Program and College FAQs Regarding Pass/No Pass Grading
UTRGV UTeach
"Undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in the Spring 2020 semester will have the option to select a Pass/No Pass grading option after seeing their final grades in May.” This statement, and FAQs associated with these options provided by UTRGV are here.
The UTRGV FAQs are also included at the end of this document.
Recommendations for UTeach Students:
- If you are applying to the UTRGV Teacher Education Program this semester, keep in mind that you must meet certain GPA admission requirements. Also keep in mind that, according to the UTRGV FAQs: “A no passing grade will have no effect on your GPA, but the credit hours for that class will count as hours attempted for your degree, and not as hours earned… A passing grade will have no effect on your GPA, but the credit hours for that class will count as hours attempted and as hours earned for your degree.”
- If you are applying to Clinical Teaching for Fall 2020, keep in mind that you must meet certain GPA admission requirements. Also keep in mind that, according to the UTRGV FAQs: “A no passing grade will have no effect on your GPA, but the credit hours for that class will count as hours attempted for your degree, and not as hours earned… A passing grade will have no effect on your GPA, but the credit hours for that class will count as hours attempted and as hours earned for your degree.”
- A letter grade of A will not lower your GPA. Letter grades of B, C, and D may lower your GPA. A letter grade of F will lower your GPA.
All Student Records
You will be provided with the link to your Pass/No Pass Selection Portal the week of May 4. You will make your selection(s) between Tuesday, May 12 and Wednesday, May 13.
This applies to undergraduate and graduate courses taken in Spring 2020. It does not apply to courses in accelerated online programs.
No; there is no limit on how many classes you can select for pass/no pass grading.
You must submit this request no later than Wednesday, May 13 at 11:59 p.m.
You will have the chance to see your earned letter grades first, then opt for pass/nopass. Grades of A, B, and C will equate to a passing grade of P, and grades of D and F will equate to a no-passing grade of NP.
Faculty members will assign grades as they normally would. After grades post, you have the choice to change to a pass/no pass grading option. Faculty will only know of your intentions if you share those intentions with them.
A no passing grade will have no effect on your GPA, but the credit hours for that class will count as hours attempted for your degree, and not as hours earned.
A passing grade will have no effect on your GPA, but the credit hours for that class will count as hours attempted and as hours earned for your degree.
Dual Credit Students
It depends. Your school district may have a policy on situations like this, so it would be best for you to verify directly with your school administrator or counselor. We recommend that you check with your high school and ask how a P or NP grade would transfer back to your high school.
Undergraduate Student Records
Yes; if you earn a pass, that is sufficient to meet a prerequisite for other classes requiring that you complete the one you are enrolled in.
If you are repeating a course this term and select the pass/no pass grading basis for that course – whether you receive a pass or no pass – the standard letter grade you previously earned will continue to be factored into your GPA. Transcripts will continue to reflect repeated coursework as they do now.
A pass or no pass grade has no effect on your GPA. If you are on academic probation, your probation will be extended through the fall semester. You will not fall into academic suspension.
Yes; the credit hours for that class will count as hours attempted for your degree and toward the state-mandated limit unless you meet any of the exceptions. You can read more about Excess Credit Hours in the Undergraduate Catalog.
It depends. To qualify for the President’s List or Dean’s List you must complete at least 12 credit hours with at least one class that has a letter grade. Your term GPA will then determine if you qualify for the President’s List or Dean’s List. If you take all your classes as pass/no pass, you won’t qualify for the Dean’s List or the President’s List.
Undergraduate Student Records
Yes; if you earn a pass, that is sufficient to meet degree requirements.
Your degree requirements in Degree Works won’t change. Email certification@utrgv.edu if you have any other questions.
Graduate Student Records
At the Graduate level as published in the Graduate Catalog, a grade of “P” = Satisfactory, and P grades are not calculated in grade points or attempted hours therefore a P grade will not change a student’s GPA. However, a grade of F= Fail and is calculated in both attempted hours and in GPA, therefore it will negatively affect GPA.
Graduate Degree Requirements
Some graduate level programs require a minimum letter grade in certain courses, and those types of requirements are often dictated by external accrediting bodies. Also,some national certification/licensing exams require evidence of a particular minimum letter grade or better in order to qualify to take the exam.
Some external accrediting bodies and some exam administrators may waive these minimum grade requirements, others will not. Students must work very closely with their Adviser and the creditor/exam administrators to determine if a letter grade will be required or not.
Financial Aid
Pass/no pass grades will not have an impact on your GPA. Pass/no pass grades will count towards your attempted hours and maximum time frame for financial aid Satisfactory AcademicProgress. If you opt for pass/no pass grades for your courses and you are already deficient in GPA, you could move from a Warning and/or Appeal status to a Suspension status because your GPA will remain the same. If you are considering moving from a standard letter grading option to pass/no pass, you should seek guidance from Financial Aid to understand the implications related to your financial aid satisfactory academic progress.
Other Questions
You can log back into the Pass/No Pass Selection Portal and cancel your request there until Wednesday, May 13 at 6 p.m. After that time, please contact the Office of the University Registrar.
You can select to take a class as pass/no pass via the portal until the established deadline of Wednesday, May 13 at 11:59 p.m.
No; these changes are for the Spring 2020 semester only due to the widespread impact of COVID-19 on our community. Any updates to these changes will be communicated to students via their UTRGV email.
As long as you remain enrolled as a full-time student, changing your enrollments to pass/no pass grading basis for the Spring 2020 semester will not impact your status.
No problem! Send an email to registrar@utrgv.edu with a subject line of “Pass/No Pass” and we’ll follow up with you within one business day in most cases. You can also call 888-882-4026.