The University of Michigan announced a pilot program that will remove traditional letter grades from the first-semester transcripts of incoming first-year students in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA) beginning in 2027.
How the pilot will work
Under the pilot, students enrolled as first-years in LSA — the university's largest college — will receive only pass (P) or no credit (NC) on their official transcript for the first semester instead of the typical A–F letter grades. Instructors and professors will continue to assign letter grades for students' benefit and feedback, but the grades will not factor into the students' official GPA or appear on the first-semester transcript.
The university said the pilot applies only to LSA first-year students and does not extend to undergraduates entering other colleges on campus, including professional programs such as business and engineering. The College of Literature, Science, and the Arts enrolls roughly 3,500 first-year students across more than 80 majors.
University rationale: mental health concerns
University officials framed the policy as a response to the growing mental health challenges facing college-aged students. In announcing the pilot, administrators said the change is intended to help students acclimate to academic expectations without the immediate pressure of grades on their permanent records.
"We believe that covering grades will help students start strong and curb the mental health crisis unfolding among college-aged individuals,"
The statement added that the policy would "foster an environment where college students can acclimate to the demands of a University of Michigan education and pursue new academic challenges."
Faculty reaction
Some faculty members welcomed the change. Derek Peterson, a history and African studies professor and former chair of the university's Faculty Senate, told ABC News he supports the adjustment for LSA freshmen, noting the widespread nature of mental health challenges among undergraduates.
"Mental health is a real problem for undergraduates here in Michigan, as it is across higher education,"
Peterson said the policy could enable students to "thrive in a difficult and challenging world that bears on their mental health profoundly." He also noted that many freshmen are navigating new transitions and stresses when they arrive on campus.
Scope and limits of the policy
The pilot is limited to the first semester for incoming LSA students in 2027. It does not alter grading for returning students, transfer students, or first-years in the university's other 18 colleges. Faculty will still assign letter grades internally, and the pass/no-credit designation is designed to appear only on official university records for that initial term.
| College | Applies in 2027? | First-year cohort size |
|---|---|---|
| College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA) | Yes | ~3,500 |
| Other U‑M colleges (18 total) | No | Not specified |
Practical implications for students
- Students will receive instructors' letter grades privately but will have only P/NC recorded officially for the first semester.
- First-semester GPA calculations and transcripts will not reflect A–F grades for LSA incoming freshmen in 2027.
- The change does not extend to professional colleges such as business or engineering or to other undergraduate colleges at the university.
University officials and faculty supporters framed the pilot as a targeted experiment to ease the transition to college-level work and reduce grade-related anxiety during a critical adjustment period. Administrators did not announce plans to expand the policy beyond the LSA freshman cohort in 2027 or specify evaluation metrics for the pilot in their initial statement.
The move follows a broader national conversation about student mental health, academic pressure and alternative grading approaches at colleges and universities. At the University of Michigan, tens of thousands of students, families and educators will be watching the LSA pilot for signs of its academic and wellbeing impacts.
Reporting for this story drew on the university's announcement and statements from university faculty cited in media coverage.
