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Grade Forgiveness

Grade Forgiveness

Applies to: Original Policy Date: Date of Last Review: Approved by:
Undergraduate and Graduate Students 07.29.2026 07.29.2026 John Z. Kiss, Provost and Senior VP for Academic Affairs

Policy Owners: Office of the Provost

Policy Purpose

This policy establishes a process for grade forgiveness to support academic progression while preserving the rigor and integrity of undergraduate and graduate programs.

Policy Scope

This policy applies to all degree-seeking students enrolled at Florida Institute of Technology (Florida Tech), across all academic units, instructional locations, and delivery modalities.

Policy Statement

Florida Tech permits grade forgiveness and exclusion of coursework from Grade Point Average (GPA) calculations under clearly defined circumstances to support academic progression while maintaining the rigor, integrity, and transparency of the academic record.

This policy governs the repetition of coursework for grade forgiveness by undergraduate and graduate students, establishes eligibility criteria and limits, and defines the treatment of repeated and forgiven coursework in GPA calculations, degree requirements, and official academic transcripts. All coursework and grades attempted and earned at Florida Tech remain permanently recorded on the transcript, including those excluded from GPA calculations.

This policy also establishes the conditions under which coursework may be excluded from cumulative GPA calculations following an approved change of major when the coursework is clearly not applicable to the student’s new program of study and no degree has been awarded in the original major. Such exclusions are limited, not automatic, and subject to formal review and approval outlined in this policy.

Distinct provisions apply to undergraduate and graduate students in recognition of differing academic standards, degree structures, and accreditation requirements. Grade forgiveness may not be applied after a degree has been awarded, except as expressly permitted for coursework required for a subsequent degree.

Definitions

Undergraduate Course: A course numbered at the 4000 level or below.

Graduate Course: A course numbered at the 5000 level or above.

Grade Forgiveness: The exclusion of a previously-recorded course grade from GPA calculation following an approved repeat of the course.

Cumulative Undergraduate GPA: The GPA calculated from all courses taken at Florida Tech applied at the undergraduate level, unless explicitly excluded through approved academic action.

Cumulative Graduate GPA: The GPA calculated from all courses taken at Florida Tech applied at the graduate level, unless explicitly excluded through approved academic action.

Graduate Program GPA: The GPA calculated from graduate coursework and any approved non-deficiency undergraduate coursework included in the student’s graduate program of study.

Repeated Course: A course retaken with the same course number.

Excluded Grade: A grade recorded on the official transcript that is not included in GPA calculations.

Procedures/Guidelines

A. Undergraduate Grade Forgiveness & Student Eligibility

An undergraduate student may repeat an undergraduate course in which an earned grade of D or F was received for purposes of grade forgiveness, subject to the requirements and limitations of this policy. Undergraduate grade forgiveness applies only to undergraduate courses taken while the student is enrolled as an undergraduate.

Honors sections are included in the grade forgiveness policy. An honors section may be replaced by the equivalent non honors section.

An undergraduate student may apply grade forgiveness to a maximum of five (5) undergraduate courses during their Florida Tech career. No grade forgiveness is permitted for retakes beyond the five-course maximum.

Grade forgiveness applies to only one instance of a course. If a course has been taken multiple times, a separate grade forgiveness request is required for each instance.

When undergraduate grade forgiveness is applied for a specific course in a specific semester:

  • The original course and grade(s) remain on the official transcript.
  • Only the most recent grade earned in that semester is used in the cumulative undergraduate GPA and in evaluating degree requirements, regardless of whether the most recent grade is higher or lower than the grade previously earned.
  • Credit hours associated with the forgiven attempt are removed from both the term and cumulative GPA.

Undergraduate grade forgiveness does not apply to:

  • Graduate courses, even if taken by an undergraduate student; or
  • Undergraduate courses taken by a graduate student.

Undergraduate grade forgiveness may not be applied after an undergraduate degree has been awarded, unless the course is required for a subsequent degree.

B. Graduate Grade Forgiveness & Student Eligibility

Graduate students may request grade forgiveness for up to two (2) graduate courses, not to exceed eight (8) graduate credit hours, in which a grade of C or below was earned. No forgiveness is permitted for any additional retakes beyond this maximum.

Grade forgiveness applies to only one (1) instance of a course. If a course has been taken multiple times, a separate grade forgiveness request is required for each instance.

When graduate grade forgiveness is applied:

  • The original course and grade remain on the official transcript.
  • The forgiven grade is excluded from the calculation of the cumulative graduate GPA.
  • The grade earned in the repeated course attempt is included in all applicable GPA calculations, regardless of whether the most recent grade is higher or lower than the grade previously earned.

All grades earned in retaken courses that are not eligible for grade forgiveness or retakes beyond the two course limit are included in the cumulative graduate GPA.

If a student elects to repeat more than the maximum of two (2) graduate courses, all grades earned will be included in the cumulative graduate, and if applicable, program GPA calculations. A course may not be applied more than once toward the graduate program plan.

Graduate grade forgiveness may not be applied after a degree has been awarded, unless the repeated course is a required component of a subsequent graduate degree program.

C. Administrative Requirements and Deadlines

A Request to Retake a Course Form must be completed for each course to be retaken under this grade forgiveness policy. Submission of this form constitutes a binding agreement between the student and the University and, assuming the student meets the eligibility requirements of this policy, makes the student eligible to retake the course for purposes of grade forgiveness.

The completed form(s) must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar by the following deadlines:

  • Fall or Spring: No later than Friday of the twelfth week of classes in the semester in which the course is retaken
  • Summer: No later than Friday of the third week prior to the end of regular classes in the semester in which the course is retaken
  • Florida Tech Online Courses: No later than Friday of the fifth week of classes in the semester in which the course is retaken

Submissions after the stated deadlines will be processed for grade forgiveness; however, they will not be applied retroactively to revise academic standing (e.g., warning, probation, or dismissal) for the semester in which the course was retaken, and academic standing decisions for that semester will remain unchanged.

Once grade forgiveness has been applied to a repeated course, the action is final and may not be reversed.

D. Courses Not Eligible for Grade Forgiveness

The following courses are not eligible for grade forgiveness:

  • Thesis, dissertation, graduate capstone, graduate research, graduate internship, graduate practicum, or graduate final examination courses;
  • Courses graded Pass/Fail or Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory;
  • Courses associated with academic integrity violations; and
  • Courses not taken at Florida Tech.

E. Change of Major and Removal from Overall GPA

Coursework is normally retained in GPA calculations. Limited exclusion of coursework from the cumulative GPA following an approved change of major is permitted only under the conditions described below.

Undergraduate Students

Undergraduate coursework may be excluded from the undergraduate GPA following an approved change of major when the following conditions are met:

  • No undergraduate degree has been awarded in the original major; and
  • The coursework is not a named course or clearly not applicable to the student’s new program of study as approved by the respective program chair or academic unit head.

Such exclusions:

  • Apply only to courses completed prior to the approved change of major;
  • Are not automatic; and
  • Require a formal petition approved by the academic unit and the Office of the Registrar.

When approved, the affected courses remain on the transcript but are excluded from GPA and degree progress calculations for the new undergraduate major.

Graduate Students

Graduate coursework may not be removed from the graduate GPA once taken, except under the limited conditions described below.

An exception may be granted following an approved change of major, subject to Graduate Council review and approval by the Office of Graduate Programs, when:

  • No degree was earned in the original major; and
  • The courses in question are clearly not applicable to the student’s new major, as approved by the respective program chair/academic unit head and the Office of Graduate Programs.

This exception:

  • Applies only to courses completed prior to the approved change of major;
  • Is not automatic; and
  • Requires a formal petition and supporting documentation submitted by the student’s academic unit.

Graduate courses are not otherwise removed from the cumulative graduate GPA, except when the applicable statute of limitations is exceeded. In such cases, the course is removed from the program plan and excluded from the program GPA.

Responsibilities

Office of the Provost:

  • Implements and administers this policy in accordance with standards recommended by the Academic Affairs Committee and the Graduate Council.
  • Monitors compliance with the policy and conducts a review at least annually.
  • Communicates policy requirements and ensures consistent reinforcement.
  • Evaluates and determines requests for policy exceptions on a case-by-case basis.

Academic Units and Advisors:

  • Advise students regarding eligibility, limitations, and academic implications
  • Review and endorse grade forgiveness and change-of-major petitions
  • Establish and enforce program-specific degree requirements
  • Monitor student academic progress and compliance with academic policies

Students:

  • Understand academic, financial aid, assistantships, and visa implications of GPA changes and consult appropriate offices as needed
  • Initiate grade forgiveness or change-of-major requests in a timely manner
  • Complete all program requirements
  • Comply with all university and academic policies

Office of the Registrar:

  • Processes approved grade forgiveness and change‑of‑major GPA adjustments
  • Ensures accurate and consistent GPA calculations
  • Maintains the official academic transcript, including notation of repeated courses and excluded grades
  • Preserves a complete and transparent academic history

Compliance Reference

SACSCOC Standard 9.7: Program Requirements
SACSCOC Standard 10.1: Academic Policies

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