Course Load | Quarters of Enrollment | Levels | Extended Enrollment Status | No Further Enrollments Required (NFER) Status | Boren Enrollment Status | Leaves of Absence | Resumption of Studies

Course Load

Full-Time Enrollment

Students in the College must maintain a full-time course load during Autumn, Winter, and Spring Quarters. A full-time course load is enrollment in three or four courses (i.e., 300 or 400 units) per quarter; the tuition is the same in either case. Over the course of a typical four-year program (i.e., 12 quarters), a student who registers for six four-course quarters and six three-course quarters will successfully reach the 4200 total units required to graduate. Examination credit, transfer credit, credit earned during the Summer Session, and courses not successfully completed by the student may affect the rate at which a student moves toward completion of their degree.

Reduced Course Load

In certain exceptional circumstances, students who have been approved for ADA accommodations by Student Disability Services at the University may be eligible to consistently enroll in 300 units per quarter. Students with approved accommodations should consult with their Student Disability Services assigned staff member regarding their eligibility. If approved for a reduced course load, the student can petition for up to two additional quarters of enrollment beyond the College's regular policy for all degree-seeking undergraduates regarding petitioning for a single additional quarter to meet their graduation requirements.

Course Overloads

In certain exceptional circumstances, students can seek approval to enroll in up to 500 units as a course overload during a given quarter. To be eligible, students normally must be in good academic standing. For further information, students are encouraged to consult their academic adviser and submit a Petition for a Course Overload if appropriate. 

Petitions are, by nature, special requests and approvals are granted on a case-by-case basis. Course overloads are ordinarily approved under the following limited circumstances:

  • All 500 units are necessary for fulfillment of a joint-degree program admission requirement (third-year students only)
  • All 500 units are necessary for fulfillment of degree requirements for purposes of graduation (fourth-year students only)
    Note: Petitions for course overloads due to not meeting joint-degree program admission requirements will not be approved.
  • One or more of the courses includes a Reading and Research or B.A. Thesis/Colloquium course (third- and fourth-year students only)
  • One of the courses is a 200-unit language course (students in any year)

Should a petition be approved, any necessary Registration Consent Forms or Reading and Research Forms will still apply. The tuition cost for the quarter will not increase.

Quarters of Enrollment

Students in the College are permitted to enroll in a total of 12 quarters (i.e., four years if taken consecutively) to complete their degree requirements, with the exception of transfer students who are granted a prorated number of quarters based on the total units of transfer credit they were awarded upon admission. Summer Quarters and quarters of non-enrollment (e.g., leave of absence, suspension) do not count against the quarters allotted. Over the course of a typical four-year program, a student who registers for six four-course (i.e., 400 unit) quarters and six three-course (i.e., 300 unit) quarters will successfully reach the 4200 total units required to graduate. Examination credit, credit earned during the Summer Session, and courses not successfully completed by the student may also affect the rate at which a student moves toward completion of their degree. 

Additional Quarters of Enrollment

In certain exceptional circumstances, students can seek approval to enroll in an additional quarter beyond their originally allotted number of quarters. For further information, students are encouraged to consult their Academic Adviser and submit an Additional Quarter of Enrollment Petition if appropriate. 

Petitions are, by nature, special requests and approvals are granted on a case-by-case basis. Additional quarters of enrollment are ordinarily approved under the following limited circumstance:

  • The additional quarter of enrollment is necessary for fulfillment of undergraduate degree requirements for purposes of graduation (fourth-year students only)

Should a petition be approved, tuition and other quarterly fees will apply.

Note about Summer Quarter: As Summer Quarter does not count against students’ allotted number of quarters, students do not need to submit a petition for an additional quarter of enrollment in Summer Quarter.

Levels

Student levels are determined by the number of quarters of enrollment a student has utilized during Autumn, Winter, and/or Spring Quarters. Summer Quarters do not impact students' allotted quarters of enrollment nor their levels. Levels are utilized for a variety of purposes, including pre-registration, housing and meal plan selection, and qualification for certain honors and awards. Students progress through levels at the following rate:

First-year: enrolled in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd quarter of enrollment

Second-year: enrolled in 4th, 5th, or 6th quarter of enrollment

Third-year: enrolled in 7th, 8th, or 9th quarter of enrollment

Fourth-year: enrolled in 10th, 11th, or 12th quarter of enrollment

Fourth-year +: enrolled beyond the 12th quarter of enrollment

Transfer students will maintain first-year status during their first year in the College for pre-registration purposes, but will then have their records adjusted to reflect their cumulative quarters of enrollment which incorporate any transfer credit awarded.

Extended Enrollment Status

Extended Enrollment Status is an enrollment status that allows a student in the College to remain an active student without being enrolled in courses. A request for Extended Enrollment Status will be approved for students approaching completion of their studies who have no remaining course enrollments needed to meet graduation requirements and have met all the following criteria:  

  • No remaining course enrollments needed to meet graduation requirements 

  • Have not exhausted their allotted quarters of enrollment thus far (e.g., twelve or prorated number of quarters as it may pertain to transfer students) 

  • Remaining coursework to complete (e.g., thesis project or outstanding incomplete) 

Students must submit the Extended Enrollment Status Request Form by Friday of the first week of the quarter in which the student intends to transition to Extended Enrollment Status.  

While Extended Enrollment Status may only be utilized for a single quarter, students may request to transition to No Further Enrollments Required (NFER) Status for subsequent quarters if needed and until the student reaches a maximum of eight cumulative quarters of leave or non-enrollment, after which they will be administratively withdrawn from the College. However, petitions may be granted to extend a leave for up to 12 cumulative quarters for students as a reasonable accommodation for a disability or otherwise as required by law. Students seeking an exception to the eight-quarter maximum must submit a General Petition to the Office of the Dean of Students in the College at collegedos@uchicago.edu no later than the end of the eighth quarter of leave. 

Eligibility for Degree Completion  

Students on Extended Enrollment Status must apply to graduate via the my.UChicago portal prior to the end of the first week of the quarter in which they intend to graduate. Graduating students should follow the grading deadlines outlined here and resolve all outstanding balances with the Office of the Bursar by Friday of the eighth week of the quarter. Students who do not complete their remaining degree requirements by the end of the quarter will not be permitted to graduate and should consult with their Academic Adviser regarding next steps.  Students who withdraw their application to graduate past Friday of the fifth week of the quarter will be assessed a late cancellation fee. 

Additional Terms and Conditions   

  • Tuition and fees: Students on Extended Enrollment Status are not charged full-time tuition but will be charged a one-time Extended Enrollment Status fee, the student services fee, and any other charges opted into individually by the student. Students residing more than 50 miles from the Hyde Park campus while on Extended Enrollment Status may petition for a waiver of the student services fee via the MyUChicago portal. Additional information regarding tuition and fees can be found here.   

  • Room and board: Students who are already living in on-campus housing under a current housing contract may continue in housing for the duration of the contract while on Extended Enrollment status. New contracts will not be initiated for students on Extended Enrollment status and they will need to make their own arrangements for housing. Students should contact UChicago Dining at dining@uchicago.edu for meal plan information based on their respective housing and enrollment status.  

  • Healthcare and insurance: Students on Extended Enrollment Status will remain eligible to receive services from Student Wellness and may remain enrolled in the University Student Health Insurance Plan (i.e., U-SHIP) if they have not already waived coverage for the academic year. 

  • International student visas: International students in F-1 or J-1 visa status are required to be enrolled full-time during the academic year. Students who will be completing their final quarter of full-time enrollment in advance of their I-20 program end date should prepare to apply for post-graduation employment authorization based on their final quarter of full-time enrollment. Extended Enrollment Status does not allow international students to maintain their visa status and students should reach out to their OIA adviser if they intend to enroll in this status.

  • Access and permissions: Students on Extended Enrollment Status will retain access to their UChicago email address, U-Pass, Gerald Ratner Athletics Center, and library resources necessary to complete their lingering coursework.  

  • Financial aid: Students who have taken out student loans should consult the Office of College Aid at college-aid@uchicago.edu prior to requesting Extended Enrollment Status. Less than half-time enrollment may result in loan repayments being due, though most loan programs provide a grace period before repayments begin. Past leaves of absence may impact the length of any grace periods provided by loan servicers. 

  • Campus jobs and internships: Students on Extended Enrollment Status are not eligible for Federal Work Study and may not begin or continue student-only campus jobs or internships. Students should check with current employers to confirm how the change in status will impact their work eligibility moving forward. 

  • Student organizations: While students on Extended Enrollment Status can continue engagement with current student organizations, they are not eligible to hold leadership positions nor join new student organizations. 

No Further Enrollments Required (NFER) Status

No Further Enrollments Required (NFER) Status is an enrollment status that allows a student in the College to remain an active student without being enrolled in courses. A request for NFER Status will be approved for students approaching completion of their studies who have no remaining course enrollments needed to meet graduation requirements and have met at least one of the following criteria:  

  • Exceeded their one quarter of Extended Enrollment Status but have coursework to complete  

  • Exceeded their 12 quarters of course enrollment (excluding summer) but have coursework to complete  

  • Have no remaining coursework to complete but either missed the deadline to apply for graduation during the prior quarter or have not yet exceeded their allotted 12 quarters of enrollment 

Students must submit the NFER Status Request Form by Friday of the first week of the quarter in which the student intends to transition to NFER Status.  

This is a status that allows a student in the College to remain an active student without being enrolled in courses. The status may be continued during subsequent quarters if needed and until the student reaches a maximum of eight cumulative quarters of leave or non-enrollment, after which they will be administratively withdrawn from the College. However, petitions may be granted to extend a leave for up to 12 cumulative quarters for students as a reasonable accommodation for a disability or otherwise as required by law. Students seeking an exception to the eight-quarter maximum must submit a General Petition to the Office of the Dean of Students in the College at collegedos@uchicago.edu no later than the end of the eighth quarter of leave. 

Eligibility for Degree Completion  

 Students on NFER Status must apply to graduate via the my.UChicago portal prior to the end of the first week of the quarter in which they intend to graduate. Graduating students should follow the grading deadlines outlined here and resolve all outstanding balances with the Office of the Bursar by Friday of the eighth week of the quarter. Students who do not complete their remaining degree requirements by the end of the quarter will not be permitted to graduate and should consult with their Academic Adviser regarding next steps.  Students who withdraw their application to graduate past Friday of the fifth week of the quarter will be assessed a late cancellation fee. 

Additional Terms and Conditions   

  • Tuition and fees: Students on NFER Status are not charged full-time tuition, the student services fee, nor other charges beyond those opted into individually by the student. Additional information regarding tuition and fees can be found here.   

  • Room and board: Students who are already living in on-campus housing under a current housing contract may continue in housing for the duration of the contract while on NFER status. New contracts will not be initiated for students on NFER status and they will need to make their own arrangements for housing. Students should contact UChicago Dining at dining@uchicago.edu for meal plan information based on their respective housing and enrollment status.  

  • Healthcare and insurance: Students on NFER Status are not eligible to receive services from Student Wellness nor remain enrolled in the University Student Health Insurance Plan (i.e., U-SHIP) and will need to make their own arrangements for healthcare and insurance. For information about short-term U-SHIP continuation coverage, click here. 

  • International student visas: International students in F-1 or J-1 visa status are required to be enrolled full-time during the academic year. Students who will be completing their final quarter of full-time enrollment in advance of their I-20 program end date should prepare to apply for post-graduation employment authorization based on their final quarter of full-time enrollment. NFER Status does not allow international students to maintain their visa status and students should reach out to their OIA adviser if they intend to enroll in this status.

  • Access and permissions: Students on NFER Status will retain access to their UChicago email address and library resources necessary to complete their lingering coursework. Students on NFER will not retain access to Gerald Ratner Athletics Center, though an individual membership may be purchased here. Students on NFER Status will also no longer be eligible for a U-Pass.  

  • Financial aid: Students who have taken out student loans should consult the Office of College Aid at college-aid@uchicago.edu prior to requesting NFER Status. Less than half-time enrollment may result in loan repayments being due, though most loan programs provide a grace period before repayments begin. Past leaves may impact the length of any grace periods provided by loan servicers. 

  • Campus jobs and internships: Students on NFER Status are not eligible for Federal Work Study and may not begin or continue student-only campus jobs or internships. Students should check with current employers to confirm how the change in status will impact their work eligibility moving forward. 

  • Student organizations: While students on NFER Status can continue engagement with current student organizations, they are not eligible to hold leadership positions nor join new student organizations. 

Boren Enrollment Status

Boren Enrollment Status is an enrollment status that allows a student in the College to remain an active student without being enrolled in courses. Requests for Boren Enrollment Status will only be approved for students who have been awarded the opportunity to study language abroad via the Boren Scholarship for Critical Language Study while taking a break from their UChicago studies as verified by the College Center for Research and Fellowships. 

Students must submit the Boren Enrollment Status Request Form by Friday of the first week of the quarter in which the student intends to transition to Boren Enrollment Status.  

Boren Enrollment Status may be utilized for a maximum of one academic year to meet the program criteria, after which the student may either re-enroll in a full-time schedule, transition to Extended Enrollment or No Further Enrollments Required (NFER) Status, or graduate as appropriate.  

Students are typically granted a maximum of eight cumulative quarters of leave (i.e., non-enrollment), after which they will be administratively withdrawn from the College. However, petitions may be granted to extend a leave for up to 12 cumulative quarters for students as a reasonable accommodation for a disability or otherwise as required by law. Students seeking an exception to the eight-quarter maximum must submit a General Petition to the Office of the Dean of Students in the College at collegedos@uchicago.edu no later than the end of the eighth quarter of leave. 

Eligibility for Degree Completion  

Students on Boren Enrollment Status who intend to graduate upon completion of the program must apply to graduate via the my.UChicago portal prior to the end of the first week of the quarter in which they intend to graduate. Graduating students should follow the grading deadlines outlined here and resolve all outstanding balances with the Office of the Bursar by Friday of the eighth week of the quarter. Students who do not complete their remaining degree requirements by the end of the quarter will not be permitted to graduate and should consult with their Academic Adviser regarding next steps.  Students who withdraw their application to graduate past Friday of the fifth week of the quarter will be assessed a late cancellation fee. 

Additional Terms and Conditions   

  • Tuition and fees: Students on Boren Enrollment Status are not charged full-time tuition, the student services fee, nor other charges beyond those opted into individually by the student. Additional information regarding tuition and fees can be found here.   

  • Room and board: New housing contracts and/or meal plans should not be initiated for students intending to go on Boren Enrollment Status in Autumn Quarter. Students who are already committed to a current housing contact and/or meal plan, but who later intend to go on Boren Enrollment Status in Winter or Spring Quarters should contact housing@uchicago.edu and/or dining@uchicago.edu regarding the discontinuation of their housing contract and/or meal plan.  

  • Healthcare and insurance: Students on Boren Enrollment Status are not eligible to receive services from Student Wellness nor remain enrolled in the University Student Health Insurance Plan (i.e., U-SHIP) and will need to make their own arrangements for healthcare and insurance. 

  • Access and permissions: Students on Boren Enrollment Status will maintain access to their UChicago email address and library resources. They will not retain access to Gerald Ratner Athletics Center or maintain eligibility for a U-Pass.  

  • Financial aid: Students who have taken out student loans should consult the Office of College Aid at college-aid@uchicago.edu prior to requesting Boren Enrollment Status. Less than half-time enrollment may result in loan repayments being due, though grace periods and/or deferment/forbearance options may be available. Past leaves may impact the length of any grace periods and/or deferment/forbearance options provided by loan servicers. 

  • Campus jobs and internships: Students on Boren Enrollment Status are not eligible for Federal Work Study and may not begin or continue student-only jobs or internships on the UChicago campus. Students intending to resume study at UChicago following the Boren Awards Program should check with current employers to confirm whether and how they may return to the same position. 

  • Student organizations: While students on Boren Enrollment Status can continue engagement with current student organizations, they are not eligible to hold leadership positions nor join new student organizations. 

Leaves of Absence

Students planning a leave of absence should consult with their Academic Adviser and submit a Leave of Absence Request to the Office of the Dean of Students in the College. Leaves initiated prior to the beginning of the quarter will result in no tuition charges. Tuition refunds for leaves initiated after the quarter has begun are prorated. For more detailed information on tuition refunds, students should consult the prorated refund schedule available on the Office of the University Bursar’s website. For details about housing and meal plan charges, please contact housing@uchicago.edu. 

Students requesting a leave of absence by the close of the add/drop period on Friday of the third week of instruction at 5:00 p.m. will have their course registrations processed as drops and no course enrollments will appear on their official transcript for the quarter. After that date, requests for a leave of absence submitted by the withdrawal deadline on Monday of the ninth week of instruction at 5:00 p.m. or the day before the final work for all courses is due, whichever is earlier, will be processed as withdrawals (e.g., W’s) for the quarter. Withdrawals will appear on the official transcript. Requests following that date are subject to ordinary grading policies for the quarter. 

In connection with certain leaves (e.g., some medical leaves or leaves taken because of behavioral issues), the Dean of Students in the College may require, among other things, information from a physician or therapist as a condition for resumption of studies. All conditions are determined on a case-by-case basis. 

Ordinarily, students who take a leave of absence after the end of fifth week are not eligible to return for a minimum of one full quarter.  

For a complete overview of College policies and procedures regarding leaves of absence and withdrawals, visit college.uchicago.edu/advising/leave-absence-withdrawal. 

Resumption of Studies

Students planning to return from a leave of absence or an academic or disciplinary suspension should begin by submitting a Resumption of Studies Request to the Office of the Dean of Students in the College. It is recommended that this request be made a minimum of two weeks prior to the pre-registration period for the quarter in which a student plans to return.  

For more information about the resumption process, visit https://college.uchicago.edu/taking-time-away/resuming-studies.