I am sorry to hear this.
If he actually receives a failing grade in a course or his cumulative GPA falls below the mandated threshold, he will go before an Academic Review Board at semester end. The Supe, Ac Dean, Dep Dant, faculty advisers and others review the mid’s performance over all graded aspects, plus comments and recommendations from instructor, company officer and battalion officer. In screens in the conference room, various trend lines, comments, etc., are put up for viewing and discussion.
The Board has decades of experience looking at these cases and determining what the best course of action is. They take a very close look at 3/c, especially if they are struggling in foundation courses. They do not want a mid to start 2/c year, obligate themselves, and find themselves in immediate peril once again, with 4 semesters to go. There is always a group of 3/c who are involuntarily separated for academic reasons for precisely this reason.
The Ac Board looks at course load, major, activities, etc., and tries to assess the mid’s desire to stay and potential for success. The mid has an opportunity to answer questions and express his or her thoughts about why they are struggling, their desire to stay, their plan to remediate. I can’t stress this last enough; they should be able to articulate a plan. “I have determined time management is a challenge for me. To maximize my study time, I am going to switch to company intramurals from my club sport or varsity sport, take a year off from Model UN and Debate Club, and hope to take summer school classes during summer leave. I would like to discuss switching majors from Mech E to a less complex engineering major with my academic adviser. I also realize I should have gone to the academic skills center to see where I can improve my learning ability. I have asked my parents to take my gaming system home and plan to better regulate my social media time and sleep hygiene. I believe I can succeed here and respectfully request the opportunity to try.” This is IF he truly wants this. There is no shame in saying this mountain is not meant for me.
If he decides he has had enough after 360 degree deep thinking, then perhaps he should finish out the semester and then ask to separate, which leaves him time to re-group and perhaps go to community college in the spring as he assesses other college options. The real litmus test here is if he actively starts to plan life after USNA.
He could explore joining NROTC late (have to watch those desired majors) or OVS after graduation, if he still has thought of a career as a Navy officer. USMC also has alternate paths to a commission.
There have been thousands and thousands of mids over the years who experienced 4 years of the tortures of the damned to stay sat, with no leave during the summers, and grinding away during the ac year and wondering where their HS brains fled to - but they graduated and were called Ensign or 2nd Lieutenant the same as a top ten grad headed to a Rhodes Scholarship
