Note: this year’s application deadline is one month earlier than it has been in the past, so be sure to get your application in before it is due!

We know that most online students can’t come to a campus to attend a scholarship workshop, and also that the majority of our students are attending PCC remotely right now due to the continued COVID-19 campus closure. The PCC Foundation has put together a variety of helpful online resources for PCC students to use as they prepare to apply for scholarships for the coming school year. Check them out below!

• Apply Now!
• Get Scholarship Help
  • Attend a scholarship workshop
  • Get help online: Scholarship Application Guide

Questions? Email scholarships@pcc.edu or call 971-722-4385.

We know that most online students can’t come to a campus to attend a scholarship workshop. To help get scholarship information to our online learners, we put together a detailed video with staff from the PCC Foundation. The video covers subjects like how to fill out the application, write your essays, and request your references.

If you are looking for specific information about the application process, follow the links below to jump into a particular topic.

If you still need more scholarship information after watching this video, you can check out the online Scholarship Application Guide.

Here’s the gist of what Pulse can do:

As a guy with a full time job (as I think probably most PCC students are) I find it very useful, especially for those odd moments of spare time like when you are sitting in the airport, or on a train or bus. Every minute counts.

~ Chris M., PCC online student

• View upcoming items that are due
• See a graphical view of workload for the week
• View Notifications and Announcements
• View Content and Grades
• View and reply to Discussions

You can download the Pulse app from the App store for your device. You can get more info from our Student Help Desk.

Along with a new website, our partners at the Western eTutoring Consortium have been working on visual updates to the website with some accessibility improvements. These updates are meant to modernize the look and usability of the app with little changes to how the app operates. We are so excited to launch the new app look and tools, that we have prepared a preview of the changes:

Along with the new look that you may notice right away, the name of some tools have changed to better convey the services that are provided.

For one, what was once the eWriting Lab where you would submit papers for an (Asynchronous) Writing tutor to review, will now be known as the “Writing Lab.”

Second, eChatrooms are will now be known as “Live Tutoring.”

Third, and most exciting, eTutoring is moving away from Adobe Connect for Live Tutoring session, in favor of Zoom. Zoom is known by many as an all-around better whiteboard and sharing app.

Again, we’re excited for these changes and hope that they make using Online Tutoring services easier and more accessible for everyone. More instructions and updates will appear once we go live on July 1.

Frequently Asked Questions about Express Advising

What is Express Advising?

Express Advising is the Online Learning version of the drop-ins offered at our on-campus Advising Centers. Instead of stopping at an Advising Center, online learners can call Online Advising and get the same kind of quick help over the phone. Express Advising is a good fit for students who have questions that can be resolved in a 5-10 minute conversation.

How does Express Advising work?

The Online Advising team conducts Express Advising over the phone at 971-722-9656 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, Monday through Thursday.

During Express Advising hours, callers get directed to a menu where they have the choice to set up an appointment (Option 1) or speak directly with an advisor (Option 2). After selecting Option 2, the student will have the ability to enter their G-number. The advisor will verify their G-number once the student is connected.

If an advisor is already on the phone with a student, any other callers get placed on hold and put in a queue. The advisor will answer the calls in the queue in the order they are received. Students on hold will also have the option of leaving their phone number for the advisor to call back at their earliest availability.

Outside of Express Advising hours, students can still call 971-722-9656 to schedule an advising appointment via the Student Help Desk.

Who is Express Advising for?

Express Advising is available for any fully-online student (with the exception of students who are taking online Community Education courses or who are enrolled in a Career-Technical program). This includes students who are completing a fully-online transfer degree (AAOT, AS, ASOT-B) or an Associate of General Studies.

If a student is taking any in-person classes, they should contact a campus Advising Center.

When should a student schedule an appointment instead?

Although many advising topics can be effectively covered in a short 10-minute conversation, some still require a phone appointment. Online Advising requires appointments for the following:

• placement holds
• financial aid time frame extensions and consortium agreements
• academic standing issues (academic probation learning contracts, midterm checks, suspension re-entry)
• veterans holds
• long-range academic planning

Phone appointments are also a good fit for students who are new to college or who have complicated questions.

For any of these topics, schedule an appointment through the Student Help Desk at 971-722-9565. Phone appointments are available Monday through Friday from 7:30 am to 7:00 pm. Please note that Online Learning does not offer same-day appointments.

Click on this graphic to view the full, accessible PDF with working links. Special thanks to Supada Amornchat and Ayeesha Hankins for creating the infographic.

Do you have any other suggestions for fellow students? Please share!

Virtual Backpack: The Start Guide for Online Learning

After January 20th, 2015, students who want to take their first online class at PCC will need to complete the Start Guide for Online Learning before they can register for an online course. The Start Guide, identified as the Virtual Backpack, is a collection of modules to help student learn more about online learning and decide if online learning is appropriate for them. The Backpack helps students prepare for their educational journey. More than just basic information, the Start Guide also includes information about additional support available to online students and what to expect in your first online course.

Why are we doing this?

We’re doing this is because we care about student success. We’ve spent the last several years researching, testing, and working with instructors, students, advisors, and other student success specialists to see how we can help students improve their success rates in online classes. We found that even the most competent technology users in online classes are unaware of all the resources the college provides to support their success.

What does it cover?

This is a sample SmarterMeasure report. It gives overall scores in the major areas of the assessment.

We’ve had a pretty good orientation for a couple years now, but we’ve updated the content with some exciting additions that will really help students prepare for online learning. The biggest addition is a Readiness Assessment, an interactive tool that helps students consider how non-cognitive skills and lifestyle factors may contribute to (or work against) their ability to be a successful. This Readiness Assessment, provided by SmarterMeasure, provides students with a custom report with their readiness scores and identifies resources that tell the student more about the different aspects of the assessment.

Overall, the Start Guide contains the following major topics.

1. The Readiness Assessment
2. Overview of what online learning entails
3. Academic integrity
4. Online student services
5. Completion and Next steps

Who has to take it?

The Start Guide is required for any student who wants to take their first online class at PCC. Students who have already taken an online class at PCC do not have to complete the Start Guide. It takes most people less than an hour to complete, and according to one student who participated in the pilot, it will “pay mad dividends” for students down the road.

Where do I start?

If you’re considering taking your first online class at PCC, you can start any time you’d like. You can either read more about it first, or you can log in to MyPCC to access it. Here’s how.

1. Log in to
2. Click on the My Courses tab
3. Locate the “Ready to take online classes?” channel and click the link for the Start Guide for Online Learning.

If you’ve already take it, or you’ve taken online classes at PCC before, you’ll see a backpack with a green check mark and a message that you’re ready to register for online classes.