Auto-Certificate Award

Automatic certificate awarding is the process by which students will be awarded certificates for which they have completed the requirements, within the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD). No application is necessary! Students could be eligible for certificates in their primary program of study and/or additional programs that they qualify for. Please note that this process does not consider courses taken outside of the district or in-progress courses being taken in the current semester.  

This process is authorized by LACCD Administrative Procedure (AP) 4100: Graduation Requirements for Degrees and Certificates. Conferring College-Initiated Certificates of Achievement, Certificates of Completion, and Certificates of Competency (Auto-Awarding). 

 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

LACCD reviews completed coursework at LACCD colleges and posts eligible certificates automatically. Degrees are not awarded through this process. 

Credit Certificates of Achievement as well as Noncredit Certificates of Completion and Certificates of Competency (Per AP 4100. Degrees are excluded.) 

No. Auto-awarded certificates do not require a graduation petition.

College Admission and Records (A&R) will contact you at your LACCD email with details about: 

  • Which certificate(s) do you qualify for 

  • The opt-out deadline 

  • How to opt-out/decline or ask questions 

Yes, a student has the right to opt-out or they may petition to have an award removed from their record. 

Yes. The student will receive a printed certificate mailed to the mailing address on file, plus a digital credential that can be shared on social media or with employers. An email will be sent to the student’s LACCD email account from Parchment Credential Services asking them to verify their mailing address. 

Tip: Students should keep their mailing address up to date in the Student Portal. 

Yes. Even if a student has been auto-awarded a certificate, the student remains eligible to continue taking classes at LACCD colleges for any other active program(s) they are working to complete. 

No. Receiving auto-awarded certificates should not affect a student’s federal or state financial aid as long as the student continues to enroll in classes at LACCD colleges. Scholarship criteria may vary, so students should review their scholarship rules. The student must also have an active program plan/career on record. 

It may. In most cases, certificates awarded in addition to the primary program of study do not affect Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits, but individual situations vary. The student should contact the campus Veterans Resource Center (VRC) for personalized guidance before deciding to accept or decline an auto-awarded certificate. 

It may. F-1 students should contact their home college International Student Office to determine whether to accept or decline an auto-awarded certificate(s). 

It may. CalWORKs students should contact the home college CalWORKs office to determine whether to accept or decline an auto-awarded certificate(s). 

It depends on the college’s policy. If the college recognizes certificates at Commencement and the award is posted before the campus deadline, the student may participate and be listed in the Commencement booklet. 

No! Receiving a certificate does not disqualify students from LACCD college Special Programs. Programs such as EOP&S, TRiO, DSPS/OSS, Athletic, MESA, etc. do not limit services to students with certificates. 

No, students will maintain their Priority Registration status after receiving certificate(s).   

Not automatically. Auto-award uses LACCD colleges coursework only. To use external credits, send official transcripts to Admissions & Records and meet with a Counselor to petition. 

Meet with a Counselor and file a general petition with documentation.  

The student should file a Petition to Graduate in the MyCollege.laccd.edu Student Portal. The “Petition to Graduate” is located under the Academic Record tile.  

Yes. If a student previously completed all requirements while maintaining catalog rights and the certificate was never posted, the student’s home college may confer effectively the original term of completion. 

In the MyCollege.laccd.edu Student Portal: 

  • Open the Academic Record tile. 

  • Select View Unofficial Transcript. 

  • Posted awards appear in the Degrees/Certificates section. 

Yes. Auto-Awarding does not replace the petition process in all cases. A student should petition to graduate with if any of the following apply: 

  • Degrees: Degrees are not auto-awarded; the student must petition. 

  • When course substitutions/waivers or catalog exceptions are needed. 

  • The student used coursework from college(s) outside LACCD (submit official transcripts to Admissions & Records and file a graduation petition). 

  • The student was not enrolled in the current academic year and therefore will not be evaluated by Auto-Award. 

  • The student believes they qualify but did not receive a notification or did not see the award posted. 

If a student’s mailing address or contact information has changed, the student should log in to the MyCollege.laccd.edu Student Portal and update it under the “Profile” tile.