# University of Michigan freshman grading pilot > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/university-of-michigan-freshman-grading-pilot > Updated: 2026-08-18T21:25:00.000Z. Sources: 22. Developments: 4. The University of Michigan's College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA) has announced a pilot program to withhold traditional letter grades for incoming freshmen during their first semester. Scheduled to begin in fall 2027, the policy will record grades as pass (P) or no credit (NC) on official transcripts to mitigate student mental health crises and promote collaboration over competition. While official transcripts and GPAs will not reflect letter grades during the first term, the university will maintain internal records of actual marks for use in academic advising, scholarships, internships, and awarding academic honors. Students will continue to receive direct feedback and visibility of their actual grades from instructors. Standard grading and GPA calculations are set to resume in the second semester. The initiative follows models used by other institutions, such as MIT, Caltech, Swarthmore, and Wellesley. The decision follows data from the university-based Healthy Minds Study, which indicated that 37% of students reported moderate or severe depressive symptoms and 32% reported moderate or severe anxiety symptoms. LSA Dean Rosario Ceballo noted the decision could address rising rates of stress, depression, and anxiety, while Associate Dean Timothy McKay stated the program is intended to provide a “smooth on-ramp” for students transitioning from high school to a rigorous academic environment. Recent details clarify that participation in the pilot is mandatory for all LSA freshmen; officials noted that an opt-in system might create a perceived stigma regarding the academic abilities of participating students. Furthermore, while administrators have publicly framed the initiative as a mental health measure, internal documents suggest the policy is also intended to address racial “credit gaps” and “intersectional patterns of inequity” in academic performance, noting that Black and Hispanic students have historically experienced lower four-year graduation rates. ## Timeline ### 2026-08-18: University of Michigan to pilot pass-fail grading for freshmen The University of Michigan will pilot a mandatory pass-fail grading system for first-semester freshmen in its College of Literature, Science, and the Arts starting in fall 2027. 4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/university-of-michigan-to-pilot-pass-fail-grading-for-freshmen ### 2026-08-11: University of Michigan to mask freshman grades to support mental health The University of Michigan will replace letter grades with pass/fail marks for first-semester freshmen starting in fall 2027 to help mitigate student mental health issues and academic stress. 7 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/university-of-michigan-to-pilot-passno-credit-grading-for-first-year-students ### 2026-08-08: University of Michigan to hide freshman grades to support mental health The University of Michigan's College of Literature, Science, and the Arts will hide first-semester freshman grades from transcripts to support student mental health and reduce academic competition. 5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/university-of-michigan-to-hide-freshman-grades-to-support-mental-health ### 2026-08-06: University of Michigan to Hide Freshman Grades in Pass/No Credit Pilot University of Michigan’s LSA will pilot a pass/no‑credit system for all first‑semester freshmen starting fall 2027, aiming to lower stress and address mental‑health concerns while keeping internal grades for ad 6 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/university-of-michigan-adopts-passno-credit-grading-for-firstsemester-freshmen --- Cite as: University of Michigan freshman grading pilot. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/university-of-michigan-freshman-grading-pilot