Flexible Deployment Policy 

Excelsior College has policies to protect the enrollment status and financial standing of active-duty servicemembers who are deployed during their enrollment.

Depending on the length and circumstances of deployment, servicemembers may choose to:

• Extend their enrollment
• Defer fees
• Get course extensions
• Withdraw from courses

Fee Deferral and Enrollment Extension

For military students who have enrolled in a degree program under either the Excelsior College Course Option for Military or the Multi-source Option for Military, Excelsior College will hold their degree status from the point of deployment until the students' return, without penalty or fees, for any deployment (temporary duty) spanning 60 consecutive days or more in duration.

For servicemembers who are deployed in support of military actions/obligations and are thereby unable to work on their degree, the College will suspend payment due dates for the Enrollment Fee and the Student Service Annual Fee.

For active-duty personnel who have been deployed from their normal duty stations, and for National Guard and Reserve personnel called to federal active duty, Excelsior College will extend degree enrollment by the amount of time served in support of these operations.

Notification of Deployment

Students who qualify for fee deferral and enrollment extension should notify the College prior to their deployment, or as soon as possible upon their return, by sending either a copy of their deployment orders or a signed verification letter from their Education Service Officer or Commanding Officer certifying the length of deployment (temporary duty).

Send a copy of the deployment (temporary duty) orders or verification letter to:

Mail:
Ombudsperson Office
Excelsior College
7 Columbia Circle
Albany, NY 12203-5159

Fax:
518-464-8777

Email:
ombudsperson@excelsior.edu

Course Extensions

Military students currently registered for one or more distance learning courses, online and/or via CD-ROM, can be granted extensions for the number of days deployed (up to a maximum of 120 days). With an approved course extension, students do not incur academic penalty or fees.

Extension can vbe granted if all of the following occur:

• The deployment (temporary duty) is at least 30 consecutive days or more in duration.
• The student requests the course extension(s) as per the guidelines in the Student Policy Handbook.
• Pprior to deployment (or as soon as possible upon his/her return), the student submits either a copy of the deployment orders or a signed verification letter from his/her Education Service Officer or Commanding Officer certifying the length of deployment.

A copy of the deployment (temporary duty) orders or verification letter should be sent to:

Mail:
Ombudsperson Office
Excelsior College
7 Columbia Circle
Albany, NY 12203-5159

Fax:
518-464-8777

Email:
ombudsperson@excelsior.edu

Course Withdrawals

If a military student's deployment (temporary duty) exceeds the 120-day extension period, the student should submit a copy of his/her deployment orders and request withdrawal from all course(s) for which he/she is registered. Withdrawal results in an MW grade instead of an F grade, but does not relieve the student of financial responsibility. Students should contact their military education center directly to pursue a military withdrawal.

If the student is unable to submit a copy of the deployment orders two weeks prior to the term end date, he/she can submit a copy of his/her deployment orders for consideration of a MW grade upon return from deployment.

The grade of MW indicates withdrawal without academic penalty from an Excelsior College undergraduate course. It is not calculated in overall and EC GPAs, but will appear on a student's undergraduate status report and transcript. Refer to Withdrawal from a Course policy for details.