The University of Michigan's College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA) will implement a pilot program beginning in fall 2027, concealing first-semester letter grades on official transcripts for incoming freshmen. Under this new policy, first-year grades will be recorded as pass (P) or no credit (NC), a move intended to ease the transition to college and address what university officials describe as a growing campus mental health crisis. Letter grades and professor feedback will still be provided to students directly, but these will not appear on external transcripts or affect their cumulative grade point average.
University officials stated that the program aims "to help first-year students acclimate to the demands of college and allow intrinsic motivations to guide personally meaningful academic journeys — core elements of a liberal arts and sciences education." The university will maintain internal records of letter grades for administrative purposes, including advising, financial aid eligibility, and academic awards.
Student reactions to the policy are divided. Some students view the initiative as a positive step toward reducing academic pressure during a critical adjustment period. "If there are measures to ease the way for high school students coming to [university], I think that's a good thing," commented Alexander, an exchange graduate student from Austria. Ella Langlois, an LSA student, expressed support for trialing the policy, emphasizing the importance of mental health. William Bushey, a civil engineering major, called the decision a "good call," noting that many successful individuals initially struggle with first-year coursework.
Chloe Song, a freshman economics student in LSA, agreed that the initial transition can be stressful, stating, "I think that's a good call because it's really stressful." LSA is the largest undergraduate school at the university, with approximately 19,700 students. The university hopes the policy will encourage students to explore challenging courses without the immediate fear of negatively impacting their GPAs. Similar grading policies have been adopted by institutions such as MIT, Caltech, Wellesley, and Swarthmore.
However, other students voiced concerns that the policy may coddle students and fail to adequately prepare them for future academic and professional challenges. Talan, a freshman neuroscience major, believes the policy sidesteps the root causes of student anxiety, suggesting broader societal factors like media access contribute more significantly to mental health struggles. "We're at the University of Michigan — people tried pretty hard to get here," Talan said. "I feel like grades are taken pretty seriously. And if you're going to try, working as hard as someone who gets a C and passes with the same grade as you is kind of demeaning in a way."
Simran, a sophomore business major, suggested that hiding grades avoids teaching essential resilience. "I think having more supportive resources is a better solution than hiding grades," Simran argued. "I think there's a lot of challenges that you face in college, and challenging coursework is one of them. It's something you just learn to move through. I've definitely done poorly in classes before, but it's an upward battle at times... it's a very important skill to have."
Concerns were also raised that the policy might simply shift academic stress to the second semester. Andrew Spencer, a biology, health, and society major, posited that the policy could lead to students slacking off in the first semester, potentially hindering the development of a strong work ethic for subsequent terms. Monica Diaz, a junior studying psychology and economics, offered a more nuanced perspective, acknowledging the critics' points but viewing the single-semester policy as a gradual transition rather than prolonged coddling. "I don't entirely agree with that because I think it's just slowly transitioning them into what it's like to be at a school like the University of Michigan," Diaz said. "Obviously, after the first semester they're not going to be coddled anymore, so I don't really think that's entirely true — but I can definitely see the argument."