Continuous Enrollment | Policies

Beginning in the Fall 2018 term, all students who enroll in a degree program must register for courses beginning with their initial term of entry and continuing each fall/spring term until their degree requirements have been met.  To meet the continuous enrollment requirement students must:

1. Register for course work, or
2. Register as a master’s candidate or doctoral candidate (each of which requires the College fee), or
3. Request and receive a leave of absence (medical, military, or personal) according to TC’s leave policy, or
4. Doctoral candidates who have reached a stage at which they are obligated for continuous registration will meet the requirements of the continuous enrollment policy by registering for their department’s dissertation advisement course, registering for at least 3 points of TC course work, or requesting and receiving a personal exemption or waiver according to the guidelines set forth in the appropriate doctoral student guide book. 

Summer registration is not required unless it is part of the program’s curriculum. Students who are in summer-only programs are not required to maintain continuous enrollment in fall and spring terms, but they must maintain summer enrollment each term.

Students must maintain an active enrollment status by selecting from option A, B, C, or D as outlined above.  Students who are unable to register in a fall or spring term must inform the College of their enrollment plan by the end of the term drop/add period or else they will be placed on an administrative leave of absence.  After being placed on administrative leave, students who do not communicate with the Office of the Registrar by the end of the term will be withdrawn from the College and will need to reapply for admission if they wish to resume their studies. Students who communicate with the Office of the Registrar before the end of the term may be eligible to request a change from administrative leave to personal leave, when applicable.

Students are permitted a total of two (2) terms of personal leave while matriculated at Teachers College.  An administrative leave will not convert to a personal leave if the student has already reached the personal leave limit of two (2) terms. 

Students should refer to the leave of absence policy for detailed information about the following areas while on leave:  academic policies, financial aid, housing, health insurance, and re-enrollment.

This continuous enrollment policy does not apply to students who have been suspended under the Student Conduct Code during the term of their suspension.

Original Effective Date: February 21, 2018

Modified December 18, 2020