Extending Program of Study
The Form I-20 or DS-2019 is issued for a specific amount of time. It has a Start Date and an End Date. The Program End Date was chosen to allow the time necessary to finish study and earn a degree. This might be one semester or several years, depending on what the student is at UNA to do. To finish study before the Program End Date, students should enroll and successfully pass all required courses. This is called making "normal progress". Students must make progress each semester in order to be finished with the degree before the Form I-20 or DS-2019 ends.
If study is not complete by the Program End Date, the student should request an extension before the end date. Failure to request the extension will result in loss of status and all benefits associated with the status.
Eligibility for Extension
Federal regulations define the circumstances in which a student is eligible for an extension. To be eligible the student must have continually maintained full-time F-1/J-1 status and if you have compelling academic or medical reasons which resulted in a delay in your program completion.
Examples of acceptable/compelling reasons for program extension include but are not limited to:- Changes in major/research topic
- Addition of major or minor
- Documented illness of sufficient severity to affect course complete
- Delay caused by academic probation or suspension
- Insufficient GPA to satisfy graduation requirements
- Repetition of courses to earn higher grade
- Needing time to finish incomplete grades in courses
- Participation in CPT when all required courses are complete