Academic Advising Center

Fresh Start is designed to assist former University of Florida undergraduate students who were dismissed from UF (typically in their first year) and want to pursue readmission after an absence of no fewer than five calendar years (during which time they have engaged predominantly in nonacademic activities).

Students interested in readmission to a major in CLAS through Fresh Start should first contact the Fresh Start Coordinator via email to determine initial eligibility. If eligible to petition, the first step is to apply for readmission by the deadline for the term seeking readmission. In addition, applicants must submit the following:

Personal statement to include:

• Explanation of prior academic performance at UF.
• Summary of activities since last attended UF.
• Academic major applicant wishes to pursue if readmitted and career objectives.
• Indication of how applicant intends to complete requirements (e.g., part-time, full-time).

Letters of support to include:

• Letter of support from undergraduate coordinator of the desired major the Fresh Start applicant wishes to pursue and a semester-by-semester graduation plan.
• Two letters of recommendation from individuals who can address the applicant’s motivation and potential for success if readmitted as a Fresh Start student (e.g., supervisor, co-worker).

Submit the above to: Fresh Start Committee, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at readmission@advising.ufl.edu

If re-admitted as a Fresh Start student, credit for previous UF courses in which a grade of C or better was earned will be calculated in UF hours earned and may be applied toward a degree. No grades previously earned in UF courses will be included in the UF grade point average. All previous course attempts and grades received will remain on the student’s academic record and transcript. Fresh Start students are readmitted in good standing. However, if they accumulate a grade point deficit of 15 or more points in the future, no further petition for readmission will be allowed. Additionally, Fresh Start students are not allowed to change majors.

Students who have been readmitted under Fresh Start may not petition subsequently for any retroactive change to their academic records. Students admitted under Fresh Start who do not enroll must reapply for a future term.

How to Apply for Readmission
If you seek readmission to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) after being dismissed from the University of Florida, you must apply by the deadline according to the university calendar. CLAS usually does not readmit students with more than 20 deficit points, students who have been dismissed and have subsequently earned an AA degree at another institution, or students who have been dismissed after having already been readmitted once. Therefore you may need to consider other academic options if you fall into any of the above categories. If you do have between 15-20 deficit points, your application will be reviewed by the CLAS R Readmission Committee. Upon review of your application, you may be asked to meet with a readmission advisor to discuss your academic plan. During this interview, your advisor will develop a readmission contract with you that will specify GPA and course requirements. The contract will be reviewed by the CLAS Readmission Committee for approval. If approved, you will be monitored each semester you are under contract. Students must meet all contract conditions to be eligible to continue in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Other Academic Options

Since CLAS seldom readmits students with more than 20 deficit points or students who have been dismissed for the second time, students often must consider other academic alternatives. These alternatives include:

1. Apply for readmission to another college at the University of Florida. Please consult the college to which you seek readmission prior to applying to discuss your options.
2. Transferring to a Florida State/Community College to earn an AA degree, then applying to ANOTHER university in the State University System. Please remember that CLAS will not readmit students who were dismissed and subsequently earn an AA degree at another institution.
3. Transferring directly to another four-year institution. Consult an advisor or admissions officer at the school to which you plan to apply.

Readmission applies to students who previously attended the University of Florida as a degree-seeking student. Former undergraduate students who do not enroll at the University for three consecutive terms (this includes summer semesters) or are dismissed must apply for readmission by the deadline. If you attended UF for a semester, but then withdrew from that term, you are considered to have attended that semester, so applying for readmission may not be necessary. When reviewing readmission applications, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) will take into consideration your academic history as well as your potential for success in your selected major; however, readmission is based on availability and is not guaranteed.

If you left CLAS on-track for the major you were pursuing and are reapplying to the same major without having earned any additional credits elsewhere, follow the standard readmission procedures outlined on the UF Admissions Office website. If a student is on-track and in good standing before an absence of three or more semesters and reapplies to the same major they were in before the absence, then readmission is generally granted.

Consult with a CLAS academic advisor before applying for readmission if any of the following apply:

• If you have taken or are planning to take credits elsewhere.
• If you plan to reapply for a different major other than the one you were previously pursuing at UF.
• If you left UF with any incomplete grades (e.g., “Is” or “Ns”).
• If you were off-track in your major when you left UF and wish to reapply to the same major.

If a student takes an entire year off and subsequently readmitted, then the catalog in effect at the time of readmission must be followed. After subsequent readmission, students may petition the college to change back to their original catalog year.

How to apply for Readmission
Consult with a CLAS academic advisor to discuss the likelihood of readmission to the major you desire. If there were documentable extenuating circumstances that affected your academic performance while at UF, look into the University Petitions process to potentially improve your chances for readmission by reducing your deficit record. Once you are ready to apply, go to the UF Admissions Office for more information on the readmission application process and make sure that you apply by the required deadline.

In general:

If you left UF with 20 or fewer deficit points, were in universal tracking terms 1-5, and have not taken additional coursework since you left UF, CLAS will attempt to work with you on a case-by-case basis. Be aware that taking classes elsewhere after leaving UF with a deficit record could jeopardize consideration for readmission since these grades do not improve your UF GPA.

1. If you earn an AA degree from the Florida state/community college system after leaving UF with a deficit record, you will not be eligible for readmission under the articulation agreement.
2. If you left UF with 20 or fewer deficit points but were in universal tracking terms 6 and higher, your chances of readmission are reduced.
3. If you left UF with more than 20 deficit points, please refer to the other readmission category: Readmission – Dismissed.

For more details, speak with a CLAS academic advisor or email readmission@advising.ufl.edu.

I attended UF years ago and now want to complete my degree. What does the readmission process involve?
Contact the college that offers the major you now wish to pursue to discuss the requirements and procedures for readmission to that college and major. Visit the UF Advising site to access contact information for academic advising offices at UF.

For students applying for readmission to a major in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS), please visit our readmission site to review the steps for the different categories of readmission: readmission/dismissed, readmission/above 2.0 UFGPA, readmission/below 2.0 UFGPA. Students must first submit an application to the Office of Admissions by the corresponding deadline. Only under exceptional circumstances does the college ever waive the deadline, so students should plan ahead appropriately in order to apply on time. The application is forwarded by the Office of Admissions to CLAS. Once it is reviewed by CLAS, the application result is returned to the Office of Admissions. If approved, the Office of Admissions will update your record and the Registrar’s Office will assign you a registration appointment. Whether approved or denied, the Office of Admissions will notify you of the decision. but you can check the status of your application at any time at https://admissions.ufl.edu/appstatus.

What is Fresh Start?
The Fresh Start program is designed to assist former UF undergraduate students who were dismissed and want to pursue readmission after an absence of no fewer than five calendar years (during which they engaged predominantly in on-academic activities). CLAS generally supports Fresh Start applicants who had a difficult beginning at UF rather than students who were dismissed later on in their academic careers.

If admitted, credit for previous UF courses in which a grade of “C” or better was earned will be applied toward a degree. No grades previously earned in UF courses will be included in the UF grade point average. However, all previous course attempts and grades received will remain on your academic record and transcript.

I’ve only been away from UF for a year.  Do I still need to apply for readmission?
Former undergraduate students who do not enroll at the university for three consecutive terms, including summer, must apply for readmission. Readmission, however, is not guaranteed. Students who skip a one or two terms can just contact the Registrar’s Office at (352) 392-1374 for a registration appointment if one is not automatically assigned.

What does CLAS consider when reviewing a readmission application?
CLAS considers the following: If you are applying to your original major, were you in good standing in that major when you left UF? If you are applying to a new major, are you on-track or can you get on-track in a reasonable amount of time so that you can graduate in the amount of time you have left (in general, CLAS students admitted as freshmen should complete degrees in eight fall/spring semesters from when they were originally admitted or four-five fall/spring semesters if admitted as a transfer student)? If you left on academic probation, how many deficit points did you earn and can you demonstrate that you’ve taken steps to address your prior issues? If you left in good standing, have you taken classes anywhere else?

If I’ve been dismissed, may I take classes elsewhere while waiting to hear if my readmission to UF has been approved?
CLAS does not advise students to take courses elsewhere as grades earned elsewhere will not help improve your UFGPA. Therefore, in general, it’s recommended that you use the time away to reflect on your past performance and address any issues so that you are able to have a more positive academic experience if readmitted.

The reason my grades suffered was because I was experiencing challenges outside of the classroom that affected my ability to focus on school. What can I do to improve my chances of getting readmitted?
If your poor performance any given semester(s) was a result of extenuating circumstances, we encourage students to look into the retroactive withdrawal petition process before they even apply for readmission. If you can document issues that impacted your ability to be successful, you might qualify for a retroactive withdrawal which would make it so that the prior grades you are petitioning are replaced with a “W.” Medical issues, specifically, are reviewed by UF’s Dean of Students Office.

Since last attending UF, I went ahead and earned a degree somewhere else. May I get readmitted to UF now to finish my requirements and still graduate from there?
The University of Florida does not currently offer readmission to residential programs for second bachelor’s degrees. You can find UF’s postbaccalaureate policies on the Admissions Office homepage.