Checklist for Eligibility

1. Was the first semester you enrolled at UH FALL 2018 or since?
2. Is the original course grade D+ or lower?
3. Is the course 3000-level or lower? and no more than 1 course at the 3000 level? 
4. Did you originally take the course within your 1 ^st year at UH? (12 months, 3 semesters including summer)
5. Did you repeat the course within 12 months of earning the original grade? (3 semesters including summer)
6. Did you earn the original grade without any academic honesty violation?
7. I understand that under grade exclusion …
   • only my cumulative GPA is impacted
   • the original course grade will still appear on my UH transcript
   • there is no guarantee for Department/College approval of change of major/minor
   • there is no guaranteed impact to my financial aid eligibility

If the answer is YES to all of the questions above, you are ready to submit your request for grade exclusion.

Review the Frequently Answered Questions and speak with your academic advisor to weigh your decision before retaking a course or using one of your 3 grade exclusions.

Please wait to apply for Grade Exclusion until after you have completed and earned a grade for the repeated course. Requests may not be reviewed or approved until the repeated course grade is posted to the academic record.

SUBMIT REQUEST FOR GRADE EXCLUSION

To access the application form, you will need to sign in using your CougarNet ID and password using this format: cougarnetID@cougarnet.uh.edu (e.g. UhShasta@cougarnet.uh.edu).

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do I know if this policy applies to me?
2. Which grades of D+ or lower may be excluded in this policy?
3. What if I wish to alter academic or financial aid decisions that resulted from my original grade and resulting GPA?
4. What if the D+ or lower course grade resulted from an Academic Honesty violation?
5. What if I would like to exclude a course but earned a grade higher than D+ in the course?
6. If I am thinking about re-enrolling in a course for grade exclusion, who should I contact to discuss this plan?
7. When should I re-enroll in a course I hope to repeat for grade exclusion?
8. If I successfully exclude a course grade, will anyone be able to tell I earned the original grade on my transcript?
9. How do I request that the grade exclusion policy be applied to my records?
10. What if I wish to retake the course at another institution and transfer it back to UH?
11. Is grade exclusion automatic? If I retake the course, or withdraw from the course, am I committed to using it for grade exclusion?
12. Is there a deadline to submit request for grade exclusion?
13. Under the Interim Grade Policy (Spring 2020-Spring 2021) I repeated a course and planned to use it for Grade Exclusion of a prior course. If I selected an S grade for a repeated course will it qualify?

The UH grade exclusion policy only applies to students who entered in UH Fall 2018 and subsequent semesters. If you began enrollment at UH before Fall 2018, even if you were readmitted after a significant lapse in your enrollment, this policy will not apply to you.

Up to three UH courses taken within the first 12 months of matriculation to UH may be excluded. These courses may be 1000, 2000 or 3000-level, but no more than one 3000-level course. No courses above 3000 level may be excluded.

Grade exclusion will not retroactively alter academic or financial aid actions, decisions, or sanctions that resulted from the original grade or original semester GPA. Contact your academic advisor or financial aid advisor for specific questions about how this may impact you.

The grade exclusion policy is not applicable for courses in which the student’s grade of D+ or below resulted from a UH Academic Honesty policy violation. 

The policy applies only to courses with a grade of D+ or lower. If you received a higher grade, you will not be able to exclude the original grade from your GPA.

We recommend that you discuss this decision with your academic advisor before you decide to re-enroll in the course. Many consequences could result from this choice, and we recommend that you get the full picture before investing the time, money and effort in a second attempt in the course. You may wish to meet with your financial aid advisor as well.

Students must enroll in a repeated course within twelve months of earning the original grade in order to be eligible for grade exclusion.

Example: If you earned an F in a course taken Fall 2018, you must re-enroll in the course by Fall 2019 in order for the original grade to be excluded.

The original grade will appear on your official transcript, but it will be noted that this grade was excluded from your UH GPA because you retook it per the policy. Please note that because the grade is on your transcript, the original grade may be considered by graduate and professional programs (medical schools, law schools etc) to which you might apply and may be factored into their GPA calculations. Pre-Health students may visit the Pre-Health Advising Center for more information.

Students must apply for grade exclusion after the course(s) in question have been completed and a grade earned in the repeated course, submit a Grade Exclusion request using this link. Upon receipt and review of your application, you will be contacted about your eligibility and further steps, if any.

Both the course excluded and the retaken course must by UH courses. Transferred courses do not impact UH cumulative GPA.

Is grade exclusion automatic? If I retake the course, or withdraw from the course, am I committed to using it for grade exclusion?

Students must apply for for grade exclusion ( see link) and identify the course(s) to which the exclusion applies. There is a 3 course limit. Only eligible completed, graded courses qualify for consideration.

Is there a deadline to submit requests for grade exclusion?

Students should submit the request prior to applying to graduate.

There is a deadline to retake a course. Students must enroll in a repeated course within twelve months of earning the original grade in order to be eligible for grade exclusion. It is encouraged that as soon as a student successfully retakes a course and knows that they want to use it for one of the 3 grade exclusions they submit an application and do so no later than before applying to graduate.

Under the Interim Grade Policy (Spring 2020-Spring 2021) I repeated a course and planned to use it for Grade Exclusion of a prior course. If I selected an S grade for a repeated course will it qualify?

A converted S grade for a course repeated in any semester under which the Interim Grade Policy was in effect (Spring 2020 - Spring 2021) will satisfy for requests eligible under the Grade Exclusion Policy.