Military Deployment/Training Extension and Withdrawal Policy
Statement of Policy
Excelsior University recognizes the hardships faced by military service members (active-duty, guard, and reserves).Excelsior acknowledges that military students who are deployed away from their homes or permanent duty stations may experience difficulties with completing their degree requirements and/or distance learning courses. In support of military forces, Excelsior has adopted the following deployment/training policies:
Payment Deferral and Extension of Degree Enrollment
Military students who have enrolled in a degree program under the Excelsior University Course Option for Military or Multi-source Option for Military may have their degree status held from the point of deployment until their return without penalty or fees. The deployment (temporary duty) or training must span 21 consecutive days or more in duration. Excelsior will suspend payment due dates for the enrollment fee and the Student Service Annual Fee for service members during this time.
Military service members who have been deployed from their normal duty stations and National Guard and Reserve personnel called to federal active duty may have their degree enrollment extended to the amount of time they served in support of these operations.
Course Extension Due to Military Deployment/Training
Military students currently registered for one or more courses, can be granted extensions for the number of days deployed/ in training up to a maximum of 45 days for an 8-week course and 75 days for a 15-week course if all of the following occur:
- The deployment (temporary duty) or training is at least 21 consecutive days or more in duration.
- The request for the course extension is received no later than seven days prior to the term end date.
Military Withdrawal Due to Military Deployment/Training
A Military Withdrawal (MW) withdraws a student from a course allows a student to receive a grade of MW instead of grade of F. The grade of MW on the academic transcript indicates withdrawal without academic penalty from an Excelsior University course. It is not calculated in the Overall, Academic Probation and EC GPAs, but will appear on a student’s transcript. Refer to Withdrawal from a Course Policy for details.
A grade of MW does not relieve the student of financial responsibility. Students should contact their military education center directly to pursue a possible waiver of their tuition assistance liability.
To be eligible to request an MW, the duration of deployment/training must exceed 21 consecutive days during the course term. In addition, students who request a Military Withdrawal (MW) from a course must meet one the following conditions:
- The student was unable to complete the course and has earned a grade of F due to military deployment/training.
or
- During a course, student determines that they cannot complete a course due to military deployment/training.
Requests for a MW can be submitted up to 12 months from the end date of the deployment/training.
Procedure
Students wishing to request any of the provisions outlined above should notify Excelsior of their intent in writing as soon as possible through the Ombudsperson Office.
Students should submit either a copy of their deployment orders or a "signed" verification letter from their Education Service Officer or Commanding Officer certifying the dates and the length of deployment (temporary duty)/training.
IMPORTANT: The timeframe of deployment (temporary duty)/ training must account for the time the student is requesting a payment deferral and payment extension.
Documentation can be sent to the following:
Mail:
Ombudsperson Office
Excelsior University
7 Columbia Circle
Albany, NY 12203-5159
Fax:
518-464-8777
Email:
ombudsperson@excelsior.edu
