Term Enrollment System Policies (8 Week Courses)

Term Enrollment System Description

Students using FSA must enroll in the CSU Term Enrollment System. Term Enrollment is different than the CSU Per-Course/Open Enrollment System. Term Enrollment courses must be completed within 8-weeks, have set start and end dates, and are cohort based. All students in the course will start the course together and proceed through the course on the same timeline. Students must submit discussion board postings and other assignments by the weekly due date.

However, there are no group projects and the courses are totally asynchronous. This means each week, students can login only as needed to review the assignments and read the postings of classmates.  Students taking courses in the Term Enrollment System can study offline anytime and anywhere that works best for them and simply log back on to submit the prepared assignments by the due date.

A list of courses (pdf) for each term is available.  This listing of courses covers at least six terms.  Each course must have a minimum enrollment of four students or the course is subject to cancellation for that term.  Academic advisors will be available to assist students in planning what courses they need to take each term. 

There are two term tracks to choose from, Track A and Track B. Once a track is selected, the student must remain in that track for the remainder of the program.

Term Enrollment System Benefits

The Term Enrollment System offers students several excellent benefits.

  • Students have opportunities to network other CSU students from across the U.S. and several different countries. Our students are professionals who work in fields such as law enforcement, occupational safety, business and health care management, just to name a few. In addition, a large portion of CSU students include members of the U.S. Military who could be stationed anywhere around the world or may be deployed in war zones.
  • Some students find it easier to stay on track and successfully complete their courses with weekly assignment deadlines and classmates working at the same pace. 
  • The Term Enrollment System provides for increased interaction and assistance from your course professor.

Attendance Policy

CSU will verify your attendance in each registered course at the end of the first week. The discussion board posting or Unit I Assessment must be submitted to verify attendance and all Unit I assignments are due by the end of week one to receive credit.  Students who choose not to attend the first week will be institutionally dropped from the course.

For students approved to enroll in Non-scheduled courses, a different attendance policy applies. See "Attendance Policy for Non-Scheduled Courses".

Enrollment Status Requirements

The number of credit hours enrolled during an 8-week term affects the amount of FSA the student will receive. Students must be enrolled on at least a half-time status in consecutive terms. Students not meeting the attendance standard indicated above in one or all of their courses will receive a reduction in their enrollment status.  If a student does not meet the minimum enrollment status, FSA will not be disbursed.  Please refer to the chart below for enrollment status classifications.

 

Undergraduate
(Associate and Bachelor Degree Programs)

Graduate
(MS and MBA Programs)

Full-Time

6 credits +

3 credits +

3/4 Time

4 - 5 credits

N/A

Half-Time

3 credits

N/A

Automatic Credit Card Payment Plan

CSU offers an automatic credit card payment plan for students paying out-of-pocket. This plan allows students to spread tuition payments out over time by having them automatically charged to a credit card on a pre-set schedule. The student's credit card will be charged for half of the tuition due for the term upon registration and half at the start of the fifth week of the term.

To be eligible for this plan, the student must:

  • Have declared an undergraduate or graduate degree as their academic goal
  • Use a credit card as payment

Have an acceptable credit history with CSU (New students automatically qualify if the first tuition payment is approved).

Extra Credit

Extra credit is not available under the term enrollment system.

Returning Textbooks for Dropped/Withdrawn Courses

Textbooks are provided at no cost through CSU Book Grant as long as the student successfully completes the course. When a student drops or withdraws from a course, a charge for the textbook and shipping will be posted to the student's account. The student may return the text within 30 days to have the charge reversed. Alternatively, the student may re-enroll in the same course for the next consecutive term (if the course is offered) and indicate on the course re-take form that the previously provided text will be used. As long as the next course is submitted within 30 days of the drop/withdrawal, the text charge will be reversed. If the course is not available for re-enrollment in the next term, the student should return the text.

After submitting the Course Drop/Withdrawal Form, a textbook return form will be provided for you to print and enclose with the returned text. Students who return textbooks without the proper paper work to identify themselves, will not receive credit for the return. Students who do not return the text and do not pay the text charge, may not be allowed to enroll in future terms.

Course Extension Policy

If circumstances prevent a student from completing all required coursework before the end of the course, the student will have the option to request a 45 day extension. Extensions must be approved and are not automatically granted. A Course Extension cannot be requested until week six, seven, or eight. Students needing more than 45 days may wish to view the Special Needs Extension Policy.

Extending a course is most often preferable to withdrawing. The following are important facts concerning course extensions.

  • There is a time limit to complete course extensions.
  • A plan to complete the coursework, including assignment due dates, during the extension period must be presented and adhered to. If more than one unit remains due, each unit due date should be spaced a minimum of one week apart.
  • When a student is given an extension, an "I" grade will be posted for the course. Although, the "I" grade will be replaced with a letter grade when the course extension ends, as long as the "I" grade remains it is counted as a grade of "F" when calculating Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). Therefore, the "I" grade may affect future registrations, GPAs, and/or FSA eligibility.

The following are required for extension approval.

  • The extension may only be requested during the last three weeks of the course and must be submitted before the last day of the course.
  • The student cannot have a course on extension from a previous term.
  • The student must be successfully completing course requirements at the time of the request (earning a passing grade for assignments due).
  • The student must submit valid justification as to why the course could not be completed on schedule due to reasons beyond normal circumstances. Supporting documentation may be requested by the University.
  • An Extension Fee of $50 will be charged if the extension is approved.

Students who do not complete the course on which the extension was granted within the extension period requested will receive a course grade calculated on the weighted scores of all completed course assignments. All assignments left undone will be assigned a grade of zero. If the calculated grade is an "F", the course must be taken over again in its entirety and the student will be required to pay full tuition for the course.

To request an extension, the student must complete and submit the Term Course Extension Request Form in the online form section of the CSU Student Center. This form includes the reason for the extension, the student plan for completion and the date of completion for each remaining assignment. Students will be held to the revised assignment due dates in the same manner as the original course weekly deadlines. The extension request is not automatic and must be approved. If the extension request is denied and the course end date has occurred, the course grade based on the coursework completed by the student will be posted. A zero grade will be given for all assignments not completed.

Special Needs Extension Policy

A special needs extension is available for those students who encounter unusual circumstances that prevent them from completing a course within a standard 45 day course extension. A special needs extension is 60-days in length and has no fee requirements. The following are required for special needs extension approval:

  • The student must be able to complete the course within a maximum of 60 days from the course end date.
  • The student's circumstance must involve an unusual or critical circumstance such as military deployment, TDY/TAD, PCS, major surgery, natural disaster, family emergency, death in the immediate family, job relocation.
  • The student must submit official documentation that substantiates the circumstance and dates that the student will be affected. Requests that are received without support documentation will not be considered.
  • The online special needs extension form should be completed and submitted prior to the course end date or the end of a standard extension. It should also be submitted prior to or at the outset of the unusual or critical circumstance.
  • The student will not be allowed to enroll in a new course until the extended courses have been completed or the special needs extension has ended. To request a special needs extension, the student must complete and submit the Term Special Needs Extension Form in the CSU Student Center. The reason for the extension, the student's plan for completion, due dates for each assignment, and the anticipated date of completion of all course work are requested on this form. Students will be held to the revised assignment due dates in the same manner as the original course weekly deadlines. Please note that approval is not automatic. The special needs extension committee must approve each request.

The maximum allowable time for a term special needs extension is 60 days from the original end date of the course. If the unusual circumstance does not allow the completion of the course within 60 days, the student should contact students@columbiasouthern.edu and discuss withdrawing from the course. However, the request to withdraw must be submitted prior to the original end date of the course.

When a student is approved for a special needs extension, an "I" grade will be posted for the course. Although, the "I" grade will be replaced with a letter grade when the extension ends. As long as the "I" grade remains, it is counted as a grade of "F" when calculating Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). Therefore, the "I" grade may affect future registrations, GPAs, and/or FSA eligibility.

Students who do not complete the course within the extension period requested will receive a course grade calculated on the weighted scores of all completed course assignments. All assignments left undone will be assigned a grade of zero. If the calculated grade is an "F" the course must be taken over again in its entirety and the student will be required to pay full tuition of the course.

Course Load Policy

The program advisor must approve all course loads over seven semester hours. Students requesting course loads over seven hours must have a minimum GPA of 3.0. The maximum course load allowed is nine semester hours (3 courses). A student may not take courses in overlapping terms. Course grade reports will be issued at the end of the term.

Note: A full-time load in an 8-week term is 6 hours for undergraduate and 3 hours for graduate.

Tuition Refund Policy

Tuition refunds for course withdrawals are based on the term enrollment tuition refund policy. All students who drop/withdraw from a course after the drop date will be charged a 20 percent registration fee. The remaining tuition will be refunded based on the term start date and the tuition percentage amounts listed below.

  • 1st Week = 100 %
  • 2nd Week = 60 %
  • 3rd Week = 40 %
  • 4th Week = 20 %
  • 5th Week = 0 %

Students are not permitted to withdraw from a course after the term end date.

Term Policies for Non-Scheduled Courses

Only students enrolled at CSU prior to September 1, 2008 can enroll in non-scheduled term courses, provided that no required course is available and with permission from the CSU academic advisor from your college. Students using Federal Financial Aid cannot enroll in non-scheduled term courses. The following term policies apply to students enrolled in non-scheduled term courses.

Attendance Policy for Non-Scheduled Courses

Students that enroll in the Term system must submit a course assignment for grading for each course enrolled before the end of the fourth week of the course. If a student fails to make the assignment submission, he/she will be automatically withdrawn from the course due to lack of attendance, receive a grade of “W.” The student will not be eligible for a refund. CSU will file VA Form 22-1999b with the Department of Veterans Affairs indicating course enrollment termination due to unsatisfactory attendance. This will result in the suspension of benefit payments on courses reported.

Other Differences for Non-Scheduled Courses

Scheduled courses have assignments and discussion board postings due weekly. Non-Scheduled courses do not have such weekly deadlines but do share the same term start date, end date, and extension policies as scheduled courses.

Term Policies that Apply to Financial Aid Recipients Only

Leave of Absence Policy

Federal regulations require CSU to establish a Leave of Absence (LOA) policy for financial aid recipients who find it necessary to not enroll in a term due to unforeseen circumstances. Students not using FSA need not request a LOA. This LOA policy is designed to allow the student flexibility to take temporary breaks by not enrolling in a term without being considered “withdrawn” for financial aid purposes. Therefore, students must complete the current term they are enrolled and apply for a LOA to start the day after the term ends. Students who are unable to complete their current course should consider a course extension, special needs extension, or course withdrawal.

The CSU Office of Financial Aid is responsible for ensuring that all students who receive federal, state, and institutional financial aid are progressing in a timely manner towards completion of their program of study. The procedure for administering the LOA policy for each type of financial program is as follows.

  1. All federal financial assistance programs including Federal Pell Grant, direct loans (Stafford and Plus) and Federal Family Education Loans (Stafford and PLUS) are eligible for consideration.
  2. A LOA will be considered for approval if CSU determines that there is an acceptable reason for the request. Some examples of acceptable reasons a student might request a LOA include;
    • Death in the family
    • Illness of a family member or self
    • Job relocation or travel related to job
    • Changes in work schedules
    • Military deployment, TDY/TAD, or PCS
    • Jury duty
  3. All LOA requests must be submitted in writing and include a date and a signature.
  4. CSU will consider multiple LOA requests as long as the combination of absences does not exceed 180 days in any 12-month period.

Application Procedure

  1. All requests for LOA must be in writing. Acceptable formats include the Leave of Absence Request Form in the CSU Student Center or personal letters (handwritten or typed). Please note that email requests are not acceptable.
  2. All requests must contain the following information to be considered complete.
    • Printed student name
    • Social Security Number or CSU Student Identification Number
    • Term end date/last day of attendance
    • Start of leave date (the start date of the next term in the track)
    • First day/date of classes on anticipated return from leave (Must be a term start date)
    • Academic program
    • Detailed explanation as to the reason for the request and any appropriate documentation available to support the request
    • Date (month, day, year) the request was submitted
    • Original student signature
  3. All requests should be submitted during the last three weeks of a term or between terms. Late requests will only be considered in the case of unforeseen circumstances that prohibit the student from meeting the stated deadline. Additional documentation from a third party to attest to the unforeseen circumstance may be required.
  4. Students granted a LOA that are subsequently unable to return to classes on the anticipated return date, may request a second LOA if the total number of days approved have not exceeded 180 days in a 12-month period.
  5. Students may return early from an approved LOA upon request with no penalty.
  6. All requests for a LOA should be submitted to the CSU Office of Financial Aid for processing. A written response to the request will be provided to the student within two weeks from the date the request is received.

Additional Information

  1. Students on an approved LOA will not receive any financial aid disbursements during the leave.
  2. Students on an approved LOA will not have to reapply for admission at CSU if they resume taking classes at the end of their LOA. In addition, their academic program requirements will remain as specified in the CSU catalogue at the time the students were placed on a LOA.
  3. Students who do not submit a formal and written LOA request, students who take leaves of absences that exceed 180 days in a 12-month period, and students that fail to return from an approved LOA will be considered to have withdrawn from CSU. A federal refund calculation will be performed in these situations and financial aid awards may be reduced or cancelled.
  4. Students on an approved LOA at CSU will be considered enrolled and eligible for in-school deferments on federal loans during the leave. However, students on leave are not deferred from making regularly scheduled payments to their CSU financial account for normal costs not covered by financial aid. Students who have outstanding federal student loans may be required to repay the loans while on a LOA if they have previously used up their loan grace period and should contact the loan holder to determine if they can apply for a deferment or forbearance on the loans.

Unofficial Withdrawal Policy

If no assignments are submitted in the last 21 days of the term and the student receives a failing grade, the student will be withdrawn from the course and a grade of "WF" will be assigned. Grades of "WF" count in the calculation of the student's GPA the same as a grade of "F." "WF" also is counted in attempted hours. A charge will be posted to the student's account if the text was supplied through the CSU Book Grant. An email will be sent to the student providing a link to the Course Drop/Textbook Return Form.

If an assignment has been submitted in the last 21 days of the term, the student will not be withdrawn and no action will be taken. The grade calculation will automatically occur as follows: Any non-submitted assignments will be given a grade of "0" and the final grade calculated.

When determining "Last Day of Attendance" for financial aid purposes, the course mid-point or last assignment date, whichever is later, will be used.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy (SAP)

Federal regulations require CSU to establish and apply reasonable standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) for eligible students to receive financial assistance under the programs authorized by Title IV of the Higher Education Act. CSU students who wish to be considered for financial aid must:

  1. be in good standing at the university and
  2. maintain satisfactory academic progress in their program of study as set forth in this policy.

SAP is a FSA eligibility requirement and is administered by the university in addition to the academic standards of performance required under the CSU Academic Progress Policy. The SAP policy is reviewed annually by the CSU Financial Aid Committee.

The CSU Office of Financial Aid measures progress on the basis of credit hours. Students are evaluated at the end of every term for SAP once they have completed 12 hours. All students are evaluated on three standards: grade point average (qualitative measure), semester hours completion ratio (quantitative measure), and maximum timeframe. To maintain eligibility under SAP, students must meet all three standards.

Standard 1: Grade Point Average (Qualitative Measure)
Students must maintain a minimum qualitative measure of progress defined as the cumulative GPA. The requirements are listed below:

  • Students in undergraduate programs must maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA.
  • Students in graduate programs must maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA.

Standard 2: Semester Hour Completion Ratio (Quantitative Measure)
Students (either full-time or part-time) must maintain a minimum incremental progress by completing a percentage of all semester hours attempted. Progress is evaluated at the end of each term. Hours attempted include courses as well as repeated courses, withdrawals, and incompletes. All students must successfully complete 67 percent of all cumulative credits attempted.

Standard 3: Maximum Timeframe
Students must complete their degree program within 150 percent of the semester hour requirements for the degree. Students must complete an associate's degree within 90 semester hours, a bachelor's degree within 181 semester hours, and a master's degree within 55 semester hours. Students who are unable to complete their degree program within the timeframe limitation will be suspended from FSA programs. The maximum timeframe limit may be reevaluated by the CSU Director of Financial Aid if there are program changes that can eliminate prior courses that do not apply toward the current degree program.

SAP Notification
Students are notified of the SAP policy in the CSU catalogue and website. All periods of enrollment at CSU are calculated in SAP, including periods of enrollment during which a student did not receive financial aid. Cumulative GPAs are calculated using grades earned at CSU.

Transfer Credits
Transfer credits accepted toward the student's degree program will be included when calculating the SAP Maximum Timeframe. This includes credit for English as a Second Language (ESL) and remedial courses, if accepted toward the degree program.

Repeated Courses
Students receiving Title IV Aid may repeat a course, as allowed under CSU academic policy. Repeated courses will count toward the quantitative progress requirement of SAP. They will also count towards the maximum time frame for eligibility.

Incomplete Grades
Students receiving Title IV Aid may receive incomplete grades, as allowed under CSU academic policy. Incomplete grades will count toward the quantitative and maximum time frame elements of SAP. Students who do not complete course requirements after an incomplete grade is assigned will receive a course grade based on the assignments completed with zeros being assigned for non-completed assignments.

Second Bachelor's Degree
Students who are pursuing a second CSU bachelor's degree will have a maximum financial aid eligibility of 100 percent of the second-degree requirements. The timeframe limitation in a second CSU bachelor's degree is 90 semester hours, including transfer credits.

Financial Aid Probation
Students who do not maintain SAP under this policy will initially be placed on Financial Aid Probation and notified of their probationary status. While on Financial Aid Probation, they will be eligible to receive financial aid for their next 12 semester hours. Students on Financial Aid Probation will be reviewed at the end of each period of enrollment. If they do not meet all conditions of SAP at the end of their Financial Aid Probation period, they will have their financial aid eligibility suspended.

Suspension of Federal Student Aid
By statute, students on Financial Aid Probation who do not meet SAP requirements after the probationary period are ineligible for Title IV Federal Student Aid programs. Students who do not maintain SAP or fail to meet the conditions of their Financial Aid Probation will be notified by CSU and suspended from receiving Title IV Federal financial aid. Students may appeal suspensions by completing the SAP Appeal Petition. Requests for reinstatement of eligibility must be made to the CSU Office of Financial Aid no later than one month prior to the term in which the student desires to enroll. Reinstatement following suspension is not automatic.

Undue Hardship
Students may appeal their suspension under SAP if they were unable to maintain SAP as a direct result of hardship or special circumstances, as provided by federal regulations. Personal situations such as the death of a student's relative, an injury or illness of the student, or other special circumstance may prevent a student from achieving satisfactory academic progress. As a result, a student may appeal his or her suspension of Federal Student Aid by completing the SAP Appeal Petition and submitting the Petition to the Financial Aid Office. If the Appeal is approved, a student will have a probationary period of 12 semester hours (attempted hours) during which he or she will receive financial aid and reestablish eligibility under SAP.

The Financial Aid Director will submit completed SAP Appeal Petitions to the Financial Aid Appeal Board for review. The Appeal Board will make the final determination on all Appeal Petitions and forward all decisions to the Financial Aid Director for action. The Financial Aid Director will notify students of their appeal results.


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