2024-2025 Catalog > Grading > Forgiveness Policy

Forgiveness Policy

The Moraine Valley Forgiveness Policy is designed for those students who have demonstrated success in credit courses at Moraine Valley and who now wish to build a solid academic record that is not undermined by past failures. Candidates for the Forgiveness Policy would include those students who have succeeded in a new major or program after experiencing failure in courses of study that were inappropriate for their talents or ability level. Other candidates for this policy would be students returning to college after military service, extended work experience, or recuperation from serious illness or personal problems who are now committed to a new beginning in their academic career and can demonstrate their ability to succeed in credit courses.

This policy represents a formal process that allows students to have their cumulative grade point average recalculated without the inclusion of certain previously earned “F” grades. This policy does not raise individual course grades.

This policy does not change federal requirements for calculation of attempted and completed credits to determine eligibility for student financial aid. For transferring students, this policy does not apply to institutions outside of Moraine Valley Community College.

For information on the Forgiveness Policy, contact the Counseling & Career Development Center at (708) 974-5722 or counseling@morainevalley.edu. A Counselor will determine if you qualify for Forgiveness and will walk you through the application process.

Eligibility — A student can petition for forgiveness any time after the following requirements of the policy are met:

• A student must continue enrollment, or take a break from enrollment, for one academic year before submitting a request for Forgiveness.
• A student must earn, in subsequent terms, a consecutive number of college credit hours with no grades of “P,” “F,” “D,” or “I,” and no more than two “W’s,” equal to the number of earned Moraine Valley College credit hours of “F” grades to be forgiven but no less than 15 credit hours. “Consecutive hours” means college credit hours earned in sequence and does not refer to consecutive semesters.
• For example, a student who wants 15 credit hours or less of “F” grades forgiven must earn 15 consecutive hours with no grades of “F,” “D,” or “I,” and no more than two “W’s” in subsequent terms (fall/spring/summer). A student who wants to have more than 15 hours of “F” grades (i.e., 18 hours) forgiven must, in subsequent terms, earn a consecutive number of hours with no grades of “F,” “D,” or “I” equal to the number of hours of “F” to be forgiven (i.e., 18 hours).

Procedures — A student must meet with a Counselor in Counseling & Career Development to review the F Forgiveness policy, student’s transcript and confirm eligibility. The Counselor will work with the student to complete the official F Grade Forgiveness application and required personal statement. The Counselor will submit the completed application to Enrollment Services to verify credit hour calculations and student eligibility.

• Grades earned in developmental and remedial courses which include, but are not limited to: COM-085, COM-088, COM-090, COS-041, IEL-011, IEL-012, IEL-013, IEL-021, IEL-022, IEL-023, IEL-030, IEL-062, IEL-064, IEL-066, IEL-072, IEL-074, IEL-076, IEL-082, IEL-084, IEL-086, IEL-092, IEL-094, IEL-096; MTH-060, MTH-070, MTH-080, MTH-090, MTH-095, MTH-096, MTH-097, MTH-098; RDG-041, RDG-071, RDG-088, RDG-089, RDG-091 cannot be applied toward the eligibility requirements.
• Grades earned at other colleges cannot be applied toward the eligibility requirements.
• Moraine Valley “U” (audit) grades will not be counted when calculating consecutive hours earned.
• Forgiveness of “F” grades will only be granted once for each student.
• When the eligibility requirements have been fulfilled and forgiveness granted, the student’s cumulative grade point average will be recalculated with “F” grades removed from the calculation. The “F” grades will remain on the official transcript with a notation indicating the student has been granted “F” forgiveness.

Any considerations above and beyond these statements should be directed in writing to the vice president of Academic Affairs.