The Fresh Start Program is designed to assist former University of Florida undergraduate students who have been dismissed from UF 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). The College of Journalism and Communications will accept a request for Fresh Start admission from former UF students who had difficulties being academically successful at UF. All applications for readmission are evaluated by the CJC committee on a case-by case basis. Applicants are encouraged to review our specific readmission policies, and can rest assured that the application will receive a fair and balanced evaluation by the CJC committee. Readmission is not guaranteed.

Students interested in the Fresh Start Program in the College of Journalism and Communications should first contact a PATH academic advisor to determine initial eligibility. If it is determined that the student is eligible to petition for readmissions under the program , 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 should 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 (part-time, full-time)

Letter of support to include : 

• Two letters of recommendation from individuals who can address the applicant’s motivation and potential for success if readmitted as a Fresh Start student (supervisor, co-worker)
• Letter of support from a faculty member or instructor. 

Submit the above to : Readmission Committee, College of Journalism and Communications at cjc-readmission@jou.ufl.edu. 

If re-admitted under the Fresh Start Program, 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 later for any retroactive change to their academic record. Students admitted under Fresh Start who do not enroll must reapply for future term. 

If you seek readmission to the College of Journalism and Communications after being dismissed from the University of Florida, you must apply by the deadline according to the university calendar.  The College of Journalism and Communications usually does not readmit students with 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 academic alternatives. If you do have  between 15-20 deficit points, your application will be reviewed by the CJC readmission committee.  Upon review of your application, you will be required to submit an academic plan to the advisor. The advisor will forward your plan to the Associate Dean 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.

Other Alternative Options
Since the College of Journalism and Communications seldom readmits students with 20 deficits points or student who have been dismissed for the second time, students often must consider other 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 the College of Journalism and Communication 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.

We encourage you to consult with a PATH academic advisor to discuss the likelihood of readmission to the major you desire. If there were any documentable extenuating circumstances that affected your academic performance while at UF, you are encouraged to look into the University Petitions process in an effort 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, CJC will attempt to work with you on a case-by-case basis. However, 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.

• If you earn an AA degree from the Florida community college system after leaving UF with a deficit record, you will not be eligible for readmission under the articulation agreement.
• 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.
• If you left UF with more than 20 deficit points, please refer to the other readmission category:  Readmission-Dismissed.

For more details please speak with PATH advisor or email cjc-readmission@jou.ufl.edu

If you left CJC 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 consecutive terms (this includes summer semesters), and reapplies to the same major they were in before the absence then readmission is generally granted.

Consult the PATH academic advisor before applying for readmission if any of the following apply:

• If you have taken or are planning to take credit elsewhere
• If you plan to reapply for different major other than the one you 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 leaves and reapplies after ten years, and subsequently readmitted, then the catalog in effect at the time of readmission must be followed.  

I attended  UF years ago and now want to complete my degree. What does the process involve?   

For students applying for readmissions to a major in the College of Journalism and Communications, please visit our readmissions site to review the steps for the different categories of readmission: readmission/fresh start, readmission/dismissed, readmission/below 2.0 UF GPA and readmission/ above 2.0 UF GPA. Students must apply to the Office of Admissions by the corresponding http://www.admissions.ufl.edu/ugrad/readmissdates.html. 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 CJC.  CJC  will  then send the applicant an email requesting additional information. Once  it is reviewed by CJC , 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 the application at https://admissions.ufl.edu/appstatus.  

 I’ve only been away from UF 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 one or two terms can contact the Registrar’s Office  for a registration appointment if one is not automatically assigned .

If I’ve been dismissed, may I take classes elsewhere while waiting to hear if my readmission  to UF has been approved ?

We do not advise students to take courses elsewhere as grades earned elsewhere will not help improve the UF GPA.  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 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 during any given semester(s) was a result of extenuating circumstances, we encourage students to look into the retroactive withdrawal petition process before even applying 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 that prior grades are replaced with a “W”. Medical issues , specifically , are reviewed by the UF’s Dean of Students Office.

Since last attending UF, I earned a degree somewhere else. May I be readmitted to UF to finish my degree and still graduate from UF?

The University of Florida does not currently offer readmission to residential programs for second bachelor’s degree. You should consider applying to our graduate programs .   

If  I attended UF over ten years ago and apply for readmissions, how likely is it for me to complete my degree using the catalog year I was originally admitted to?

 It is not likely  for an applicant to be approved for readmissions.  Because the college emphasizes practical skills , courses taken over ten years ago are not applicable to current career needs. 

Can my transcripts be reviewed by a PATH academic advisor before applying for readmission?

No , you must submit a readmission application by the deadline for the semester you would like to return first.