University of Michigan pauses controversial "grade cover" policy for incoming students

The University of Michigan has pulled back on a controversial "grade covering" policy that would have started in fall 2027 for first-semester students in the College of Literature, Science and the Arts. 

The university said in a statement on its website that the pilot project "has been paused," adding that Dean Rosario Ceballo and her leadership team at Literature, Science and the Arts "remain committed to continuing to work with the LSA community to help first-year students establish early academic momentum, support their well-being, and inspire their intellectual curiosity." 

The plan, announced in August, was for U-M's largest undergraduate college to stop placing freshmen's first-semester letter grades on permanent transcripts. While the students would still receive traditional grades and instructor feedback for their classes, the official transcripts would show "P" for pass or "NC" for no credit. 

Letter grades and grade point average calculations would then begin with the second semester. 

The idea was to help students from across dozens of majors and minors adjust to college-level coursework without the pressure of initial grades affecting their GPAs.  

As U-M explained this summer, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology invoked a pass/no record policy for its first-year students since 1968, and other colleges have adopted the practice on their campuses. 

After the introduction, the idea received criticism from across the country, while students voiced cautious optimism. 

The above video originally aired on August 7, 2026.