Undergraduate Pass/No Credit Option

Undergraduate students for the Spring 2020 semester ONLY.

The P grade is equivalent to a minimum of a grade of C (2.000) or above. Credits for these courses are counted in the credits earned for the term and cumulative totals but are NOT calculated into the term or cumulative GPA.

The NC grade is equivalent to a grade of C- (1.670), D+ (1.333), D (1.000) or F (0.000). Credits for these courses are not counted in credits earned or completed for the term and cumulative totals and are NOT calculated into the term or cumulative GPA.

Notre Dame of Maryland University students participating in Loyola BSEP and ROTC courses are not eligible to select the P/NC grading option due to established grading policies at their home institution. Notre Dame of Maryland students with questions should contact their Registrar’s Office at 410-532-5327.

All other students taking BSEP and ROTC courses at Loyola this semester are eligible to select the P/NC grading option.

No. You will be required to complete an electronic form identifying which courses you want moved to the P/NC option. Your electronic signature on the form will authorize the Records Office to make these changes on your behalf.

The form for students enrolled in Loyola courses is titled Undergraduate Pass/No Credit Grading Option, Spring 2020, Global Health Emergency. Beginning April 10 the form will be available on the Student Forms webpage until April 28.

If you are a Study Abroad student continuing your course work with your Study Abroad school, a different P/NC form will be made available on the Office of International Programs webpage on April 10.

The form will be available beginning April 10, 2020 at midnight through April 28, 2020 at 5 p.m.

Take the time between now and April 10 to think about this option and discuss it with Loyola advisors (referenced below) and your families.

For Loyola courses, go to inside.loyola > WebAdvisor for Students > Registration > My Class Schedule and choose term 20/SP.

For Study Abroad courses, your program director in the Office of International Programs will email you instructions specific to your host university abroad on April 10.

There is no limit on the number of Spring 2020 courses/credits allowed to be taken as Pass/No Credit.

No. However, you should discuss all possible implications of choosing the P/NC option for some or all of your courses with your academic, athletics, pre-professional, and/or Messina advisors.

You should speak with someone in the Academic Advising and Support Center about how this may impact your graduation requirements. Email: aasc@loyola.edu Phone: 410-617-5050.

You should consult with a financial aid counselor if you are a financial aid recipient. Email: financialaid@loyola.edu Phone: 410-617-2576.

You should consult with Ms. Sunanda Bhatia, Director of International Student Services, if you are a student on an F-1 student visa. Email: skbhatia@loyola.edu Phone: 410-617-5245.

You cannot change your mind once you have elected the P/NC option. You should not complete this form until you are sure this is the best option for you. You have until April 28, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. to make this decision.

Yes. Because courses with grades of NC are not counted as course/credits completed toward the degree or included in the calculation of the GPA, you will need to retake that course (if it is a required course) or take another course to continue making progress toward your degree.

If you pass all of your courses, your cumulative GPA will remain the same as it was at the conclusion of the Fall 2019 semester. Your term GPA will read 0.000. If this is your first semester at Loyola, your term and cumulative GPA will be 0.000 for the Spring 2020 semester.

If you are likely to do well in a course, you will be best served by retaining the letter grade option and having the grade appear in your GPA. This is an important decision. Remember that you have until April 28, 2020, at 5:00 p.m. to make the decision to switch to the P/NC option.

If you are likely to pass a course, but could receive a C-, D, or D+, you may want to stay in the course in order to satisfy a degree requirement.

Your professor sets the course requirements and grading scale for the course.

Again, you can select the P/NC grading option for all courses in which you are registered. If the lab and lecture are separate courses, then yes, you can select the P/NC for the lab but not the lecture (and vice versa). If the lab and lecture are combined, as they are for some biology 5-credit courses, then you can select the P/NC and that applies to both the lab and lecture.

Courses receiving a grade of No Credit, a non-punitive grade, must be reported to the Veterans Administration (VA).

The VA does not typically make payments for classes resulting in non-punitive grades. However, if COVID-19 is reported as a Mitigating Circumstance for the student’s receipt of a non-punitive grade (i.e., No Credit in a Pass/No Credit class) the VA will pay for the class. (If a student using VA education benefits receives a grade of NC, it is their responsibility to provide documentation of Mitigating Circumstances to Loyola University Maryland’s School Certifying Official within 72 hours of the grade posting. Lack, or late submission, of documentation will result in the non-punitive grade(s) being reported to the VA without Mitigating Circumstances.)

Students who have not been directly, or personally, impacted by COVID-19 are not eligible to use it as a Mitigating Circumstance. In these cases, the VA will create an over-payment (subject to the 6-Credit Hour Exclusion) from the beginning of the term, resulting in a student debt for courses graded NC.

Questions regarding the 6-Credit Hour Exclusion, or other VA matters, should be directed to the VA Education Call Center at 888-442-4551. The Call Center is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern time.

How might choosing the P/NC option affect Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) and my financial aid?

Your eligibility to receive financial aid will not be affected if you satisfy all three of the following Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements:

1. Cumulative GPA, and
2. Pace, and
3. Maximum Time Frame

These requirements are explained in detail in our SAP policy available on the financial aid website. As you review the policy, please keep in mind:

• Grades of P and NC are not included when calculating the cumulative GPA component of SAP. If you elect all P/NC grades, your cumulative GPA will remain the same as it was the at the conclusion of the Fall 2019 semester. This could affect the minimum cumulative GPA required for SAP if you are not in good standing. (See SAP policy)
• The pace component of SAP requires students to complete 66.67 percent of attempted credits. Courses with a grade of P will count as both completed and attempted. Courses with a grade of NC only count as attempted so it can affect your SAP status if you are not in good standing. (See SAP policy)

Please read the SAP policy carefully. If you believe your eligibility may be in jeopardy and have questions, please contact the Office of Financial Aid at 410-617-2576 or financialaid@loyola.edu.

How might choosing the P/NC option affect my scholarship or non-need-based grant?

Your scholarship will be unaffected if you are meeting the cumulative GPA requirements necessary to maintain your award at the end of the spring 2020 semester. Please keep in mind that grades of P and NC are not included in calculating term and cumulative GPA. If you elect all P/NC grades your cumulative GPA will remain the same as it was at the conclusion of the fall 2019 semester.

The scholarship retention requirements include maintaining full-time enrollment (at least 12 credit hours per semester) and the following minimum cumulative GPA:

Name	Retention Requirements
Presidential Scholarship	Minimum cum GPA of 2.75
Loyola Scholarship	Minimum cum GPA of 2.50
Loyola Transfer Scholarship	Minimum cum GPA of 2.50
Magis Grant	Minimum cum GPA of 2.00
Legacy Grant	Minimum cum GPA of 2.00

Students in jeopardy of losing their scholarship have the right to appeal for reinstatement.

Possibly. Every student athlete is viewed on a case-by-case basis in regards to progress towards degree and eligibility for practice and competition. At a bare minimum, student-athletes need to pass 6 credits this Spring (2020) and 18 credits this academic year (2019-20). If you are considering the P/NC option, you should contact Student Athlete Support Services (SASS) who will discuss Athletic Compliance with you, and the possible effects on your eligibility.

Your decision may impact your F-1 immigration status. If you choose P/NC grading for one or more of your courses and you earn one or more NC grades, then you may fall below the 12 full-time credits needed to maintain your legal F-1 immigration status. We, therefore, strongly advise F-1 International students to consult with Sunanda Bhatia (skbhatia@loyola.edu), the Director of International Student Services, to discuss their particular situation prior to completing and submitting the P/NC form.

Most likely no. In order to be considered for Dean’s List designation, students must achieve a minimum grade point average of 3.500 for the term, provided that, in the term, the student successfully completes courses totaling a minimum of 15 graded credits applicable toward the degree (Pass/NC courses are excluded from this calculation).

Study Abroad students in year-long programs must achieve a minimum grade point average of 3.500, provided that in the year, the student successfully completes course totaling a minimum of 30 credits applicable to a degree (Pass/NC courses are excluded from this calculation).

Study Abroad students in a semester-long program must achieve a minimum grade point average of 3.500 for the term, provided that the student successfully completes courses totaling a minimum of 15 credits applicable to a degree (Pass/NC courses are excluded from this calculation).

You will be eligible for Latin Honors based on your cumulative GPA at the conclusion of the Spring 2020 semester.

We strongly encourage all graduating seniors to consult with the Academic Advising and Support Center (aasc@loyola.edu) to see how this may affect you before making a decision.

The Career Center: log into Handshake to schedule an appointment with a Career Center team member today.

Disability Support Services Student information accommodations for online courses for spring 2020 Contact: DSS@loyola.edu or 410-617-2062 or 410-617-2750.

The Library: www.lndl.org/help/ask-librarian

The Study: www.loyola.edu/department/the-study

The Writing Center: www.loyola.edu/department/writing-center