Important Notice

Special Needs Extension (For Per-Course Enrollment 10-Week Courses/Non-Term)

A Special Needs Extension is a 120-day extension for those students who encounter unusual circumstances that prevent them from completing a course within a standard 60-Day Course Extension. The following are required for Special Needs Extension approval:

• The student must be able to complete the course within a maximum of 120 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 of an immediate family member, 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 must be completed and submitted prior to the course end date or the end of a standard extension. Also, the form should be submitted prior to or at the outset of the unusual or critical circumstance.
  
• The student will not be allowed to enroll in 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 Special Needs Extension Request Form found at the bottom of this page.  This form includes the reason for the extension and the student’s plan for completion. Please note that approval is not automatic.  The Special Needs Extension Committee will review and decide on the approval of each request.

If approved, the Special Needs Extension will extend the course(s) for 120 days from the original end date of the course. If the unusual circumstance does not allow the completion of the course within 120 days, the student should contact the Dean of Students and discuss withdrawing from the course. However, please remember that the withdrawal request must be made before the original end date of a course. No more than two Special Needs Extensions may be granted in a 12 month period.

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 in its entirety and the student will be required to pay the current tuition rates for the course.

To Request a Special Needs Extension, click on the link below and complete the form.  The form and supporting documentation may be faxed to Student Services at 251-224-0550 or mailed to Columbia Southern University, Attn:  Special Needs Extension Committee, PO Box 3110, Orange Beach, AL  36561.  Please remember, request forms that are received without supporting documentation will not be considered.

Download the Special Needs Extension Request (MS Word format)