Purpose

The purpose of academic forgiveness is to facilitate academic progress and retention through a GPA adjustment for first-year re-entry students who were dismissed due to academic standing and approved to re-enter the University. 

Definitions

Re-Enter: A process by which the Academic Standards Committee has granted an academically dismissed student the opportunity to return to the University in the same or different academic program. 

Policy

Scope

First year undergraduate students who have been academically dismissed following their first semester at the University may apply for re-entry and Academic Forgiveness at the same time. After re-entry approval is granted by the Academic Standards Committee, the Academic Forgiveness application is evaluated by the Associate Provost.  

Components

Overview: 

• Academic forgiveness is an opportunity for students to regain positive academic standing upon return to the university as measured by GPA.
• Granting of academic forgiveness does not guarantee re-admission into the major from which the student was dismissed.  
• Academic Forgiveness is not the same as Course Repeat Policy where a repeated course replaces the original grade.
• Courses from which a student withdrew are not eligible for academic forgiveness.
• Once a student has been approved for academic forgiveness, the action is irreversible and final.
• Students may only receive academic forgiveness once during their enrollment at Thomas Jefferson University regardless of major.
• Course grades that result from violations of the Academic Integrity Policy will not be considered for Academic Forgiveness
• Federal guidelines allow Title IV Federal Financial Aid to be applied for only one repeat of a course with a passing grade. Questions related to financial aid eligibility following academic forgiveness can be directed to financialaid@jefferson.edu
• A student’s Satisfactory Academic Progress is not impacted by academic forgiveness as it relates to federal, state, and institutional financial aid requirements. Students are advised to review the SAP policy on the Office of Financial Aid website

Application & Approval Process for Academic Forgiveness:

• Student completes Academic Forgiveness application at the time of application for readmission to the University.  
• The Academic Forgiveness application can be accessed from the Office of the Registrar’s website.
• The student will identify the course(s) for which they are seeking academic forgiveness on the application (up to twelve [12] credit hours).
• Academic Forgiveness applications are reviewed by the Associate Provost for Student Success who will consult with relevant departments for course forgiveness approval.
• Courses that require a specified minimum grade for progression will be evaluated during the review of the forgiveness application.
• Final decisions are approved by the Associate Provost in consultation with the student’s college dean or designee.
• The student will be notified the outcome of their application along with the courses approved for academic forgiveness by the start of the upcoming semester.
• The Associate Provost will submit relevant documentation to the registrar’s office and financial aid for processing.
• Approved courses with grades of D or below will be replaced with a grade of AF (academic forgiveness). 
• Courses with a grade of AF will no longer count for credit or be included in the GPA calculation.
• Forgiven grades remain on the transcript with a notation explaining academic forgiveness. 

Posted March 2026