Academic Forgiveness

Academic Forgiveness allows currently enrolled students or students who are eligible to re-enroll without seeking readmission to request the adjustment of their records for one or more continuous entire semesters of previous college work.  If the appropriate committee within the students’ enrollment unit or the unit in which they seek to re-enroll finds there are extenuating circumstances that warrant such action, the committee may rule the students eligible for academic forgiveness.  The committee will approve petitions only if future academic success seems plausible, with the expectation that such forgiveness should typically have a positive effect on persistence toward eventual graduation.   

Forgiveness will only be applied to the record after the successful completion of at least 12 hours after the last term for which forgiveness is to be requested.   The 12 hours should be in degree applicable courses with the necessary semester grade point average designated by their enrollment unit.  After these 12 hours have been attempted, students may petition the appropriate committee for academic forgiveness, designating the semester or consecutive sequence of semesters to which the forgiveness process is to apply.  If approved, all course grades and credit hours for the forgiven semesters will be voided.  Students may not be granted academic forgiveness more than once. 

The voided grades and credit hours will not be considered for degree requirements or quality-point computations, but will remain on the students’ transcript. Academic actions, such as probation or dismissal, recorded at the end of the voided terms, will also remain.  While forgiven course grades are removed from the calculation, the course work does remain a part of the students’ permanent record and the forgiven work may be considered for financial aid, NCAA purposes, and may be evaluated if applying for honors or graduate study.  

Academic forgiveness is an internal policy.  The University of Louisville cannot guarantee how the work will be viewed by another university should students choose to transfer.  Students considering this option are strongly encouraged to consult with their academic advisor for guidance.