Academic Fresh Start Policy

The purpose of the Academic Fresh Start Policy is to provide a student who performed poorly upon their initial enrollment at the University of Cincinnati the opportunity for a fresh UC cumulative grade point average.

A University of Cincinnati undergraduate student who has been readmitted to the University after an absence of at least three years may petition the Dean of the student’s College to have their former courses treated in accordance with the College’s advanced standing policy. The student’s University of Cincinnati transcript must be free of enrollment in any division of UC for three consecutive years since the end of the final previous term of enrollment. The student must also have a minimum of 30 credit hours left to complete the degree program before graduation. The Academic Fresh Start is not automatic and is not guaranteed.

The Academic Fresh Start Application will be reviewed and may be conditionally approved upon readmission to the University, but must be submitted within one year of readmission. A request for the Academic Fresh Start applies only to courses taken at the University of Cincinnati prior to that readmission. Conditional approval requires that the student will meet a minimum academic requirement of a 2.0 or higher term GPA in addition to any additional requirements as determined by the College. If the requirements are met as of the end of the conditional term, the Academic Fresh Start will receive final approval and be applied to the student’s academic record.

Upon final approval of the Academic Fresh Start, the student’s University grade point average will be initiated from the date of reentry. The Academic Fresh Start option may be effected only once during a student’s academic career.

Note: Approval of Academic Fresh Start will be recorded on the transcript. Students should be aware that the previous academic record will appear on the transcript and that graduate and professional schools, as well as potential employers, may average all academic records together.

• Initial enrollment: Meet one of the following criteria:
  • Attended three semesters or less (or four quarters or less), and not been enrolled at UC for at least three years
  • Attended no more than six semesters (or eight quarters), and not been enrolled at UC for at least five years
• Performed poorly: The student’s cumulative University GPA was less than 2.00
• Absence of at least three years: The break in enrollment consists of at least nine consecutive semesters
• Within one year of readmission: No more than 12 months have passed since readmission following the break

Completed applications for Academic Fresh Start must be submitted to the student’s College and will be considered in accordance with procedures and any additional guidelines of that unit. Degree granting units may not grant Academic Fresh Start to any student who fails to satisfy the minimum qualifying criteria. Academic units may establish appropriate procedures such as administrative implementation of the Academic Fresh Start criteria or review of all applications by a faculty committee. If a request for Academic Fresh Start is denied by the student’s College, the student may file an appeal with the College and a decision will be considered based on holistic data.

1. Determine whether minimum criteria within this policy have been met.
2. Use internal College processes and criteria for evaluating Academic Fresh Start applications.
3. Communicate the decision—including conditional requirements that must be met for final approval—to the student.
4. If the college determines final approval of the student’s application, indicate approval on this application. Forward this application to the Office of the Registrar.