Fresh Start
Former Colorado State undergraduate students may apply for an academic fresh start, a policy which allows students to establish a new academic record. A student may be granted a fresh start only once.
An academic fresh start may be granted only after five years have elapsed since the student's last term of enrollment as a regular student, regardless of the number of credits taken. The time period during which courses were taken through GUEST, Division of Continuing Education or the Colorado State summer session after leaving the University will not count as part of the five-year interval.
Applications for a fresh start will be made through the Center for Advising and Student Achievement and should be submitted one semester prior to the academic term in which a student wishes to enroll in the University. Receipt of a fresh start does not guarantee admission, but may aid the student in normal admissions procedures.
A student granted a fresh start and enrolled will have a demarcation on the permanent academic record to delineate the previous record from the new academic record achieved under the fresh start policy. Credits for those courses in which a grade of at least C- or S was awarded prior to the fresh start may be applied toward graduation requirements under the fresh start policy. Only grades earned after the fresh start demarcation will be computed in the new GPA.
A STUDENT WHO HAS NEVER BEEN ADMITTED TO CSU IS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR THE FRESH START PROGRAM.
Please refer to the Fresh Start Brochure for policy and procedure information.
Processing Steps
1. The advisor gives a copy of the completed form (with ALL required signatures) to the student and the original to the front staff. The Administrative Assistant will take one copy and forward it to the Registrar's Office. The original is filed in the fresh start folder in the front office for the semester the student is applying for the fresh start.
2. About three weeks after the semester has started, the front staff will verify on ARIES the status of the student to see if the fresh start has been changed. If the fresh start is reflected on ARIES, the Administrative Assistant will pull the student’s fresh start application from the folder and file it in the “Fresh Start Granted” folder up front and make a comment in SAN. If the fresh start has not been reflected on ARIES, the Administrative Assistant will call the Registrar's Office. (Sometimes the student has not even applied for admission so the student will need to contact the Admissions Office).
3. Students granted an academic fresh start will begin their new enrollment with a beginning GPA of 0.0.