The Fresh Start Policy allows graduate and professional students who have experienced academic difficulties to have a second chance at success at Western New England University.

There are ordinarily two circumstances that allow for a Fresh Start:

When transferring to a different graduate or professional program within Western New England University.

When returning to the same graduate or professional program after three years’ absence (inactive status) from Western New England University.

All courses and grades previously taken at Western New England University will remain on the student's academic transcript. If a student qualifies for and is granted a Fresh Start by the program of interest, the student will start a new academic program or restart after three years with no cumulative grade point average from the prior enrollment. All courses taken, together with earned grades, remain on the permanent record. The permanent record will be used to track Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) for financial aid purposes (https://wne.edu/enrollment-services/financial-aid/standards-of-satisfactory-academic-progress.cfm).

The following conditions apply to the Fresh Start Policy:

A Fresh Start can be granted only once at WNE. Once a Fresh Start is granted, it cannot be reversed for any reason.
A concentration or a certificate is not considered a new program and is not eligible for a Fresh Start.
The student must apply for admission and be accepted into the new or restarted program. Note that the admission or reactivation process differs by program. A student may consult with the Office of Graduate Admissions for details.
Grades for courses taken in the previous program will be removed from the student’s cumulative GPA calculation for the new program.
At the discretion of the program director or chair, up to 6 credits may be transferred from the previous program to the new or restarted program. Thesis and dissertation research credits are not eligible to be transferred. The credits transfer in with a ‘TR’ grade with no GPA impact.

The Offices of Graduate Admissions, Financial Aid, and the University Registrar are responsible for the administration of this policy, ensuring that all applications are reviewed fairly, that students are informed of their eligibility, and that the student record and/or transcript accurately reflect the conditions of this policy. The Dean of the student’s respective program or the Dean's designee will be responsible for determining whether a student is granted a Fresh Start.

Graduate Academic Information

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Graduate Academic Information