Academic Probation & Readmission Support
Academic Probation and Recovery - Policy Overview and Resources
Academic probation is a bump in your road to graduation – you have support at UNC to get back on track. Please note that the university appeals deadlines are “hard” meaning there is no wiggle-room – please plan ahead for your submissions. You might set an alarm on your phone right now, and set it 24 hours ahead of the true deadline to remind yourself to submit your materials.
Academic probation is a bump in your road to graduation, and you have support at UNC to get back on track. Academic probation means your cumulative GPA is below 2.0, and you are on a warning until you raise it. You have 24 probation credits to return to Good Academic Standing. These 24 credits begin your first semester after receiving the academic probation notice. We count any class you complete with a standard letter grade (A-F) in a Fall, Interim, Spring, or Summer session.
We offer an Academic Success Workshop hosted on Canvas about the policy and academic success tools. This takes about 30-minutes to complete. If you are on the first semester of probation, you will be added to the workshop. Your advisor cannot remove your Registration Hold until you complete the workshop. If you are on a continuing semester of probation, you are not required to complete the workshop but are more than welcome to, just email probation@unco.edu to be added to the workshop.
You should schedule regular check-ins with your probation support because talking with someone who knows your goals can help with motivation, problem-solving, and accountability.
Returning after Academic Suspension Options
Read through your options to return to UNC after academic difficulty – there are three programs to help you do this!
Please contact your advisor or probation@unco.edu for support.
Some students find that taking classes at community college or just a few years off helps them come back to UNC stronger.
With Fresh Start letter grades “C-,” “D+,” “D,” “D-” or “F” (excluding first semester back courses) will remain on the transcript but will no longer be used in the calculation of UNC GPA. These courses will no longer count for graduation, either. These programs offer you a fresh start, meaning you may need to retake classes to fill your LAC, major, or minor requirements.
Apply to the Fresh Start Program
If a fresh start makes sense for your graduation plan, speak with your advisor about the program options:
Fresh Start for Freshman
Fresh Start for Freshmen is for students who have completed fewer than 30 earned credits towards graduation at UNC with a cumulative GPA of less than 2.0. An eligible student must:
- Enroll at another institution.
- Complete a minimum of 24 transferable credit hours with a 2.5 minimum grade point average (based on a 4.0 scale or an equivalent score on a different scale). You must complete these credits before returning to UNC.
- Grades of “C-” or higher from other institutions are eligible for transfer to UNC.
- Grades earned at another institution do not affect UNC GPA: GPA does not transfer.
- You must send an official transcript to the UNC Registrar’s Office for evaluation.
- Upon returning to UNC, complete a minimum of 12 credits in a single semester, in the first semester back to UNC, with a minimum GPA of 2.50.
Fresh Start for Returning Students
Fresh Start for Returning Students is for students who have not attended UNC for a minimum of three years, and who have earned grades of “C-” or lower.
To qualify, the most recent UNC grades must be three or more calendar years older than the last completed semester at UNC.
For example, enrollment from spring 2019 and previous would be eligible for Fresh Start after completion of spring 2022. You could take classes starting in fall 2022.
Additional Information
- If planning to transfer to another institution, be aware that many schools recalculate a student’s GPA to account for all classes taken at previous institutions.
- Transfer credits will be accepted following the normal admission criteria.
- Fresh Start guarantees readmission to UNC if a student had been academically suspended once. A readmission appeal is not required.
- Students who have been academically suspended from UNC twice are not eligible for Fresh Start. A second academic suspension is a permanent suspension from future enrollment at UNC.
- Once Fresh Start is applied to an academic record it cannot be removed.
- The rules of Fresh Start may be applied only once to a student’s transcript.
There are two ways that you could be suspended from taking classes next semester:
- Your cumulative GPA is below 2.0 after 24 credit hours on probation (about 2 semesters).
- Your cumulative GPA is below a 1.0 while on probation.
A 2.0 is a “C” average across all your classes while a 1.0 is a “D” average.
Submit an Academic Suspension Appeal
Facing suspension may feel overwhelming. Follow three steps:
- Check BearMail the Monday after final grades are due. You will have a letter from the Registrar if you are suspended.
- Appeal your Suspension by the deadline. Your appeal goes to our Academic Review Committee, who will look at your letter, record, and other documents. If approved, you will have another semester to get your grades up.
- January 5th at 8 am.
A second academic suspension is permanent.
After being suspended for 1 full semester, you are eligible for readmission. You do not need to complete a full application (like the first time you applied to UNC). Instead, you will complete a Readmission Appeal.
Your readmission appeal is considered by our Academic Review Committee, that looks at several things:
- Your Appeal Letter. Be specific with what happened before you were suspended and how things will be different if you are readmitted.
- Your Academic Record. Include transcripts if you took classes at another college to show the committee how your grades have changed. Transfer grades won’t change your UNC GPA, but they will show that you are passing classes now.
- Other Documents. Include letters of recommendation, medical circumstances, and other documents that help the committee understand what happened and what is different now.