Undergraduate GPA

Eligibility

2.50 or higher

Applicant is eligible for admissions to Relay

Below 2.50

Relay may admit a small portion of applicants with an undergraduate GPA below a 2.50 who have:

• Earned a 2.50 GPA in their last 60 credit hours of their undergraduate program, or
• Earned a master’s degree or higher with a GPA of 2.50 or higher. 

Applicants who do not meet the above criteria and whose undergraduate GPA falls below Relay’s minimum GPA for admission of 2.50 may be prompted to have a secondary recommendation submitted that will be used to evaluate their eligibility for admissions to Relay. Please note: Relay can only admit up to 5% of the incoming cohort via this second recommendation exception.

State of EPP Approval 

State Minimum Cumulative Undergraduate GPA Requirement for EPP Admission

Exceptions to Minimum Cumulative Undergraduate GPA Requirement 

Applicable EPP

Colorado

No minimum

Out-of-State Applicants: See  State-Specific Licensure Requirements for Applicants Enrolling in an Out-of-State Educator Preparation Program 

Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.50 on a 4.00 scale on all coursework previously attempted at an accredited institution of higher education from which the bachelor’s degree was conferred.

Applicants with an undergraduate GPA below the Relay minimum of 2.50 may apply to be admitted to Relay’s Colorado educator preparation programs via exception to Relay’s GPA policy if they have:

• Earned a 2.50 GPA in their last 60 credit hours of their undergraduate program, or
• Earned a master’s degree or higher with a GPA of 2.50 or higher.

Applicants who do not meet the above criteria and whose undergraduate GPA falls below Relay’s minimum GPA for admission of 2.50 may be prompted to have a secondary recommendation submitted that will be used to evaluate their eligibility for admissions to Relay. Please note: Relay can only admit up to 5% of the incoming cohort via this second recommendation exception.

Colorado Traditional Teacher Licensure Program

(Residency)

Colorado Alternative Teacher Licensure Program

(Non-residency)

Delaware

3.00

Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale on all coursework previously attempted at an accredited institution of higher education from which the bachelor’s degree or higher was conferred. Applicants with a GPA below the state minimum of 3.00 may apply to be admitted to Relay’s Delaware educator preparation program if they meet one of the following conditions: 

• Demonstrated mastery of general knowledge through passing scores on the Praxis I/Core, ACT, SAT, or GRE exams (Basic Skills exam(s)), or
• Earned a 3.00 in the last 2 years of their most recent higher education program.

Applicants entering the program as a Resident with a cumulative GPA below the required minimum of 3.00 may receive enrollment to the Delaware Educator Preparation Program at the end of their first year in the EPP by meeting one of the following requirements:

• Achieve a GPA of a 3.00 on combined coursework from their first year of Relay and their most recent year of coursework prior to enrolling at Relay, or
• Demonstrate mastery of general knowledge, including the ability to read, write, and compute, by achieving passing scores on the Praxis I/Praxis Core, ACT, SAT, or GRE exams (Basic Skills exam(s)) by the end of the first year at Relay

Relay may admit up to 10% of non-resident applicants to Relay’s Delaware educator preparation program via exception if the applicant has a GPA below the state minimum of 3.0 and does not meet the above conditions.

Non-Resident applicants who are a part of the 10% who fall under this exception and also fall below Relay’s minimum GPA requirement of a 2.50 may be prompted to have a secondary recommendation submitted that will be used to evaluate their eligibility for admissions to Relay. 

Resident applicants who do not meet the above criteria may be prompted to have a secondary recommendation submitted that will be used to evaluate their eligibility for admissions to Relay. Please note: Relay can only admit up to 5% of the incoming cohort via this second recommendation exception.

Delaware Alternative Route to Certification Program (ARTC) 

Illinois

No Minimum

Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale on all coursework previously attempted at an accredited institution of higher education from which the bachelor’s degree was conferred.

Applicants with an undergraduate GPA below the Relay minimum of 2.50 may apply to be admitted to Relay’s Illinois educator preparation programs via exception to Relay’s GPA policy if they have:

• Earned a 2.50 GPA in the last 60 credit hours of their undergraduate program, or
• Earned a master’s degree or higher with a GPA of 2.50 or higher.

Applicants who do not meet the above criteria and whose undergraduate GPA falls below Relay’s minimum GPA for admission of 2.50 may be prompted to have a secondary recommendation submitted that will be used to evaluate their eligibility for admissions to Relay. Please note: Relay can only admit up to 5% of the incoming cohort via this second recommendation exception.

Illinois Graduate Alternative Licensure Program

New Jersey

3.00

Applicants graduating from their baccalaureate or higher degree program on or after September 1, 2016:

Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale on all coursework previously attempted at an accredited institution of higher education from a completed baccalaureate or higher program.

Applicants with a cumulative undergraduate GPA below 3.0 but higher than or equal to 2.75 may receive admission to the New Jersey educator preparation program if they meet one of the following: 

• Graduated from their undergraduate or higher degree program before 9/1/2016, or
• Exceeded the passing score on the approved content area exam that aligns with their certification area by at least 10%.

Applicants who do not meet the GPA criteria for Relay’s New Jersey educator preparation program may be eligible for admission via Employer Sponsorship.

Employer Sponsorship: 

Applicants who do not meet the Educator Preparation Program GPA Requirements may be eligible for employer sponsorship through a Limited Certificate of Eligibility (Limited CE). The employer must be approved by the NJDOE to sponsor applicants for a Limited CE. Applicants applying to Relay through employer sponsorship must have an active Limited CE application with employer documentation submitted to NJEdCert to be considered for admission to Relay. Candidates applying for a Limited CE are ineligible to receive program sponsorship for GPA.

New Jersey Certificate of Eligibility (CE) Certification Program

New York

3.00

Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale on all coursework previously attempted at an accredited institution of higher education from which the bachelor’s or graduate degree was conferred.

Applicants may apply to be admitted to Relay’s New York educator preparation programs via exception to Relay New York’s 3.00 GPA policy if they have:

• Earned a 3.00 GPA in their last 60 credit hours of their undergraduate program, or
• Provide a personal statement via the application essay describing how they will contribute positively to the teaching profession.

Relay may admit up to 50% of applicants who meet the Relay institutional minimum GPA of 2.50 with an undergraduate or graduate GPA below the state minimum of 3.00. In addition to their GPA, Relay will evaluate the applicant’s admissions essay to determine eligibility for admissions to Relay. 

Applicants who do not meet the above criteria and whose undergraduate GPA falls below Relay’s minimum GPA for admission of 2.50 may be prompted to have a secondary recommendation submitted that will be used to evaluate their eligibility for admissions to Relay. Please note: Relay can only admit up to 5% of the incoming cohort via this second recommendation exception.

New York Transitional B Alternative Teacher Preparation Program

Pennsylvania

3.00

Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale on all coursework previously attempted at an accredited institution of higher education from which the bachelor’s degree or higher was conferred.

Applicants with a GPA from a completed bachelor’s degree or higher below the state minimum of 3.00 may be considered for admission to Relay’s Pennsylvania educator preparation programs if they have:

• Earned a minimum undergraduate or graduate GPA of 2.80 and meet one of the Basic Skills requirements below: 
  • Submitted qualifying scores on the Praxis Core, or
  • A combined score of 1050 on the SAT with no score lower than 500 on either the verbal or mathematics subtests, or 
  • A score of no less than 23 on the English subtest and 20 on the Mathematics subtest of the ACT. 

Residency Program Only: 

Relay may admit up to 10% of residency applicants with a GPA from a completed bachelor’s degree or higher below the state minimum of 3.00 and who do not meet the criteria above. These applicants may apply via exception to the GPA policy if they have: 

• Earned a 2.50 GPA in the last 60 credit hours of their undergraduate program, or
• Earned a master’s degree or higher with a GPA of 2.50 or higher

*Residency applicants must achieve a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 in Relay coursework by the end of the first 12 credit hours to remain enrolled at Relay. 

Pennsylvania Post-Baccalaureate Certification Program

(Resident)

Pennsylvania Teacher Intern

Certification Program

(Non-resident)

Tennessee

2.75

Applicants must have a minimum GPA of 2.75 from a completed baccalaureate or postbaccalaureate degree program or a GPA of 3.00 in the most recent sixty (60) credit hours earned at an accredited institution of higher education. 

Relay may admit up to 10% of applicants to Relay’s Tennessee educator preparation programs via exception who have a GPA below the state minimum of 2.75 including those who fall under Relay’s minimum GPA requirement of a 2.50. These applicants may be prompted to have a secondary recommendation submitted that will be used to evaluate their eligibility for admissions to Relay. Please note: Relay can only admit up to 5% of the incoming cohort via this second recommendation exception.

Tennessee Teacher

Licensure Program  

(Resident)

Tennessee Job-Embedded

Licensure Program

(Non-resident)

Texas

2.50

Applicants must have at least a 2.50 GPA from an official transcript on all coursework previously attempted at an accredited institution of higher education from which the most recent bachelor’s degree or higher was conferred (or is in progress).

• Applicants with a GPA from their most recent degree conferred below the state minimum of 2.50 may be considered for admission to Relay’s Texas educator preparation programs who have earned a 2.50 GPA in their *last 60 semester credit hours. 

*Relay follows state regulations in TAC §227.10(a)(3)(A)(ii) for the last 60 semester credit hours.

State GPA calculation instructions for Admissions and Enrollment use: 

The GPA shall be calculated from an official transcript as follows: 

(i) 2.5 on all coursework previously attempted by the person at an accredited institution of higher education: 

(I) at which the applicant is currently enrolled (applies if bachelor’s is outstanding); or 

(II) from which the most recent bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited institution of higher education was conferred (applies if degree has been conferred); or 

(ii) 2.5 in the last 60 semester credit hours on all coursework previously attempted by the person at an accredited institution of higher education: 

(I) at which the applicant is currently enrolled (applies if bachelor’s outstanding). If an applicant has less than 60 semester credit hours on the official transcript from the accredited institution of higher education at which the applicant is currently enrolled, the EPP shall use grades from all coursework previously attempted by a person at the most recent accredited institution(s) of higher education, starting with the most recent coursework from the official transcript(s), to calculate a GPA for the last 60 semester credit hours; or 

(II) from which the most recent bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited institution of higher education was conferred. If an applicant has hours beyond the most recent degree, an EPP may use grades from the most recent 60 hours of coursework from an accredited institution of higher education (applies if degree has been conferred).

Texas Alternative Certification Program

Washington, DC

3.00

Applicants must have a minimum 3.00 GPA on all coursework previously attempted at an accredited institution of higher education from which the bachelor’s degree or higher was completed. 

Applicants with a GPA below 3.00 on a 4.00 scale may be admitted to the EPP if they are able to demonstrate that they meet the following exemptions: 

• A GPA of 3.25 in the last 60 hours of their undergraduate program AND fewer than 5 years of successful work experience; OR, 
• A cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.75 AND 5–10 years of successful work experience; OR, 
• A cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.50 AND more than 10 years of successful work experience. 

Relay may admit no more than 10% of applicants to the Washington DC Educator Preparation Program who have a GPA below 3.00 from a bachelor’s degree or higher, and do not meet any of the exceptions outlined above. 

Applicants who do not meet the above criteria and whose undergraduate GPA falls below Relay’s minimum GPA for admission of 2.50 may be prompted to have a secondary recommendation submitted that will be used to evaluate their eligibility for admissions to Relay. Please note: Relay can only admit up to 5% of the incoming cohort via this second recommendation exception.

Washington DC Teacher Licensure Program

Licensure State

Undergraduate GPA

Requirement for Licensure

GPA Requirement for Licensure

Connecticut

N/A

Relay enrolls prospective Connecticut teachers in its Colorado-approved online educator preparation program. Please see Colorado above for undergraduate GPA admissions requirements for Relay’s Colorado EPP. 

There is not a minimum undergraduate GPA requirement for out-of-state prepared educators seeking certification in Connecticut. 

Georgia

N/A

Relay operates as an out-of-state educator preparation program in Georgia and enrolls prospective teachers in its Colorado-approved educator preparation program. Please see Colorado above for undergraduate GPA admissions requirements for Relay’s Colorado EPP. 

There is not a minimum undergraduate GPA requirement for the Georgia Induction Certificate. 

Rhode Island

N/A

Relay enrolls prospective Rhode Island teachers in its Colorado-approved online educator preparation program. Please see Colorado above for undergraduate GPA admissions requirements for Relay’s Colorado EPP. 

There is not a minimum undergraduate GPA requirement for out-of-state prepared educators seeking certification in Rhode Island. 

Washington, DC 

N/A

Relay enrolls prospective Washington, DC, teachers in its Colorado-approved online educator preparation program. Please see Colorado above for undergraduate GPA admissions requirements for Relay’s Colorado EPP. 

There is not a minimum undergraduate GPA requirement for out-of-state prepared educators seeking certification in Washington, DC.