Independent Learning

Time Limits and Deadlines

Time Limits for Course Completion

Deadline for courses begun during or before Spring 2010 must be completed in 1 year.

Upcoming change: deadline for courses begun in Summer 2010 or after must be completed in 6 months.

Required Hours of Study

You must allow a minimum of 2 weeks of study for each semester hour or certificate hour assigned. For example, 6 weeks are required for a 3 semester-hour course. Each instructor has determined the number of assignments allowed in a time period, generally no more than 2 assignments in a 7-day period. Exceptions must be approved by the instructor.

Completing Courses Ahead of Graduation or Specific Deadline

 If you need a grade posted to your transcript by graduation or another specific date, you must give your instructor sufficient time to grade your work. Plan to have all written assignments completed and the final examination taken at least 5 weeks before you need the hours on a transcript. Please remember you are not the only person taking the course and requesting the instructor’s attention. Only 1 unit of work may be submitted during a 1-week period. Permission to work faster must be secured by the supervisor from the instructor/grader. 

Dropping a Course

You may drop the course and receive a full tuition refund within 40 calendar days of registration without any mark on your transcript. You are allowed 1 drop/transfer to a different course within 40 calendar days. If you do not complete your course within the time limit, you must formally withdraw before the expiration date to receive a W on your transcript. If you do not withdraw before the expiration date, you will receive an F. You may submit a withdrawal request in writing or send an e-mail request to cewww@colorado.edu.

Financial Aid for CU-Boulder Students in Self-Paced Courses

Students may receive financial aid for self-paced courses, with the following restrictions:

• For an Independent Learning course to count toward a student’s enrollment status for a semester, the course must be added prior to the add/drop deadline of that semester, based on main campus census dates.
• Students who receive aid for a self-paced course and drop the course after the census date will receive a “Withdrawn” for that course, even if it is within the 40 days we allow for a drop.
• Students who do not complete the course within a year and choose to extend will have a double impact to their financial aid eligibility. Both the “Withdrawn” designation and the “Incomplete” designation count against a student’s completion rate.

For more information, visit http://www.colorado.edu/finaid/continuinged.html.

Disability Accommodation

If you need special accommodation, contact the Office of Disability Services at 303-492-8671 or (TTY) 303-492-5601.

Exensions

We will not notify you when your course is about to expire. It is your responsibility to keep track of your expiration date. Requests for course extensions must be received before the expiration date, or within a 6-week grace period for an additional charge. No extension is allowed after the 6-week grace period.

If you register for an extension, you will be enrolled in a separate extension section of the class. You will receive a grade of “Withdrawal” in the original section of the class and an “Incomplete” on your record in the extension section until you finish the class and receive the final grade.

You may enroll in and extend each class only once.

Fees for Extension

You may request an extension for a fee of $65 per credit hour; requests must be received before the expiration date. If you request an extension during the 6-week grace period following your course expiration date, Independent Learning will assess an additional $10 course re-instatement fee. You may either mail a written request with a check to the Continuing Education office or call to extend your course over the phone with a credit card.

Petitions for Additional Time

If you do not complete a class before your extension expires, you must file a petition for additional time to complete the class and you must furnish documentation demonstrating your need for additional time. The petition committee uses the same standards for granting and denying petitions as the main campus.