Guidelines for Students on Spring 2020 Pass/No Credit Grading Option

April 14, 2020

 

For the spring 2020 semester ONLY, LSUE students can elect to have the final grade for specific courses recorded on their official transcripts as a Pass or No Credit (P/NC) instead of the usual letter grade. For those who seek to retain the traditional letter grading for all of their courses, there is no action necessary. For those considering transitioning one or more classes to a P/NC option, a selection menu will be made available on myLSUE beginning April 20th at 8:00 am and will remain open until 11:00 pm on May 1st. The option will then close. It is only on your final official grade report and transcript that you will see the P/NC designation reflected.

You will need to make an informed choice when making your selection to P/NC. Please take the following factors into consideration before making your decision.

  1. Grades A, B, and C will be designated as “P”, and grades D and F will be designated as “NC”. This does not apply to Dual Enrollment students with possibly the exception of graduating high school seniors.

  2. Electing P/NC for a course means getting a “NC” will not bring your GPA down, but getting a “P” will also not bring your GPA up. This is important to note for May 2020 degree candidates who have a GPA below the needed minimum standard required for graduation. Earning “P” grades would not raise your GPA to the necessary graduation standard.

  3. Because many students will want to keep their letter grades, faculty will continue to compute and report the regular grades you have earned. The Office of the Registrar will retain these grades if students need them for future use. The grading type you select is what will be reflected on your transcript. Should you elect P/NC grading, the letter grade that you earned will not appear on your transcript and will be replaced by either a “P” or “NC” designation.

  4. If you get a “P” in a course, you will earn credit toward degree requirements.

  5. If you get a “NC” in a course, you will not earn credit in the course and will have to take it again if you want/need credit.

    1. Not earning credit in a course can have significant consequences that you will want to consider. Hours earned can impact future scheduling priorities, certain eligibility requirements, and can impact financial aid.

  6. If you get an “NC” in a course and it is a prerequisite for another course you intend to take, you cannot move on to the next course until earning credit for the initial course. However, “P” grades will count as the prerequisite for all future courses.

  7. Medical schools have been indicating that they will require standard letter grades and not “P” designations for applicants from schools that are not having a forced P/NC or P/F grading framework. LSUE’s policy is elective, and you could therefore face significant consequences when applying to medical schools if the P/NC grading option is selected.

  8. Many other professional, law, veterinary, dental, and graduate schools have strict admission requirements related to the acceptance of “P” grades. Students seeking entry into one of these programs should research required grading requirements for admission, as “P” grades may not be sufficient.

  9. Financial aid and scholarships may be adversely affected by selecting the P/NC option. Students should check with the financial aid office to make a determination. A few common issues to consider include the following:

    1. TOPS-the Governor’s proclamation suspends the student’s requirements for meeting the GPA and annual hours for 2019-2020 academic year for TOPS. If you are currently receiving the TOPS award, a P/NC grade will not have an impact on your TOPS eligibility. If you are currently suspended from TOPS and working to bring your GPA up to regain the award, the P/NC option would not help your GPA.
    2. Federal Financial Aid (grants and loans)-P/NC option is available course-by-course. It would be best to consider your current GPA and determine the best combination of letter grades and P/NC grades to ensure continued Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) eligibility. As a reminder, if you are trying to raise your GPA, the P/NC grade will not impact your GPA. An NC grade may have a negative impact on a pace of progression for SAP and students on SAP plans, as earned hours are not granted for NC grades.
    3. Institutional scholarships- P/NC option is available course-by-course. It would be best to consider your current GPA and determine the best combination of letter grades and P/NC grades to ensure continued scholarship eligibility. As a reminder, if you are trying to raise your GPA, the P/NC grade will not have an impact on your GPA.

  10. Students earning an “NC” may delay their graduation timeline. You should check with your advisor to determine if this will be a problem.

  11. Students who previously withdrew from a course with a “W” can still elect to change to the P/NC designation. In this scenario, the “W” grades will be converted to an “NC” grade.

 

A GPA Calculator/Estimator is available within myLSUE.  Visit the GPA Caculator/Estimator instructional page for directions on how to utilize the tool.

In addition, please review the Frequently Asked Questions around the Pass/No Credit option available.