Registration for Continuous Enrollment (CE) is limited to students who have completed all required coursework (with the exception of independent research hours 4995/5995/5993) and are pursuing academic work/research necessary to complete a degree. CE is designed primarily for students who are working on a thesis, dissertation, or research paper/capstone.

Students who have completed all of their coursework and are working on non-thesis research papers, capstones, performances, or other creative work enroll for four credit hours.  Students who have completed all their coursework and are working full time on a thesis, dissertation, or major doctoral research paper enroll for eight credit hours. Doctoral students who have completed all coursework are eligible for continuous enrollment during the preparation of the doctoral comprehensive examinations. CE hours will not appear on student transcripts.

Students enrolled in the dual undergraduate-graduate program who have earned the baccalaureate degree, completed all required graduate coursework, and are working on a thesis are eligible for graduate CE.

CE is not to be used for students who are only engaged in required internships and practicums. Students should register for internship and practicum courses through their department.

Students should be enrolled in CE by the end of the 100% reimbursement/drop-add period to be eligible for the university health insurance and health fee, plus loan deferment. Students who do not enroll prior to the first day of classes of a given quarter will be charged late registration fees as determined by the Office of the Registrar.

CE enables students to maintain active status with the University and access to university resources including library, email, lab access, participation in the DU Student Health Insurance Plan and Health & Counseling fee services, and part-time student rates at the Coors Fitness Center. Students who are appointed DU employees must pay the Coors Fitness Center faculty/staff rate.

CE is not to be used for enrollment purposes while making up an incomplete grade. An exception is if all other coursework is completed and the student is working on their thesis, dissertation or research paper/capstone while completing the work required for no more than one incomplete grade. It is the responsibility of the student and graduate college, school, or department to make this determination prior to approving eligibility for CE credit.

Registration in Continuous Enrollment

CE requires annual approval by the student’s faculty advisor, the Dean and/or the Senior Vice Provost. Students are responsible for registering themselves in CE each quarter by the appropriate registration deadlines.

The Continuous Enrollment Approval form (found on the OGE website) must be returned to the Office of Graduate Education.

Approval by the Senior Vice Provost for Research and Graduate Education is required for all divisions, schools, and colleges.

Permission to enroll in CE is granted for up to one academic year beginning in the fall quarter. Students requiring CE after fall quarter registration must complete and submit the form prior to the beginning of the subsequent quarter (winter, spring and summer) in order to be enrolled in CE. To avoid late fees, the student must submit a new form for fall quarter of the following academic year.

After permission to enroll is granted, students are responsible for registering themselves online for CE each quarter. Registration for CE must follow the Registrar’s deadlines. To avoid late registration charges, students must register for CE prior to the first day of classes. To be eligible for health insurance and loan deferment, students must be registered by the end of the 100% refund period. Hours added after that time will not count towards financial aid eligibility.

There are five course codes for CE. Students register for the appropriate type of CE depending on their thesis/dissertation requirements and financial eligibility status.

• CENR 4500 Non-Thesis (4 credits): Master’s level students working on non-thesis research papers, capstones, performances, or other creative work.
• CENR 4600 Thesis (8 credits): Master’s level students working on a thesis.
• CENR 5600 Doctoral (8 credits): Doctoral level students working on a dissertation or major doctoral research paper. 
• CENR 4500, CENR 4600, and CENR 5600 registrations will confer loan eligibility or loan deferment if the student is eligible to receive financial aid.

Students with an approved time extension for completion of their degree program, but who are no longer eligible for financial aid because they are past the aid eligibility time limit (seven years master’s level, six years for MSW, or ten years doctoral) register for

• CENR 4700 Master’s Level, Non-Financial Aid Eligible (0 credits).¹

• CENR 5700 Doctoral Level, Non-Financial Aid Eligible (0 credits).¹

¹

These courses do not confer loan eligibility or loan deferment. 

Notes: Students in University College, the Sturm College of Law, and the Daniels College of Business master's programs are not eligible for continuous enrollment.

Peace Corps students are NOT to be put on continuous enrollment for the duration of their Peace Corps assignments. These students must follow the Peace Corps’ procedures for maintaining appropriate loan deferment status.

Morgridge College of Education doctoral students and students in the DU-Iliff Joint PhD program are required to register for dissertation hours in addition to continuous enrollment. Contact the unit for details.

Some units may have more stringent policies. Contact the unit for details.

Fees and Readmission

Students must register and pay for CE on a quarter-by-quarter basis. In addition to the standard CE fee, technology fees will be assessed based on part/full-time status (four/eight quarter hours).

Students who have finished their coursework but who have become inactive because they were not registered for CE or on an approved leave of absence from the program must complete the Continuous Enrollment Application for Re-Admission. The student must submit transcripts from any institution(s) they may have attended during their absence from DU.

The student will owe CE and technology fees for the quarters they were not enrolled from the winter quarter 2005 forward. In addition, a late fee may be assessed at the time of readmission. Paying fees for previous quarters will not make the student eligible for retroactive enrollment, financial aid, or retroactive loan deferment.

International Students

Federal immigration regulations require F-1 and J-1 students to enroll full-time for at least three quarters each calendar year (or fall and spring semesters for law students) in order to maintain their immigration status. Exceptions to this requirement may only be authorized by an international student advisor or the program sponsor under very limited criteria.

Federal immigration regulations permit the host institution to define full-time enrollment for F-1 and J-1 students studying at the graduate level. The University defines full-time enrollment for graduate students as eight or more credit hours. To comply with the full-time enrollment requirement, F-1 and J-1 students must enroll in continuous enrollment after all coursework is completed or during the final quarter of coursework, if registered for less than eight credits, while working on the thesis or dissertation, or major doctoral research paper.

CE is not to be used for enrollment purposes in place of registering for required coursework.  International students should work closely with their academic programs to ensure that they are able to maintain full-time enrollment in coursework for at least three quarters of each academic year until all coursework is complete (or students are in their final quarter of completing coursework). 

F-1 and J-1 students must maintain acceptable levels of health insurance coverage during their academic program, as required of all students by the University. The U.S. Department of State also requires J-1 students to maintain health insurance coverage throughout their exchange program in order to maintain their J-1 immigration status.

F-1 and J-1 students must receive authorization from an international student advisor or their program sponsor prior to dropping below full-time status in an academic quarter when enrollment is required. Failure to receive prior authorization to drop below full-time status is a violation of the student’s immigration status and will result in the loss of the student’s authorization to lawfully study in the United States.

F-1 and J-1 students should enroll in continuous enrollment (CENR 4600 or CENR 5600) in order to comply with the full-time enrollment requirement while working on the thesis or dissertation, or major doctoral research paper, even if they have reached the maximum limits for their degree programs. Registration in continuous enrollment courses does not confer loan eligibility or loan deferment benefits on a student.

Financial Aid Loan Eligibility and Loan Deferment

United States citizens and permanent residents participating in CE may be eligible for student loans and loan deferment as long as they are within the maximum time frame allotted for their program.

Students enrolled in CE are eligible for Federal Direct Loans and Federal Work-Study only. The maximum work-study award may be awarded in the amount of $1500, without the option to increase the award.

Students registered in CE are not eligible for waivers, scholarships, or some forms of financial aid that requires the student to be enrolled on a full-time basis (eight credit hours or more). These include the Graduate Education Doctoral Fellowship and the Graduate Education Doctoral Fellowship for Inclusive Engagement.

However, students on CE may receive a graduate assistantship (GTA, GSA or GRA) as long as they are not required to be enrolled on a full-time basis (eight credit hours or more) according to departmental guidelines.

Registration in CE does not guarantee eligibility for financial aid.

Students must follow the loan procedures established by the Office of Financial Aid and must contact the Office of Financial Aid for details on eligibility for loans and loan deferment. Satisfactory progress towards the degree must be verified.

Eligibility for loans and in school loan deferment ends after seven years in a master’s program, and after ten years in a doctoral program. Time away from the program (e.g. Leave of Absence, Medical Leave of Absence, or other non-enrollment periods) will count against the loan and loan deferment eligibility time limit. There are alternatives to the in school loan repayment deferment that may be applicable. To find out more information about a forbearance or economic hardship deferment, please contact the Office of Financial Aid or your lender. Students are responsible for submitting lender-required loan deferment forms to the Office of the Registrar.

Health Insurance and Continuous Enrollment

Students who are on CE are not automatically assessed the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) or health and counseling fee each quarter. SHIP enrollment is available twice a year, in the fall and spring. The Health & Counseling Fee enrollment is available every quarter. Please contact the Health and Counseling Center to discuss enrollment deadlines and payment options, 303-871-2205.