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PROV-011: Student Enrollment

Date: 05/14/2010 Status: Final
Last Revised: 04/24/2023
Policy Type: Executive Vice President & Provost
Oversight Executive: Executive Vice President and Provost
Applies To:

Academic Division.

Reason for Policy:

Defines the terms and conditions of student enrollment at the University, including various types of enrollment (full-time, degree-seeking, etc.).

Definition of Terms in Statement:
  • Research Credits:Credits that have been classified as research-only for tuition purposes (see PROV-015: Criteria for Establishing Research-Only Courses).
  • Status:A student may be enrolled or affiliated. Enrolled students pay tuition and fees and may register for credits. An enrolled student may be enrolled full-time, three-quarter time, half-time, or less than half-time. Affiliated students are absent temporarily from the University for educational purposes and expect to complete their degree. Affiliated students are not enrolled, pay the affiliated status fee, and may not register for credits. Affiliated status must be approved by a student’s dean and may be used only for the purposes defined in this policy.
  • Student(s):An individual who either has been admitted to a degree or certificate program at the University or has received permission to enroll and is registered for coursework (including credit or non-credit) at the University during any given academic session (including fall or spring semesters, Summer Session, or January Term).
  • Types of Affiliation:Include: Doctoral Completion: Advanced doctoral students who have fulfilled all residency and credit requirements for their degree, do not require access to University resources; (including labs) or student services, and are completing or defending their dissertation. External Internship/Study: Students who are participating in an approved professional internship or educational program outside the University. Degree Conferral in Absentia: Students who are not taking new courses or pursuing research, but who need to be affiliated at the University for certain administrative reasons before receiving their degree, including finishing incompletes, paying an outstanding University financial obligation, or receiving official transcripts of approved transfer credit.
  • Types of Enrollment:Include: Certificate-Seeking: A student who is enrolled in a credit or non-credit certificate program at the University. Degree-Seeking: A student enrolled in any undergraduate or graduate degree-granting program at the University. Graduate degree-seeking students include those students enrolled in one of the University’s two professional schools (Law, Medicine). Full-Time: A student who is enrolled for at least twelve (12) credits in a fall or spring term, six (6) credits in summer term, three (3) credits in January term, or a student who is enrolled in the School of Medicine and has been identified by the school as full-time (Medicine does not award credit for its courses). Part-Time: A student who is enrolled at half-time or less than half-time. Students enrolled for three-quarter time must be approved for a reduced course load by their dean’s office and pay full-time tuition. References in this policy to part-time enrollment do not include three-quarter time enrollment. Non-Degree-Seeking: A student who has received permission to enroll and is registered for coursework at the University but is not enrolled in one of the University’s degree-granting programs. Research: A student who is enrolled for graduate research credits only. Research graduate students may be degree-seeking or non-degree-seeking. Visiting: A non-degree-seeking student who is enrolled in a degree-granting program at another institution.
Policy Statement:

The terms and conditions of student enrollment are dependent on whether the student is enrolled: (1) full- or part-time; and (2) in an undergraduate or graduate program at the University.

  1. Full-Time Enrollment:
    Undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in a full-time degree program in the fall and spring terms are expected to enroll full-time and register for at least twelve (12) credits.

  2. Summer Enrollment:
    Graduate students enrolled full-time in a degree-seeking program should enroll full-time during Summer Session (usually six research-only credits) if their program requires them to do so.

    Students enrolled in a degree program at the University, either undergraduate and graduate, who do not enroll in Summer Session, may retain some student privileges during the summer. Students who were enrolled in a degree program in the spring and intend to continue their enrollment in the degree program in the fall may continue to use the University’s libraries and technology services (including electronic mail). They may receive wages as students through the University’s GoalPay System and may receive aid through the Student Information System.

  3. Part-Time Undergraduate Enrollment:
    While undergraduate students are expected to enroll full-time, the University offers limited opportunities for undergraduate students to enroll on a part-time basis.

    1. Admission to Part-Time Degree Programs: Students may be admitted to the University for part-time undergraduate study only through an authorized part-time undergraduate degree program.

    2. Temporary Part-Time Status for Currently Enrolled Undergraduate Students:
      Undergraduate students who are admitted to the University for full-time study may, due to extenuating circumstances, petition their deans for temporary part-time status. Students approved for temporary part-time status may take no more than six (6) credits per semester. No more than sixteen (16) credits earned on a temporary part-time basis can be counted toward the total number of credits required for an undergraduate degree. (Courses for which a grade of F or W is earned do not count towards this maximum.) Temporary part-time status requires a dean’s written approval.

    3. Ongoing Part-Time Status for Currently Enrolled Undergraduate Students:
      Students who are admitted to the University as full-time students may, due to extraordinary circumstances, petition their dean for approval to study on a part-time basis until completion of their undergraduate degree. Ongoing part-time status is allowed on an extremely limited basis and requires the written approval of both the dean and the executive vice president and provost.

    4. School-Specific Policies:
      Part-time undergraduate enrollment may not be available to students in every school. Terms and conditions for part-time undergraduate enrollment may vary by school and may be more restrictive than the terms and conditions given here. School-specific policies may be obtained through the relevant dean’s office.

  4. Part-Time Graduate Enrollment:
    Policies regarding the terms and conditions under which part-time enrollment is allowed at the graduate level vary by school and program. School- and program-specific policies may be obtained through the relevant dean’s office.

  5. Affiliated Status:
    Students who are not required to be enrolled in a term but who need to retain a minimal affiliation with the University on a temporary basis may petition their dean's office for Affiliated Status. Students on Affiliated Status remain affiliated with the University but are not enrolled and do not have an active student I.D. card. They do not have access to student services, including Student Health or student health insurance. They retain their NetBadge computer system privileges. Graduate students on Affiliated Status are not eligible for graduate assistantships and do not have access to University labs or facilities. Students with outstanding federal student loans will no longer be in deferment and will begin repayment once the grace period has ended. Students should contact Student Financial Services before petitioning for Affiliated Status if they have questions related to their particular loans. Students on Affiliated Status pay an associated fee rather than tuition or comprehensive fees.

    1. Doctoral Completion (Doctoral Students Only):
      Advanced doctoral students who have fulfilled all residency and credit requirements for their degree, do not require access to University resources (including labs) or student services, and are completing or defending their dissertation may petition their dean’s office for Doctoral Completion. Once approved for Doctoral Completion, students may not return to full-time study in their degree program. Students should consult school-specific policies regarding time limits and other requirements governing the use of Doctoral Completion in each school.

    2. External Internship/Study:
      Students who are participating in an approved professional internship or educational program outside the University may petition their dean’s office for External Internship/Study.

    3. Degree Conferral in Absentia:
      Students who are not taking new courses or pursuing research, but who need to be affiliated with the University for certain administrative reasons before receiving their degree, including finishing incompletes, paying an outstanding University financial obligation, or receiving official transcripts of approved transfer credit, may petition their dean’s office for Degree Conferral in Absentia. Degree in Absentia may be used by a student for one term only.

  6. Withdrawal, Suspension, Leaves of Absence, and Returning to the University:
    1. Leaving the University as an Undergraduate Student:
      There are four circumstances in which an undergraduate student’s enrollment may be interrupted:

      1. University Withdrawal: Status for students who wish to withdraw from all of their classes during a fall or spring semester at any time after the first day of classes and through the last day of exams. When completing a University Withdrawal, students may not selectively withdraw from classes. Students who voluntarily withdraw from the University will have the notation “Withdrew: DATE” recorded on their permanent academic record and their official transcript. Undergraduate students will receive a grade of W in all classes. A grade of W cannot be changed. Students who have received a withdrawal notation on their transcript for two consecutive academic terms (not including Summer Session or J-Term), regardless of the lapse of time between the two terms, may not apply for readmission to the University for one year.

        Students may be forced to withdraw from a class or the University for habitual delinquency in class, or any other reason that prevents the student from fulfilling the purpose implied by registration at the University. Students who are forced to withdraw from the semester will have the notation "Enforced Academic Withdrawal (date)” entered on their permanent academic records. A grade of W (withdrawal) will be entered for each course in which the student was registered. Students who were forced to withdraw must apply for readmission to their dean’s office in the manner described below.

      2. Leave of Absence: Status for students who, before an academic semester begins, discontinue their enrollment at the University for a period of time. Students on a leave of absence pay no tuition or fees to the University for the duration of their leave and may not utilize faculty time or the facilities of the University of Virginia except as non-students.
         
      3. Academic Suspension: Exclusion from classes and other privileges and activities of the University, as set forth in the Notice of Suspension, for a definite period of time, resulting from poor academic performance. The conditions that warrant academic suspension from the University due to poor academic performance vary by school.
         
      4. Conduct Suspension: Exclusion from classes and other privileges and activities of the University, as set forth in the Notice of Suspension, for a definite period, for a range of reasons imposed by Honor, Judicial Committee, the Office of the Dean of Students, or the Office for Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights.
    2. Returning to the University as an Undergraduate Student:
      Undergraduate students who matriculate at another institution must apply for admission to the University through the Office of Undergraduate Admission in order to return to the University.

      In order for a student to initiate either the re-enrollment or readmission process, the student’s account must be clear of all financial obligations and the student must remedy any additional holds. Students on medical leave must receive medical clearance prior to readmission.

      Undergraduate students wishing to return to the University after a period of fewer than twenty-four continuous months should follow the re-enrollment policies of their last school of enrollment.

      Undergraduate students wishing to be readmitted to the University following an absence of twenty-four continuous months or longer must prepare an application composed of the following materials to present to the dean’s office of their last school of enrollment: 1) a personal statement that addresses the student’s readiness to return to the University in light of any serious difficulties or extenuating circumstances related to their absence; 2) the student’s academic plan for their remaining semesters; and 3) a school-specific readmission form, to be obtained from the student’s last school of enrollment. The materials referenced in this section must be submitted via the Returning to the University form in SIS no later than July 1 for a fall semester readmission and December 1 for a spring semester readmission, although schools may have earlier deadlines.

      Students whose absence was due to medical reasons must also complete the Student Health and Wellness Request to Re-Enroll following Withdrawal from the University form and submit it via their Healthy Hoos Patient Portal. The deadline to submit the Student Health and Wellness Request to Re-Enroll following Withdrawal from the University form via the Healthy Hoos Patient Portal is July 1 for a fall semester readmission and December 1 for a spring semester readmission.

      Undergraduate students wishing to be readmitted following an absence of twenty-four continuous months or longer must undergo school-specific advising as it relates to degree completion. The dean’s office of the student’s last school of enrollment must certify that all readmission materials are complete and make a recommendation to the Provost’s Committee on Student Readmission on the student’s academic readiness to be readmitted to the University.

      The Provost's Committee on Student Readmission (“Committee”), appointed by the executive vice president and provost (or designee) and chaired by a vice provost, will review all petitions for undergraduate student readmission after they are forwarded for consideration by the dean, and make a recommendation to the provost (or designee). The provost (or designee) will make the final determination on readmission and communicate that decision to the appropriate dean(s) and student(s). Normally, the substantive judgments of the school will not be reversed when adequately supported and in accordance with University policy.

      Previous coursework will be reviewed by the last school of enrollment; however, there is no guarantee that any or all previous coursework will be recertified for degree completion upon readmission. If approved for readmission, students will be required to meet the degree requirements in effect at the time of readmission. There is no guarantee that a petition for readmission will be approved.

      Students who are subject to the Contributory Mental/Medical Disorder (CMD) review process should consult the Office of the Dean of Students on the process of returning to the University.

      Qualified members of the United States armed forces have certain rights under state and federal law when their education is interrupted for a service connected reason and should consult the Undergraduate Record, Graduate Record, and/or Virginia’s Office of the Attorney General for additional information.

      Students should consult “Leaving and Returning to the University” in their school’s section of this Record for details specific to their school’s policies. International students must consult with the International Studies Office (ISO) upon seeking readmission.”

    3. Leaving and Returning to the University as a Graduate Student:
      Graduate students who wish to discontinue their enrollment at the University for an indefinite period of time may, with the approval of their dean, be placed on an approved leave of absence. Graduate students on leave of absence pay no fees to the University for the duration of their absence and may be required to apply to their school for readmission. Students on leave of absence may not utilize faculty time or the facilities of the University of Virginia except as non-students.

      Graduate students should consult with their dean’s office on the process of leaving and returning to the University following an extended period of time. In order for a student to initiate the readmission process, the student’s account must be clear of all financial obligations and the student must remedy any additional holds. Students on medical leave must receive medical clearance prior to readmission. There is no guarantee that a petition for readmission will be approved.

    4. International Students:
      International students must consult with the International Studies Office (ISO) upon seeking readmission.

    5. Students in the U.S. Armed Forces:
      Qualified members of the United States armed forces have certain rights under state and federal law when their education is interrupted for a service connected reason and should consult the Undergraduate Record, Graduate Record, and/or Virginia’s Office of the Attorney General for additional information.

    6. Contributory Mental/Medical Disorder (CMD):
      Students who are subject to the Contributory Mental/Medical Disorder (CMD) review process should consult the Office of the Dean of Students on the process of returning to the University.

  7. Visiting Students:
    A visiting student’s status as an undergraduate or graduate student at the University is determined by the level of the degree program in which he/she is enrolled at his/her home institution. School- and program-specific policies determine whether coursework completed as a visiting student may be counted toward a degree following subsequent admission to a degree-granting program at the University of Virginia. Individuals must be enrolled in courses or research credits to be considered visiting students.

Procedures:

Any student wishing to inquire about a change in his or her status (enrolled or affiliated) should contact his/her dean’s office for more information about school-specific policies and procedures. International students should contact the International Studies Office as well as their dean’s office.

When a school determines that ongoing part-time status may be appropriate for one of its students, a representative from the dean’s office should submit a written request for approval to the vice provost for academic affairs in the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost.

Schools should develop a school-specific readmission form to be used by undergraduate students wishing to return to the University after an absence of twenty-four months or longer. In accordance with section 6(B) of this policy, a representative from a school’s dean’s office should provide a recommendation on a student’s petition for readmission and should certify that a student has completed all necessary readmission materials. Readmission materials and recommendations should be sent to [email protected] for consideration by the Provost’s Committee on Student Readmission with subject line “Petition for Readmission.”

Major Category:
Executive Vice President & Provost Policies
Next Scheduled Review:
06/25/2021
Approved By, Date:
Executive Vice President and Provost, 05/14/2010
Revision History:
Revised Section 6.A.1 4/24/23; Revised Section VI.A.1; Revisions to Section III and VI.B 2/21/22; Minor edit Section 6.B 7/16/20; Revised 2/25/19; 6/25/18; 7/10/14, 8/16/13.