Academic Concern and Suspension

The student will receive an email or letter from the Office of the Registrar to their SVSU email account or their preferred mailing address. 

After completing at least one semester of coursework at SVSU, a student will be placed on academic concern if they fail to meet the following cumulative grade point average requirement in graded coursework: (Transfer credits and courses numbered below 100 level are not included in the SVSU GPA): 

*You will find these terms Academic Concern and Academic Suspension listed currently in the 2025-2026 University Catalog as Academic Probation and Academic Dismissal. 

It depends on if a student was placed on academic concern or if they have already been suspended. Some students may lose their financial aid. Please see the Campus Financial Services Center for specific details regarding financial aid.

Campus Financial Services Center

(989) 964-4900

cfsc@svsu.edu

Wickes Hall 131

A student is removed from academic concern when his/her cumulative grade point average rises above the following levels. The student is continued on academic concern if the semester average is 2.00 or higher, but the cumulative grade point average has not attained the minimum standards of the graduated scale listed below.

*The Academic Concern and Academic Suspension policy is listed in the University Catalog and was ratified by the full faculty.

If a student is in good academic standing at the close of the winter semester and immediately goes into the spring or summer classes with such standing, the course grade(s) they earns in spring and/or summer will not influence the academic standing.  Even if the cumulative GPA goes below 2.0 from grades earned in spring and/or summer, the student will still enter the consecutive fall semester in good standing.  However, if the cumulative GPA is below 2.0 at the close of that fall semester, then the standing is subject to the policy listed in the university Catalog on academic concern. 

A student will be suspended from the university if, while on academic concern, they fail to attain a 2.00 cumulative grade point average. Students who have been suspended cannot register for any SVSU classes under any status, not even as a guest student.

Yes, students can appeal their suspension case to the Academic Suspension Committee. Reinstatement is not automatic, but each case is reviewed on an individual basis (for full policy see Undergraduate Academic Concern and Suspension language in catalog) .

Students appealing their academic suspension from Saginaw Valley State University, will need to have their complete packet (see below) of required information submitted into the Registrar’s Office (registrar@svsu.edu) on or before the following dates: 

• Submission Deadline:
  • To be considered for a Fall semester return, information must be submitted on or before August 1. If August 1, falls on a weekend, then the very next business day. 
  • To be considering for a Spring/Summer/Winter semester return, information must be submitted on or before December 1. If December 1, falls on a weekend, then the very next business day. 
• Essay: acknowledgement of factors that caused your academic suspension, what has changed and/or what corrective action will be taken to avoid another suspension. Your essay will also need to include what academic program (major/minor) you plan to pursue and why this is important to you and your career goals. 
• Official transcripts from any institution(s) that you have attended since your suspension from SVSU. 
• Your academic major/minor that you plan to pursue. 
• Your name while attending SVSU, if your name has changed since your suspension. 

Please submit your completed packet far in advance of the stated deadline to allow for any needed clarification. 

Incomplete/late packets will be rolled over to the next deadline date in the above cycle. 

After a student successfully appeals and is granted permission to come back, the student will be placed on academic concern. Academic concern status is applicable to all reinstated students. These students will continue to be on academic concern status until they have successfully met the GPA criteria designated by the university.

If a student's federal financial aid was taken away (referred to as Satisfactory Academic Policy or SAP), this may be appealed in the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid as well to attempt to reinstate the aid, but only after the Academic Suspension Committee rules in favor of readmission to the university.

For further questions and information please call the Office of the Registrar at (989) 964-4085. 

Readmission is for undergraduate students who have been academically suspended and wish to reapply to SVSU or for those who have not been active for seven or more semesters. For more information, please see the Admission's Office FAQ for Readmission.

If a student is on academic concern at the close of winter semester and immediately enrolls in spring and/or summer classes, and the cumulative GPA is still under a 2.0 at the close of these spring and/or summer semesters, the student will remain on academic concern going into the consecutive Fall semester.  If, at the close of that Fall semester, the cumulative GPA is under 2.0, the student would then be academically suspended from the university and ineligible to enroll in the consecutive winter semester.