Alternate Grading Option

The deadline for individual course withdrawals is being extended to Friday, April 16, 2021 for all full-semester offerings. This aligns with the deadline for a complete schedule withdrawal this term. Individual course withdrawal deadlines for Special Term/Short Course offerings will also be aligned with the respective deadlines for complete schedule withdrawals in those cases.

No other policy changes have been made.

• Undergraduate students: Any letter grade that is a C- or higher would be converted to an S+; a letter grade that is a D-, D, or D+ would be converted to an S; and, an F would be converted to a U. Students should be aware that the letter grade they would have earned may still determine whether a course will be accepted as a prerequisite or for transfer to another institution.  
  
• Graduate students: To receive an S+, the earned letter grade must be a B- or higher; a letter grade that is a C or a C+ would be converted to an S; and a C- or below would be converted to a U. Specific graduate programs may require that students earn a B- or higher for courses to count toward their program; therefore, in those specific programs only an S+ will count toward fulfillment of degree requirements. 

All students have the option to opt into Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) grading for every spring 2021 course, with some limited exceptions. Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grading means that students who opt in will receive a mark that indicates whether they passed or failed a course instead of a letter grade.

ALL students are strongly encouraged to check in with their academic advisors and the Office of Financial Aid about whether opting into S/U grades is the right choice for them and to determine how S/U grading might affect their progress to degree, licensure, applications for graduate school, financial aid, and other matters

All undergraduate and graduate students may opt into S/U grading for any spring 2021 course in which they are currently enrolled, except for those very few courses that require a letter grade such as those required for licensure. Please consult with your advisor to determine any other factors that might inform and affect your decision.

To opt in, students must log into Ursa, go to the “Student” tab, and click on the “S/U Grading Application Request” link under “Grades” to designate the courses for which they intend to opt into S/U grading; changes in a student’s election to opt into S/U grading may also be made using this same form. Students will be required to submit their BEAR number, as well as the CRN, course prefix, and course number for each course.   

The deadline for students to opt into S/U grading will be 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 19, 2021. This deadline allows students the opportunity to make their final determination to keep a letter grade or opt into S/U grading once they know what their final letter grades would have been. Students may make and change their selections up until the deadline. No changes will be permitted after 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 19, 2021.

Changes will take some time to process, so they will not be reflected immediately on students’ accounts. Selections submitted before the deadline will be honored.
 
All students are strongly encouraged to check in with their academic advisors and the Office of Financial Aid about whether opting into S/U grades is the right choice for them and to determine how S/U grading might affect their progress to degree, licensure, applications for graduate school, financial aid, and other matters.  

For undergraduate students: Any letter grade that is a C- or higher would be converted to an S+; a letter grade that is a D-, D, or D+ would be converted to an S; and, an F would be converted to a U. Students should be aware that the letter grade they would have earned may still determine whether a course will be accepted as a prerequisite or for transfer to another institution (see question below for details on transferring S/U grades).

For graduate students: To receive an S+, the earned letter grade must be a B- or higher; a letter grade that is a C or a C+ would be converted to an S; and a C- or below would be converted to a U. Specific graduate programs may require that students earn a B- or higher for courses to count toward their program. Please coordinate directly with your program advisor on your specific situation.

S/U grades will not affect your enrollment status. A student’s enrollment status is not based on grading methodology.

S/U grades do not impact a student’s GPA. However, switching from A-F letter grades to S/U grades may impact both term and cumulative GPA depending on which courses the student opts to switch to S/U grading. Switching an F grade to a U grade may positively impact a student’s GPA, while switching from an A grade to an S+ grade may negatively impact a student’s GPA. Students should work with their advisors to calculate GPA impacts.

Grades of S earned in the spring 2021 semester will satisfy degree requirements and will not be counted against the S credit limit in any degree or major, without exceptions. Courses in which a U grade is earned will not be counted toward degree requirements, including credit hours earned.

Opting for S/U grading may negatively impact your career goals, including but not limited to admission into graduate or professional schools, or ability to sit for professional exams. Students should consult their respective academic/major advisor to determine whether grades satisfy requirements within major program of study, as well as minors, certification/licensure programs, etc.

'S' grades meet the grade requirement for all LAC course offerings.

Published prerequisite grades for classes taken in spring 2021 will still be enforced, but in alignment with the S+/S/U grading options.For undergraduate students, prerequisites that require a C- or better will need to receive an S+ grade to satisfy the requirement. Course prerequisite requirements can be found in the course catalogs.

Students should consult their respective academic/major advisor to determine whether S grades satisfy requirements within major program of study, as well as minors, certification/licensure programs, etc.

Student-athletes must have the approval of their athletic academic advisor before opting into the S/U grading option. Depending on overall GPA, declaring S/U could affect their NCAA eligibility.

International students should consult with the Center for International Education and their financial sponsors to determine whether opting into S/U grading is acceptable.

For in-state transfer to another Colorado public institution: To promote consistency across institutions and to ensure the integrity of statewide transfer Frameworks, including GT Pathways and Statewide Transfer Articulation Agreements, the Colorado Department of Higher Education has issued guidance advising institutions to accept S or Pass-graded courses if the letter grade that was earned is a C- or higher.

For transfer to out-of-state or private universities: Students and their advisors should check with individual institutions.

S/U grades will not negatively or positively impact GPA. The impact to your academic standing depends on how many courses use the S/U grade option. Please contact your academic advisor to determine if the S/U grade option is appropriate for your respective situation.

More information on the effect of S/U grading for undergraduate probation students can be found here.

If a student selects the S/U option for a course being taken for grade replacement during spring 2021, the S/S+ or U grade received in spring 2021 will replace the previous grade earned, even if the course was originally taken as a standard letter graded course. Students using the grade replacement policy should understand the following: 

1. The previous grade will not be included in your cumulative GPA
2. Students earning an ‘S’ grade will not see any impact on their term or cumulative GPA
3. A course taken with the S/U grade option during spring 2021 will not be counted as part of the 6-course maximum allowed for grade replacement
   1. A course taken with the S/U grade option during spring 2021 will not be counted as part of the once per course allowance for grade replacement

For undergraduate students:
Any letter grade that is a C- or higher would be converted to an S+; a letter grade that is a D-, D, or D+ would be converted to an S; and, an F would be converted to a U. Students should be aware that the letter grade they would have earned may still determine whether a course will be accepted as a prerequisite or for transfer to another institution (see question below for details on transferring S/U grades).

For graduate students:
To receive an S+, the earned letter grade must be a B- or higher; a letter grade that is a C or a C+ would be converted to an S; and a C- or below would be converted to a U. Specific graduate programs may require that students earn a B- or higher for courses to count toward their program; therefore, in those specific programs only an S+ will count toward fulfillment of degree requirements. Please coordinate directly with your program advisor on your specific situation.

A grade of 'S' or 'S+' may count toward degree progress (please check with your advisor), and will not affect your GPA. There will be no change to your educational record (credits, tuition, or fees) to the VA for a course for which you receive a grade of ‘S’ or ‘S+’.

A grade of ‘U’ will not count toward degree progress, and will not affect your GPA. ‘U’ grades are considered “Non-Punitive” by the VA. All Non-Punitive grades must be reported to the VA as a reduction in credits, tuition, and fees. You will incur a debt for any course(s) for which you receive a ‘U’ grade. You may opt to take the course again, and if the course is still required for your declared major at the time of submission, you may receive VA educational benefits for the retake.

If you choose to stay with A-F grading and receive an ‘F’ grade in your course, the ‘F’ will not count toward degree progress, and will affect your GPA. There will be no change to your educational record (credits, tuition, or fees) to the VA for a course that you receive an ‘F’. You may opt to take the course again, and if the course is still required for your declared major at the time of submission, you may receive VA educational benefits for the retake.

Please work with your advisor, and contact VA.SCO@unco.edu, if you have any questions.

S/U grading will not negatively affect your spring 2021 financial aid eligibility.

Go to Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy for Undergraduate and Graduate Students to learn more.

S/U grading will not negatively affect your spring 2021 financial aid eligibility if you contunue to meet all SAP standards.

To maintain SAP standards, students must complete and pass at least 67 percent of cumulatively attempted credits. “U” grades (like F and W grades) will count as credits that have not been completed. “S” grades will count as credits earned are considered a passing grade. It is important to earn credit in all the courses you are enrolled in for this semester.

If you are currently on a Financial Aid Warning or Ineligibility status, opting to use S/U grading for course(s) will not help your cumulative GPA. Earning an "S" will boost your completion rate and a "U" will hinder it. If you choose the S/U grade option for all course(s) this fall, your GPA will not change. Therefore, if your GPA is deficient, it will not be possible to increase with an S/U grading option. Your GPA and completion rate after spring 2021 will be considered for all financial aid determinations.

At this time, the Department of Education has not provided relief to students on Financial Aid Academic Plans for the spring 2021 semester.  You will need to continue to meet the terms of your Academic Plan in order to remain eligible for financial aid next semester. f

Earning an "S" will boost your completion rate and a "U" will hinder it. If you choose the S/U grade option for all course(s) this fall, your GPA will not change. Therefore, if your GPA is deficient, it will not be possible to increase with an all S/U grading option.

If COVID-19 affected your ability to complete the terms of your plan, you can always re-appeal your financial aid status after the completion of the fall semester.

Students can log into Ursa, go to the “Student” tab, under the “Grades” tab, click “View Grades”. 

Note: Grades within Canvas may not reflect a student’s final grade.