The University of Wisconsin–Madison has updated its policy on when incomplete grades lapse to Fs to ensure consistency for undergraduate and university special students across all schools and colleges.
What’s new
The policy change sets a single deadline for all undergraduate and university special students with incomplete grades to complete their remaining coursework, regardless of their school or college and whether or not they are enrolled in courses for an upcoming term. Previously, students in the College of Letters and Science had a different deadline than students in other schools and colleges.
This change will begin for incomplete grades assigned in the Fall Term 2025 and continue in future terms. It will simplify grading for instructors, since two students in the same course previously could have different deadlines because they were enrolled in different schools or colleges.
What it means moving forward
Beginning with grades assigned in Fall Term 2025, students with an I or IN (Incomplete) grade must complete their remaining coursework – and instructors must grade it – by the Friday of the eighth week of the following term (spring or fall). If the work is not graded by that date, the student’s incomplete grade will lapse to an F (Failure) or change to an N (No Credit), regardless of whether or not they are enrolled.
For incompletes assigned in the following terms, the lapsing deadline will be:
- Fall 2025: Spring 2026 (March 13, 2026)
- Spring 2026: Fall 2026 (October 23, 2026)
- Summer 2026: Fall 2026 (October 23, 2026)
What about past terms?
Any incomplete grades awarded in previous terms (Summer Term 2025 or before) will lapse to Fs under the old policy.
This means:
- The deadline for students who received an incomplete grade in either Spring Term 2025 or Summer Term 2025 and are enrolled for Fall Term 2025 to complete their remaining coursework is:
- L&S students: September 26, 2025 (Friday of the fourth week of the semester)
- Students in all other schools/colleges: December 10, 2025 (last class day for the semester)
- The deadline for students who received an incomplete grade prior to Fall 2025, left the university, then returned within five years is the Friday of the eighth week of the semester in which they return, regardless of school/college
- Students who never re-enroll will have the Incomplete (I) grade changed to a Permanent Incomplete (PI) grade five years after the I grade was assigned.
What’s not changing
The updated policy still gives instructors the ability to set earlier deadlines for students to resolve incomplete grades. The Friday of the eighth week of the following spring/fall term becomes the last possible date for students to do so.
What do I need to do?
- Current/former students: If you have an incomplete grade, reach out to your instructor right away to ensure you have a plan to finish your remaining coursework.
- Instructors: Work with your students who have incomplete grades to resolve them. Review our Valid Grades webpage for more information about the circumstances in which to assign a student an incomplete grade.
- Advisors: Familiarize yourself with the new policy and prepare to support your advisees on resolving incomplete grades as needed.
Both Guide and the UW Policy Library have been updated to reflect these changes.