St. Cloud State University Policies & Procedures

Academic Forgiveness Link☍

Create PDF: Academic Forgiveness

Current Status: Approved

Policy Type: Academic

Department/Division: Academic Affairs

Effective Date: 10/02/2013

Last Updated: 10/23/2021

Applies To: Students, Faculty, Staff

Responsible University Officer: Interim Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs

Policy Owner: Interim Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs

Policy Contact: Office of Academic Affairs

Rationale

Academic Forgiveness allows former students, and in some cases, current graduate students to have a one-time opportunity to build a new grade point average (GPA) unencumbered by their past academic performance.  

Policy

St. Cloud State University (SCSU) will provide options for qualified students to have their GPA improved through academic forgiveness. Students who experience a less than successful start to their academic careers or graduate program may benefit from available one-time academic forgiveness options. Students requesting one-time academic forgiveness are still subject to SCSU policies about academic progress, as well as the academic and professional competencies required by the program, college, or school.

Examples of students who might benefit from this redress include individuals who left SCSU under suspension or on warning, students whose prior GPA is preventing access to their desired program of study or to other academic opportunities, or graduate students who had extenuating circumstances or may have been admitted to a program that wasn’t the best fit for their knowledge or skill set.

Procedure

One-Time Academic Forgiveness Qualifications

Undergraduate: Prior to the point of forgiveness, the student may not have been enrolled at St. Cloud State University (SCSU) for a minimum of three (3) consecutive years and the undergraduate student must:

  • prove academic ability by completing 12 undergraduate credits within two semesters at SCSU with a minimum GPA of 2.75 for those 12 credits; OR
  • transfer a completed Associate in Arts degree including the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum, or its out-of-state equivalent, and completes at least 6 credits at SCSU with a minimum GPA of 2.75 for those 6 credits.

Graduate: Prior to the point of forgiveness, the student may not have been enrolled at SCSU for a minimum of three (3) consecutive years OR may be a current admitted graduate student who demonstrated success in a graduate program different than their original program.

If a student is returning after a 3 or more consecutive year absence and is being admitted into the same graduate program they were previously enrolled in, the graduate student must:

  • prove academic ability by completing 12 graduate credits within two semesters at SCSU with a minimum GPA of 3.0 for those 12 credits.

If the student is a current graduate student using the one-time program change option, or is a former student returning after a 3 or more consecutive year absence and is being admitted into a different graduate program than they were previously enrolled in, a graduate student must:

  • complete 15 new or repeated credits with a 3.25 GPA or higher in their new graduate program. 

Transcripts

When the above conditions are met, the undergraduate student submits a written request to the Office of Records and Registration.  Graduate students should submit a petition to the School of Graduate Studies, which if approved, will be sent to the Office of Records and Registration for transcript changes. The Office of Records and Registration will make the following adjustments on the student's transcript:     

  • The transcript will indicate the point of forgiveness.
  • Grades will remain on the transcript.
  • Calculation of the student’s grade point average will not include grades received before the point of forgiveness.
  • For undergraduate students, all prior credit-bearing courses (grades A, B, C, D or S) will still count as earned credit, and all non-credit-bearing courses (grades F, FN, FW, NA, U, I, or IP) will not count as earned credit.
  • For graduate students, all prior credit-bearing courses (grades A, B, C, or S) will still count as earned credit and may be requested toward the degree/certificate if completed within the 7 year timeframe to complete a graduate degree or certificate and applicable to the new degree/certificate. All non-credit-bearing courses (grades C-, D, F, FN, NA, U, I, or IP) will not count as earned credit.

Note:  For financial aid eligibility, credits and grades for which students have been granted academic forgiveness will continue to be included when determining the cumulative GPA, percentage of credits completed, and the maximum time frame calculations.

Keywords

Grade removal, clean slate, pardon, academic renewal, academic bankruptcy, fresh start, GPA renewal, restart college, wipe grades, grade forgiveness

Related St. Cloud State University Policies

Supporting URLs

Websites, Related External Documents, Statutes

Contacts

Responsible University Officer
   Pattit, Katherina G.
   Interim Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs
 
katherina.pattit@stcloudstate.edu
320-308-3213
Owner
   Pattit, Katherina G.
   Interim Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs
 
katherina.pattit@stcloudstate.edu
320-308-3213
Contact
   Schwartzkopf, Lucie B.
   Office of Academic Affairs
 
lbschwartzko@stcloudstate.edu
320-308-3149

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