Student Classification And Status

Classification

The following categories of student classification exist:

Degree Student

An accepted candidate for receipt of a Ph.D., Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (C.A.G.S.), Master's, Bachelor's, or Associate's degree upon successful completion of all degree program requirements.

Certificate Student

An accepted candidate for receipt of a Certificate of an Advanced Professional Certificate upon successful completion of all certificate program requirements.

Licensure Student

An accepted candidate for state licensure upon successful completion of all licensure program requirements. A licensure-only student, while accepted as a candidate for licensure, is considered a non-degree student since a degree is not received. Students in degree programs which also include licensure preparation are considered degree students.

Special Student

An accepted candidate, usually an international applicant, who has a special visa status or who is studying a full program as a non-degree student.

Non-Degree Student

A student who has registered for courses, but who has not formally been accepted into a Lesley degree program. Non-degree status is also held by students who have registered for licensure courses and/or who have formally applied and enrolled in a licensure-only or licensure program.

Status

Established definitions of traditional student status which meet federal, state, and local government student status requirements for loan and financial aid eligibility are as follows:

Full-Time Degree Status

Students who are formally accepted in a degree or licensure program and are registered for a minimum of 9 credits per semester, with the exception of the Independent Study Degree Program and Ph.D. Program students. Other thresholds of importance to graduate students are:

Three-quarter time: 6.75 or more credits*

Half-time: 4.5 or more credits**

Less than half-time: Less than 4.5 credits

*Students at three-quarter time or greater status, who live or take classes in Massachusetts, must show proof of insurance or they may be automatically charged for and enrolled in the University's health insurance program for the semester. Additional information is available at http://www.lesley.edu/services/student_health/.

**Half-time status is the standard threshold for eligibility for federal financial aid programs at the graduate level.

International Students

All international students on an F-1 visa are required by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service to be full-time students during their entire course of study. Please see the admissions section for other international student information.

Non-Degree Status

Non-degree status is held by students who have registered for courses, but who are not formally accepted into a Lesley degree program. Non-degree status is also held by students who have registered for certification or certificate courses, and/or who have formally applied to and enrolled in a certification-only or certificate program. Students who have applied to a degree program and who are enrolled in courses as a non-degree student will have their student status changed from non-degree to degree after official acceptance by the admissions office has been granted.

Students should contact individual schools for information concerning required status for enrollment in specific courses and degree programs.

Students should note some courses are restricted to degree or certificate candidates and some carry prerequisite requirements. Independent studies and field experiences may not be available. Credit will be recorded for courses completed by non-degree students unless course "audit" has been requested.

Non-degree students who have registered for a course may use their course registration receipt to obtain a student identification/library card from the Ludcke Library and a Lesley parking permit decal from the Security/Parking Office.

Financial aid from Lesley is not available to students in non-degree status. Federal financial aid programs are not available to students with non-degree status, including student loan programs.

Non-degree students who wish to register for more than six (6) credits per semester must have special permission from the dean of the school in which the student is enrolled in classes.