grades, even if the student is currently failing the course. Check the Academic Calendar or Session Calendar for such deadlines each semester. You save yourself many problems if you follow procedures within deadlines. Talk to your advisor.

Above all, DO NOT just quit coming to school! The college is here for you, and the staff will do everything they can to help you.

Can I get my money back if I drop a class or withdraw? The college gives students the opportunity to withdraw from classes within a reasonable amount of time and receive a refund of tuition. There are strict rules regarding the time limits students have to withdraw and be eligible for a refund. The timetable is advertised each semester on the P&HCC web site or on the Academic Calendar. Read it carefully and early so you know what to do and when. If you still have questions about how much time you have to drop a class or withdraw, ask an academic advisor in the Enrollment Services office. If you are receiving financial aid, talk to staff in that office about what may happen to your aid.

Is it all right to skip a class if I want to? Instructors set their own attendance policies, and you should make sure you know the policy for each class. If possible, notify your instructor ahead of time if you will miss a class. Your instructor can be helpful regarding assignments. A student may be withdrawn from a class by the instructor if they have not attended in the first week of the class or for excessive absences.

Do I have an advisor? Each student at P&HCC has an advisor. If you are enrolled in a curriculum, your advisor is a faculty member who teaches in that curriculum or who is thoroughly familiar with the curriculum requirements and the needs of students. If you have less than 15 credits earned, you will use our Tier 1 advisors located in Student Success and Enrollment Service.  If you have more than 15 credits, you will contact your faculty advisor. If you are not enrolled in a curriculum, you may contact the Student Success and Enrollment Services Office in Walker Fine Arts/Student Center for help with a wide variety of questions.

What does my advisor help me with?

• Choosing classes for your curriculum
• Approving forms for registration
• Making changes to your schedule (Add/Drop)
• Discussing academic problems
• Guiding you to find additional help
• Evaluating your progress
• Evaluating job and career opportunities
• Choosing a four-year college for transfer

How do I find my advisor? If you don’t know who your advisor is, you can stop by the Student Success and Enrollment Services Office in Walker Fine Arts/Student Center or use our Navigate System. Navigate will allow you to locate your advisor’s office hours and to schedule an appointment to address your academic needs.

Advisors may be difficult to reach at times. Although it may be temporarily frustrating for you, there is usually a good reason why your advisor is not available at the moment. Don’t put off contacting your advisor until the “last minute.” Be sure to see your advisor early in the registration period.

If you have difficulty contacting your advisor or one of your instructors, check with the Administrative Assistant in that division office for help.

Academic Success and College Transfer
Located in West Hall, Room 23A

Science, Technology, Engineering & Math, Health and Applied Programs
Located in MET II, Administrative Offices

Director of Nursing and Allied Health
Located in A.L. Philpott Hall, Room 123A

If I need money to pay for my tuition, books, or other expenses, can I get help? The Financial Aid office staff may be able to help you. P&HCC participates in a number of financial aid programs that provide grants and alternative loans to students with financial need. A number of scholarships that provide assistance to qualified students and work-study jobs may also be available. Veteran’s benefits are available to those students who meet the requirements. Summaries of various financial aid opportunities are shown on Tuition and Financial Aid  and in other financial aid brochures available in that office. If you need assistance or to find out more about these programs, contact the Financial Aid staff located in Walker Fine Arts/Student Center.

How do I begin my distance education or web-based courses? If you are enrolled in any of the college’s web-based courses, the course section number will contain a ‘W’. There is always a notation in the college’s course schedule indicating that the course is in a distance learning format. Students are encouraged to complete an orientation to distance learning prior to beginning the distance learning course. The orientation and all of the college’s web-based courses can be accessed through the VCCS Learning Management System. Additional information about distance learning at P&HCC can be found at the college’s Distance Learning web page.

What if I don’t like the program or curriculum I’m in and want to change? Talk to your advisor. Even though your advisor’s approval is not needed to change programs, your advisor is interested in your concerns and may have some information that may assist you.

You will need to submit a Student Academic Program Change Form. A student may change his or her curriculum only two times per semester, and it must be submitted prior to the beginning of the semester to be effective for the upcoming semester.

How are my grades and grade point average determined? The kind of grades (A, B, C, D, F, etc.) used at P&HCC is explained on the Grading System . P&HCC utilizes a 10 point scale in the majority of courses and your instructor will tell you at the beginning of the course. Grade point averages (GPA) of all your P&HCC courses are used as a basis for honors, probation, eligibility for SGA offices, etc. Find your GPA by multiplying the total number of grade points you achieve for each course (A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, and F=0) by the total number of credits you have attempted for each course. Add the total grade points obtained and divide that number by the total number of graded credits you attempted.

How will I be notified of my grades? Grades are posted to a student’s academic record by data entry at the end of each 8 week session or semester, or as reported to the Registrar by the faculty. Students may view and print their grades by using their individual access to their record via myP&HCC options on the college’s web site: www.patrickhenry.edu. Students access their record by using their individual USERID and password.

How do I get a copy of my P&HCC transcript sent somewhere else? By visiting parchment.com. Parchment is the college’s trusted vendor that processes all transcript requests. 

I went to another college before P&HCC. Can I use those credits at P&HCC? If you received a “C” grade or better, if the course is equivalent to one offered in the Virginia Community College System (VCCS), and if that VCCS course could be used in your program at P&HCC, then you may receive credit. Request your official transcript from your previously attended school be sent to P&HCC’s office of Admissions and Records.  Transcripts can be sent electronically or via postal mail.  If your previously attended school is a VCCS school, you do not need to request a transcript.  You should complete the Transfer Evaluation form which is available online under student forms.  Your transcripts will be reviewed and any applicable courses will be posted to your student account for you to view approximately two weeks after the college receives it. 

P&HCC wants you to get all appropriate credit for work you’ve already completed. Contact your advisor or the Admissions and Records office if you have a question about earlier college-level work.

What if my grades aren’t very good? Can I keep taking classes? P&HCC has regulations about the level of grades students must maintain in order to continue to enroll. If you have questions, see your advisor or the Registrar. If you are receiving financial aid, you should also know the grade requirements for those programs (see the information given to you when your financial aid was awarded). If you have questions, go to the Financial Aid Office.

P&HCC cares about you and your success. Let the college help you if your grades begin to fall.

Does P&HCC have any tutors? P&HCC has tutoring available both online and in person to assist you if you are struggling in your courses. Tutors are available through the Tutoring Center/Math Lab in the LRC. Ask instructors for help first. They keep engagement hours to help students.

I’ve been working in my field of study for a few years. Is there any chance I can get credit for what I already know? It’s possible! If you think any of your courses cover things you have already mastered, contact the instructor for that course or the Division Dean to discuss the content and whether or not it is reasonable to think that you could be successful on an exam covering the course content. If so, ask to schedule a local placement test. If you are successful on the test, you may earn credit for the course without having to enroll in it. Division Deans have established lists of specific P&HCC courses for which departmental proficiency exams are approved. You should contact the appropriate Dean if you are interested in this type of evaluation. There is an additional charge for each test.

Please refer to the Credit for Prior Learning Manual on our website for more information. 

Okay, I’ve been meeting with my advisor regularly and taking all the right courses. I’m sure I am close to graduating in my curriculum. What should I do? You should review your degree requirements by logging into your student account and running your Academic Advisement Report. This report details the requirements for your chosen program of study, list requirements fulfilled and lists requirements that remain unfulfilled. If your report shows all requirements met you should apply for graduation through your student account by the established deadlines for the term in which you will meet your remaining requirements. Deadlines for applying to graduate by term can be found on the homepage under How to Graduate. If you have unmet requirements for your plan you should review those requirements with your advisor and make plans to fulfill them by enrolling in the unmet courses or discussing possible student exception options with your advisor.

I don’t know what type of career to pursue. Can P&HCC help? Can anyone help me find a part-time job? Can I get help with my job search? Can P&HCC help me find out where the jobs are?
YES! Contact the Career Services Specialist in the Walker Fine Arts Building. Here is a list of the services that the office provides:

• Local job listings
• Resume writing
• Career interest inventories and counseling
• On-campus recruiting by area employers
• State and federal job listings
• Maintaining credentials files
• Computer-assisted guidance programs
• Mock Interviews
• Cover Letter Writing
• Pre-employment Assessments
• Professionalism Workshops
• Connecting with Internships
• Access to Handshake Career Management Platform
• Assistance with job applications