Do colleges really have a policy like this?

Yes, I know that the University of Kansas has this policy (or at least used to in the 80's).

At my college, they'll let you wipe the slate for the semester and start over next semester or even up to 4 years (i think) from that semester, no questions asked.. That's about as charitable as they get.

Nah man it's true. It happened to my friend at West Iloata College. He got a passing grade because of what ocurred. His best friend swallowed 30 sleeping tablets and a bottle of Jack Daniels and died.

Originally posted by piggymad:
it makes sense but if you passed because of it i.e. wudda failed regaurdlyess of it happeneding you would feel guilty, cus u'd be slighlty thankful for their death

Not true, but an urban myth on practically every college campus across America. It's amazing how many people say "it's true at my school" but cannot offer written proof of the supposed "policy." Or, others state "my friend...." which in reality, is always a friend of a friend - and we all know where this leads (this is how urban legends end up lasting decades).

Remember, the policy in the movie (and contained in the urban myths) is "all As if your roommate commits suicide". Most colleges have SOME policy of letting you drop some courses or all of your courses if you endure some major problem during a semester like a significant family death, or your own personal major mental health problem. Some professors may even ease up or allow you take an incomplete. So if your roommate committed suicide this theoretically could be considered a hardship. But believe you me, you won't be given straight As.

I really doubt any schools have hard rules regulating what grades you get if your roommate commits suicide. Why would that need to be something that is put in writing in the schools official policies?

That said, most would probably work with you to help figure something out if you were close with your roommate or very distrubed by them committing suicide. Most likely that would be in the form of giving you counseling to help work through it. Maybe they would help talk to your professors to get time extensions on projects or tests, but I don't see why they would just give a free ride for the rest of the semester.

Lots of students lose close family members like parents and siblings and grandparents while in college though and don't get special treatment, so I have a hard time believing that they would give a lot of special privileges to someone who lost a random roommate that they probably havent know long.