Introduction

The University of Denver supports students called to active duty in the armed services by providing academic support, tuition relief or refunds, and reinstatement of students whose documented service has required their sudden withdrawal or prolonged absence from their enrollment at the institution. Service is defined by voluntary or involuntary active duty in the Armed Forces, including such service by a member of the National Guard or Reserve. When a University of Denver student is under a call or ordered to active duty, the following provisions will apply.

Purpose

This guideline offers suggestions for ways in which academic and administrative units and faculty may assist students who are called to active military duty.

Student Responsibility

A student who receives orders to report for active military duty should submit a copy of those orders to the Lead Academic Certifying Specialist in the Office of the Registrar. The Lead Academic Certifying Specialist will provide a copy of the orders and an official leave of absence request (if applicable) to the Office of Graduate Education or the Office of Undergraduate Academic Resources, as well as the Office of Financial Aid (if applicable), and notify the student's instructors. The Specialist may also assist with the arrangement of course completion options, but it is generally the student's responsibility to work directly with instructors to determine appropriate course completion options.

If, due to the urgency of their military assignments, students are unable to submit the orders before reporting, they may submit them either while on duty or upon returning to school. DU can only consider requests for changes to grades or tuition charges after official orders have been submitted.

Course Completion Options

Instructors are urged to work with students called for military duty to enable the completion of coursework whenever it is reasonably feasible. If the majority of course's class sessions must be missed, however, the course should usually be dropped. When military orders are received late in the term, instructors may offer the option of an incomplete, if academically appropriate.

If, after arranging a course completion strategy, the nature of a student's military service prevents completion of the coursework, the instructor and the Lead Academic Certifying Specialist should be notified. They will assist the student in determining and implementing an appropriate course of action.

Other Academic Matters

• Students who have suspended enrollment due to service requirements are allowed to re-enter their programs, provided satisfactory academic progress had been made prior to suspension. Existing policies for re-entry or readmission to the University will apply.
• Time spent away from the University by graduate students on military deployments will not count toward time limits set for degree completion.

Administrative Matters

• A student who is forced by virtue of military orders to drop selected courses or withdraw from a term should receive a 100% refund of any tuition the student has paid for the courses dropped or withdrawn. Refunds of tuition and fees paid by financial aid or other third parties will be handled by the Bursar and the Office of Financial Aid so as not to disadvantage the student but in accordance with applicable regulations.
• A student on financial aid who is forced by virtue of military orders to drop selected courses or withdraw from a term should not be penalized in terms of financial aid eligibility, making academic progress, or other financial aid criteria.
• If a student has arranged an attempt to complete a course and finds that the nature of the military service prevents the student from completing the course work, the student should notify the faculty member and the Lead Academic Certifying Specialist and request their assistance in determining and implementing an appropriate course of action (e.g., requesting an incomplete, dropping the course, and written official leave of absence if needed).
• Room and board charges will be pro-rated based on the student’s official check-out date.
• For new students, an enrollment deposit is required to confirm their acceptance of the offer of admission. If a student is deployed to active duty military service before the beginning of the planned term of enrollment, the deposit will be refunded.
• Students may appeal any administrative decisions related to their military participation by requesting the procedures for doing so from the Lead Academic Certifying Specialist.