The first time a student registers as a nondegree-seeking student, he or she must meet one or more of the following conditions of eligibility as appropriate to his or her status:
- Be a high school graduate or GED holder for one year before the intended semester of entry
- Be an applicant who meets established admission requirements
- Be a transfer student who is eligible to return to the former institution or has been out of school for at least one year for a first suspension or five years for the second suspension incurred at any institution
- Be a former VCU student who is eligible to return (If the student has been suspended from VCU for academic reasons, eligibility for future enrollment must be re-established in accordance with procedures outlined in the Readmission guidelines section of the “Admission to the university” chapter and the suspension policies outlined in this chapter.)
- Be a bachelor’s degree holder taking undergraduate courses
- Be an eligible transient student (A transient student must present, before or at the time of registration, a letter from the home institution, which states that the student is in good standing, has permission to study at VCU for transfer back to the home institution and which outlines the courses to be studied at VCU.)
- Be a non-U.S. citizen who has been cleared through the Global Education Office
Students are responsible for knowing the terms of eligibility and for stating that they are eligible for nondegree-seeking student status.
The first time a student registers as a nondegree-seeking student, proof of eligibility is required. Students must provide a signed “Certificate of Eligibility” form, which is available online at Office of the University Registrar Forms. A student also may establish eligibility by providing verification of high school graduation, GED certification or verification that he or she is eligible to return to the previous institution of study.
If the student’s eligibility cannot be verified or if the student is found ineligible, the grade on the course taken is changed to no credit (NC). An administrative hold is placed on future registrations until eligibility is established.
Nondegree-seeking students who hold bachelor’s degrees are classified as DHG (degree-holder graduate) if they enroll in one or more graduate courses. DHG students are charged the graduate rate. Nondegree-seeking students who hold undergraduate degrees are classified as DHU (degree-holder undergraduate) if they enroll in all undergraduate courses. DHU students who enroll in 12 or more credits are charged at the full-time undergraduate rate. If they make changes to their course enrollment by the end of the add/drop period, their classification and charges change in accordance with these guidelines.
Degree-holding nondegree-seeking students enrolling in graduate courses should refer to the online Graduate Bulletin.
Nondegree-seeking students who plan to earn a degree eventually must apply for degree admission and, depending on their credentials, may be required to complete 15 credits with an earned GPA of 2.0, which includes a minimum of two courses (totaling six credits) required by their degree curriculum.
Students studying on foreign visas, because of U.S. immigration and naturalization regulations, are expected to enroll as full-time students and usually are not permitted to enroll as nondegree-seeking students.