A maximum of 100 hours of credit can be applied to the B.G.S. degree, provided that the grades earned were D or higher. Exception: Credit for the grade of D will be granted only for elective courses, not those required for the distribution requirements of the degree or the minor(s).

Students with academic deficiencies (cumulative grade point average below 2.0 or below a C average) in course work done within the Indiana University system may be admitted to the General Studies Degree Program on "probation." All students must achieve at least a 2.0 grade point average for all courses applied to the degree at Indiana University after admission to the General Studies Degree Program in order to obtain a degree. Students who have been dismissed from another academic unit of Indiana University and whose cumulative GPA is below 2.0 may not be admitted to the General Studies Degree Program until at least one calendar year has passed since the date of dismissal.

Upon the successful completion (GPA of 2.0 or higher) of 12 credit hours in the General Studies Degree Program, the following policies take effect:

Grades of D or F earned in the Indiana University system five years or more before admission to the General Studies Degree Program may be deleted from the General Studies records at the option of the student; a student may request forgiveness of an unsatisfactory semester at Indiana University if that semester is within a five-year period of the student's admission to the program. Although all Indiana University course work remains on the student's permanent record, the General Studies Degree Program can exclude the grades and credit earned during this unsatisfactory semester when computing the student's grade point average. Students should note that the General Studies Program removes all grades and credit earned during this unsatisfactory semester from the grade point average; therefore, students are advised to consult with their advisors about the advisability of this procedure.

The program is designed to avoid placing an excessive burden on students who have made an unsatisfactory start at Indiana University in the past. The program is not intended to permit students with chronically poor performance in the university to stay in school, nor to raise false hopes for students who are not making progress toward a degree.