Extensions for Military Deployment and Other Special Circumstances

If a student currently has orders for military deployment for more than 30 days where they will have limited or no access to the internet, has a medical event that requires hospitalization or other long incapacity, has taken a direct hit from a natural disaster, has had a death in their immediate family during their course, or has an approved disability accommodation for these extensions, they can request a Special Circumstance Extension by submitting the Course Extension (Special) Request Form found under the OTHER FORMS menu. Unless a student has an approved DSA Award Letter that includes a waiver of documentation for extensions, they will need to submit supporting documentation of their special circumstance. All documentation should be submitted by uploading them with the student's submitted extension request form, including any approved DSA award letter if extension waivers are included in the letter. If a student has any trouble uploading their supporting documentation with the Special Circumstance Extension Request Form, documentation can be emailed to [email protected].

A student's extension request and supporting documentation must be received by the Registrar’s office BEFORE the end of the student's course or within 3 business days, whichever is first. Any delay in submitting documentation will cut into a student's potential extension time.

Specific Special Course Extension Information

Students who have experienced an extenuating circumstance that will result in a significant course absence, but who have made sufficient course progress, may be eligible for a Special Circumstance Extension for up to 90 days from the original course end date.

No extensions are given for more than 90 days, and most approved extensions may be shorter depending on the nature of the student's special circumstances.
Documentation of a student's circumstances is required to be considered for a Special Circumstance Extension.
All course extensions are based on days from the original course end date and not when the extension is approved.
If a student's completion plan or circumstance does not support more than a 30- or 60-day extension, they will only be approved for that timeframe and no further extensions can be considered.
Due to federal regulations, students may not be eligible for a special circumstance extension if they are using federal student aid and it overlaps an academic semester.
If a student has more than one incident of special course extensions on their record, they may be restricted to part-time status to reduce their course load.
If a student is approved for two or more concurrent extensions and has future registrations that start before the end of their extensions, the future registrations may be dropped to reduce their course load.
The potential consequences and the extension policies of taking a special circumstance extension are the same as for standard extensions, so students should make sure they have read the Extension Policies section of the Student Handbook.

How to Request a Special Circumstance Extension

To request a Special Circumstance Extension, select the Course Extension (Special) Request Form, which can be found in the student's ecampus under the Academic Plan & Forms menu, under the All Forms link. If a student does not currently have access to the Internet and needs to request an extension, they can contact [email protected] or call the university’s toll-free number and ask for help submitting the online form.
Students will need to submit a separate form for each course.
Students must request an extension BEFORE their course or current extension ends.
Students must be in week 5 of an 8-week course or week 9 of a 16-week course to submit their course extension request. Correspondence is emailed to a student's email address on record, so students must remember to verify on the extension form that their email address is current before submitting the form.
Students are required to send the Registrar’s Office a copy of official documentation that outlines their special circumstances (deployment orders, hospitalization records, etc.). The form includes an upload section to attach documentation; students should not submit this form without it.

If a student has not received a decision on their extension request within two (2) business days, they should contact [email protected] for a status update.

How to use the Special Course Extension Form

When a student submits the online form, they will be asked to provide a brief reason for the request and upload two supporting documents:

An uploaded copy of official documentation: a medical, military, or legal document dated within the timeframe of missed coursework time, on official letterhead and signed by a professional.
An uploaded copy of a CCP (course completion plan) which consists of a typed document listing missing assignments and new submission dates. Documentation and CCP must align with the time the student is requesting.

All documentation needs to be submitted at the same time to prevent any system errors or delays in processing the request. If a system error is received when the student submits their form and they are not sure it went through, they should contact [email protected] for verification within one business day.

If students have any questions once their form is submitted, they should contact [email protected] directly to ensure the quickest response.

If follow-up documentation is requested, all updated supporting documentation and a Course Completion Plan (CCP) must be sent as attachments to [email protected].

Reminder

Special Course Extensions are requested using the Course Extension (Special) Request Form and are routed directly to the Registrar’s office for review.
The standard course extensions using the Course Extension (30 Day) Request Form are routed directly to the student's professor for review.

Eligibility for Special Circumstance Extensions

A student must have successfully completed at least 50% of the total coursework, including at least one assignment after the mid-point of the course.
Be in week 5 of an 8-week course or week 9 of a 16-week course.
A student's special circumstance must involve an unexpected military commitment, critical illness of oneself or a dependent, the results of a natural disaster, or some other exceptional one-time situation, unless is it based on an approved disability accommodation.
No extension will be considered if the request is submitted more than 30 days after the original course end date and no student will be allowed more than one instance of having an extension request considered after the last day of the course unless this is allowed as part of a student’s documented disability accommodations.

Military Circumstances

Any circumstance that is based on ‘higher operational tempo” or ‘expanded role at work’ is not sufficient for a special course extension. Students should apply for a 30-day extension for any heightened workload issues.
If a student's circumstance is for military deployment, training, or transfer, the FIRST notification to the student regarding this must be dated after the last day of the free drop period. If a student was notified of this deployment, training, or transfer before the end of the first week of the course, it is expected that the student would drop the course.

Other Circumstances

If a student's circumstance is an accident, major illness, legal proceeding, or death in the family, the dates of this uncontrollable circumstance must be after the end of the free course drop period. If this circumstance occurred before the end of the first week of the course, it is expected that the student would drop the course or would not have been able to submit their required first-week assignment.
No extension will be approved for a circumstance that occurred or for notification that is dated after the original course end date unless the student is already on an approved course extension, which will be impacted by the circumstance.

Reminders

Contact with the instructor does not constitute a formal request for a course extension. Course extensions can only be acquired using the appropriate online form, or with contact to the Registrar’s office if a student has trouble completing the online form.
If a student is using federal student aid, a special circumstance extension could impact their financial aid award as they might be overlapping an academic semester. Students should contact our FSA Help Desk at [email protected] to discuss the impact of an extension first.