Grade Policy Change

S/U grades do not count in the computation of a student’s GPA and only “S” grades will receive academic credit.  S/U grades will not result in an increase or a decrease in a student’s GPA.  

Since a student’s GPA is not affected by S/U courses, a student’s academic standing (undergraduate) at the end of the term would be dependent only on any regularly graded courses included in a student’s schedule.

Please review the following S/U grading map:

• S (Satisfactory) = Letter grade A through C
• U (Unsatisfactory) = C- (minus) through F
• Due to minimum grade requirements established by some colleges, departments and programs, students are advised to review all options before selecting the S/U grading option.
• If you are unsure if an S/U grade is the right choice for you, please consult with your Academic Advisor.

Undergraduate seniors need a minimum GPA of 2.0 to graduate.  If they are on the threshold, they may need letter grades in order to raise their GPA and graduate.  Letter grades will increase or decrease a student’s GPA.   S/U grades do not count in the computation of a student’s GPA.

Undergraduate students need 12 hours of regular graded courses to be eligible for a semester President’s or Dean’s List.

Bachelor degree recipients, who are applying to graduate school, should be mindful of how S/U grades may affect their GPA and should check the admission requirements at their graduate school of choice.

If you are enrolled in any prerequisite courses that specify a certain grade higher than a “C”, consider this requirement before choosing the S/U option for those courses.

Students will have the ability to petition for a change after grades are posted with appropriate documentation of extenuating circumstance(s).

Unsatisfactory, or ‘U’ grades can affect financial aid eligibility. To be eligible for aid, undergraduate students must meet three Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards:

• maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA
• complete 70% of the credits they attempt
• graduate before attempting 150% of the credits required to obtain a degree in their program.

While ‘U’ grades don’t impact your GPA, they do affect your SAP completion rate. Any F (failing), U (unsatisfactory), I (incomplete), W (withdrawal), or repeat/delete courses with an initial U or F grade will reduce your completion rate for Satisfactory Academic Progress because they are not considered passing or completed credits.

The renewal requirement for Bright Futures Academic Scholars is a 3.0 cumulative GPA and Bright Futures Medallion is a 2.75 cumulative GPA. Bright Futures also requires students who are funded on full time enrollment to successfully earn at least 24 credit hours between fall and spring. The Office of Financial Aid reports the GPA and hours earned for each recipient at the end of every spring.

• S grade = does not require repayment of Bright Futures, is not calculated into GPA, and will count toward earned hours
• U grade = does not require repayment of Bright Futures, is not calculated into GPA, but will not count toward earned hours
• W grade = requires repayment of Bright Futures based on # of credits withdrawn and is not calculated into GPA. Because the credits are repaid, these hours no longer count as hours funded. The hours are placed back into the student’s total remaining eligibility (for future use if the student remains eligible for renewal)

Every scholarship is different, and some have different requirements regarding GPA and credits completed per semester or academic year. You are required to understand your scholarship requirements. Remember that taking an S grade will give you the course credit, but not factor into your GPA. Also, a U grade will not factor into your GPA and it will not count as completed credit. Consider this scenario: you are taking 12 credits and have a D- in one course, if you decide to take a U grade in a 3-credit course you will have only completed 9 credit hours for the semester.

Please Speak with an Advisor and we will assist with additional questions.