ANN ARBOR – First-year students in the University of Michigan’s College of Literature, Science, and the Arts next fall will take part in a new pilot program that will exclude first-semester grades from their transcripts.
The new program, first suggested by LSA Dean Rosario Ceballo in her 2025 State of the College address, aims to reduce stress and improve mental health among incoming freshmen in the university’s largest college as they acclimate to the demands of a U-M education.
Though students will still have access to their actual first-semester grades, they will appear on their external transcript simply as either “pass” or “no credit,” and will not be reflected in students’ GPAs.
“By covering grades on student transcripts for the first semester, we encourage first-year students to engage in intellectual exploration; to try a course in a field they know nothing about; to learn about something that does not come easily to them; to allow intrinsic motivations to launch personal and meaningful academic journeys; and to embrace the joy of learning,” Ceballo wrote in a statement.
According to the latest Healthy Minds study from U-M, published in September 2025, severe depression symptoms among students have dropped to 18% —down from 23% in 2022. Suicidal ideation has fallen to 11%, down from 15% in 2022.
Still, the survey found that more than one in three college students continue to report having moderate or severe symptoms of depression.
“I believe this pilot program has the potential to not only address the alarming rates of stress, depression and anxiety among our students, but to deliver on our core promise as a liberal arts and sciences college.” Ceballo said.
In addition to students getting access to their actual first-semester grades, the university will also retain them for purposes of compliance, academic advising, potential academic awards and scholarships, the University reported.
The program only applies to LSA freshmen in their first semester.
Tim McKay, LSA associate dean for undergraduate education, says the pilot will help students transition from from high school to the rigors of college, giving them a chance to “build early momentum.”
“A liberal arts and sciences education must encourage students to venture into unfamiliar subjects and embrace new challenges, he said. ”By creating time for learning and exploration, without fear that a low grade may have long-term consequences, the college is actively investing in students’ well-being and fostering a culture of curiosity and collaboration, rather than competition.”