Will you be missing class due to military-related obligations?
Military-related obligations include but are not limited to:
- military service-related medical appointments
- military orders
- National Guard Service obligations
Questions?
Are you being called to active duty or deployed?
Fill out and then print this Extended Absences Form. Bring a copy to your academic advisor, IVETS, and your instructors.
Meet with your academic advisor, the IVETS team, and your instructors to discuss your options:
1. Withdraw the entire registration and 100% of the tuition and mandatory fees would be refunded.
2. If sufficient work has been completed in the class, your instructor might waive the final assignments and assign a grade for the course or might assign an incomplete for the work to be made up at a later date. In both of these options, your registration would remain intact and tuition and mandatory fees would be assessed in full.
3. Some instructors may be comfortable with assigning a final grade or an incomplete, while others may not. If arrangements are made with only some of the instructors for grades or incompletes, the registration for those courses would remain intact and tuition and mandatory fees would be assessed for those courses. Any courses for which arrangements cannot be made for grades or incompletes could be dropped and the tuition and mandatory fees for those courses would be refunded.
In all instances, please contact the Office of Student Financial Aid as soon as you have determined your course of action.
• The State of Iowa has a number of laws pertaining to housing, loans, etc. to protect service members on active duty that you can find here: https://www.iowaattorneygeneral.gov/for-consumers/for-veterans-and-service-members/for-service-members
Will you be missing more than a few days of class for a weekend drill?
Fill out and then print this Extended Absences form. Bring a copy to each of your instructors, your academic advisor, and the IVETS team.
- Set up a time to meet with your instructors to make a plan to complete missed work (see the 8.3 Absences for Military Service Obligations, University of Iowa Operations Manual for examples of reasonable accommodations).
- You may also want to meet with your academic advisor to discuss the impact of your absences on your degree path.
- If you are considering withdrawing from a course or courses and receive benefits through the VA, please contact the IVETS VA liaisons to discuss options and financial impact at registrar-vets-office@uiowa.edu.
Please email all of your instructors regarding the date(s) that you will be gone and set up a time to meet with them in person to make a plan to complete missed work (see the 8.3 Absences for Military Service Obligations, University of Iowa Operations Manual for examples of reasonable accommodations).
Military Service Obligations Policies
Information related to the various Military Service Obligations Policies can be found below.
Each college within the University is free to establish its own rules and regulations concerning absences from class. However, University regulations require that students be allowed to make up examinations which have been missed due to illness, religious holy days, military service obligations, including service-related medical appointments, or other unavoidable circumstances or other University-sponsored activities. Students should work with faculty regarding making up other missed work, such as assignments, quizzes, and classroom attendance.
Students absent from class or class-related requirements due to U.S. veteran or U.S. military service obligations (including military service-related medical appointments, military orders, and National Guard Service obligations) shall be excused without any grading adjustment or other penalty. Instructors shall make reasonable accommodations to allow students to make up without penalty tests and assignments they missed because of veteran or military service obligations. Reasonable accommodations may include making up missed work following the service obligation; completing work in advance; completing an equivalent assignment; or waiver of the assignment without penalty. In all instances, students bear the responsibility to communicate with their instructors about such veteran or military service obligations, to meet course expectations and requirements.
The University recognizes and appreciates the important contributions made in service of our country by these men and women. In support of these students, the University has developed procedures to provide each student with maximum flexibility. Consistent with the policy developed during the Middle East crisis of 1990, veterans, members of the national guard, US military reservists, spouses and dependents that are affected by military activation have the following options:
Withdraw the entire registration and 100% of the tuition and mandatory fees would be refunded.
If arrangements are made with the instructor for grades or incompletes (to be made up later) in the courses, the registration would remain intact and tuition and mandatory fees would be assessed in full.
If arrangements are made with only some of the instructors for grades or incompletes, the registration for those courses would remain intact and tuition and mandatory fees would be assessed for those courses. Any courses for which arrangements cannot be made for grades or incompletes could be dropped and the tuition and mandatory fees for those courses would be refunded.
The option the student chooses obviously depends on the point in the session when the student is called to active duty. Financial aid is refunded in accordance with existing University and Federal policies for each of the above situations. Inquiries should be directed to the Office of Student Financial Aid. These procedures do not apply to reservists who are fulfilling their annual two-week active duty.
In addition to the above mentioned University of Iowa policy there are implications related to any financial aid you may have through the various federal programs. The rules on these are not necessarily within the control of this institution. Consultation with the Office of Student Financial Aid in the University Capitol Centre is advised as soon as is convenient.