Reclassification

Upon matriculation, undergraduate students are classified into a graduation year based on their enrollment as a first-year or transfer student. This chart indicates the number of credit hours required to maintain classification. Students who declare a leave of absence, or fall behind in credit hours, may be reclassified into a new class year, based on the classification schedule. Students who are reclassified into a new class year, are eligible to request reclassification into their original class year when they have attained the required number of credits.

Additional Semesters

Students who are not able to complete requirements for graduation in eight semesters or have reasons to request permission to remain a student for an additional year should consult with an advisor in the College Center for Advising Services (CCAS) as well as an advisor in their major.

The Requirements Incomplete form should be submitted in order to document the remaining requirements needed to complete all degree requirements.

University financial aid is limited to eight semesters (or, for transfer students, the graduation date established when admitted). Financial aid recipients, including HEOP students and those who attended ECO, must submit appeals requesting aid beyond the eighth semester. These requests are not automatically approved and alternative loans may be the only aid option. Appeals for a 9th and 10th semester of aid should be discussed with a financial aid counselor and an advisor in CCAS. Students should be aware that additional financial aid beyond the 8th semester will not be awarded for completion of a second major.

Students who fall more than eight credits behind the “normal progress” guidelines (see the classification page) are reclassified to the next class. Once credit has been made up, students can ask to be placed into their original class.

Declaration of a Major

Students who fail to be accepted into a major by March of their junior year are reclassified to sophomore standing. Students can later request reclassification to their former class after being accepted into a major. No student can be classified in the senior class unless they have a declared major.

Accelerated Graduation

Students who wish to accelerate their graduation by one semester should discuss their plans first with an advisor in CCAS, as several policies may impact your planning. See the acceleration and enrollment policies for more information. Students who accelerate their graduation by one semester do not request reclassification, but instead declare "degree complete" status.

Note that first-year students admitted to begin in a spring semester are classified with the upcoming fall semester class. For example, a first-year student admitted in the spring 2021 semester will be classified in the Class of 2025. These students are eligible to reclassify to an earlier class year so long as they fulfill the College's enrollment policy.