*Please note that the admissions requirements for 2021-2022 have been updated. Relay now requires only a single recommendation to apply for admissions.
Applicants who do not meet Relay’s undergraduate GPA minimum and/or applicants whose bachelor’s degrees will be conferred soon after their Relay application deadline or who submit unofficial transcripts during their admissions process are not eligible to be matriculated students at Relay. They may instead be eligible for non-matriculated (i.e., non-matric) status. When a student has non-matric status, there are significant academic, financial, and certification implications (outlined below). Most notably, non-matriculated students are not working toward a degree, not eligible to be recommended for certification from Relay, not eligible for federal financial aid, not eligible for private student loans, and not eligible for an in-school deferment.
Given these implications, applicants should very carefully consider whether or not the non-matric status option is right for them. It is strongly recommended that applicants consult the schools where they will be teaching and/or their sponsoring organizations about this decision. Details on non-matric status and requirements for matriculation can be found in the table below.
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Undergraduate GPA Non-Matriculated Status at Relay |
Bachelor’s Degree Non-Matriculated Status at Relay |
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Eligibility Requirements |
●Applicants whose undergraduate GPA is below a 2.75[1] are not eligible for matriculated status at Relay. ●Applicants whose undergraduate GPA is at least a 2.5 but below a 2.75 may be eligible for non-matric status. ●Applicants who earned an undergraduate GPA of at least 2.5 AND who provide an official transcript demonstrating they earned a graduate degree with a GPA of at least 3.0 by October 1 may be considered for matriculated status. ●Exceptions o Applicants to Relay’s programs leading to Pennsylvania licensure must demonstrate an undergraduate GPA of at least a 2.80 to be eligible for matriculation. o Applicants to Relay's programs leading to New Jersey licensure must demonstrate an undergraduate GPA of at least a 2.75 and are therefore not eligible to be enrolled as low GPA non-matriculated students |
●Applicants who are unable to submit to Relay an official transcript that demonstrates that they have earned a Bachelor’s degree at the time of their admissions. o For example, an applicant completed their undergraduate coursework, but their undergraduate institution will be officially conferring degrees a couple of weeks later. ●Eligibility for non-matric status does not apply to applicants who cannot submit their transcript because of a bursar hold at their undergraduate institution. |
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Undergraduate GPA Non-Matriculated Status at Relay |
Bachelor’s Degree Non-Matriculated Status at Relay |
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Implications of Being a Non-Matriculated Student |
Academic Implications ●Students take coursework (e.g., attend class and complete online coursework and assignments). ●Students are not working toward a degree (for those joining a degree track). ●Students earn credit for courses they are enrolled in upon receiving a passing grade. Certification Implications (for students joining a program leading to certification) ●Students are not eligible to be recommended for certification by Relay. Financial Implications ●Students are not eligible for federal financial aid (i.e., Title IV federal loans and TEACH grants). ●Students are not eligible to receive an in-school deferment for preexisting student loans. ●Students are not eligible for private student loans (i.e., requesting a student loan with a bank). ●Students must be prepared to pay tuition and fees out of pocket, as well as make payments on any preexisting student loans. ●Students will not receive a 1098-T. |
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After a Non-Matriculated Student Matriculates |
●Students are working toward a degree (for those joining a degree track). ●Students may be eligible to be recommended for certification by Relay upon satisfying state and Relay requirements (for those joining a program leading to certification). ●Students become eligible to apply for Title IV federal financial aid (for those in a Relay program and campus eligible for financial aid). ●Students continue to earn credit for coursework upon receiving a passing grade. |
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Requirements for Matriculation |
●Students must finish the first fall or spring term of their program in good academic standing (as defined in Relay’s academic expectations), according to their Dean’s Office end-of-term progress report. |
●By October 1, 2020, students must submit an official transcript to Relay demonstrating their undergraduate degree has been conferred and that they earned an undergraduate GPA of at least 2.75. o If the official transcript demonstrates students have an undergraduate GPA of less than 2.75 but at least 2.5, students may transition to be considered to have undergraduate GPA non-matric status upon submission of their official transcript or may be considered for matriculation status if they submit an official transcript demonstrating they earned a graduate degree with a GPA of at least 3.0 by October 1. ●If, by October 1, 2020, students do not submit an official transcript demonstrating their undergraduate degree was earned and that they earned an undergraduate GPA of at least 2.50, they will be administratively withdrawn from Relay.
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Undergraduate GPA Non-Matriculated Status at Relay |
Late Graduate (from Undergraduate) Non- Matriculated Status at Relay |
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Timeline for Matriculation |
●Students must end the academic term in good academic standing (as defined in Relay’s academic expectations) to matriculate. ●Students have the opportunity to matriculate on two separate occasions during their first year at Relay. o The first opportunity is at the end of the first fall term (January 11, 2021). ▪ If students do not meet the end of fall academic matriculation standards, students may continue to the spring term as non-matriculated students. However, if students’ end-of-term academic performance is at or below the bar for program dismissal, students will be dismissed. They will have earned credit for coursework for which they received a passing grade. o The second opportunity is at the end of the spring term (June 7, 2021). ▪ If students do not meet the end of spring academic matriculation standards, students will be dismissed from Relay. Students will have earned credit for coursework for which they received a passing grade. ●Students do not have the opportunity to matriculate between terms.
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●Students can matriculate on a rolling basis up until October 1, 2020, after Relay receives the official transcript demonstrating their undergraduate degree has been conferred and they earned an undergraduate GPA of at least 2.75. o If the official transcript demonstrates students have an undergraduate GPA of less than 2.75 but at least 2.5, students may transition to be considered an undergraduate GPA non-matriculated student upon submission of their official transcript or may be considered for matriculation status if they submit an official transcript demonstrating they earned a graduate degree with a GPA of at least 3.0 by October 1.
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Undergraduate GPA Non-Matriculated Status at Relay |
Late Graduate (from Undergraduate) Non-Matriculated Status at Relay |
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Application Instructions |
●Applicants must complete the same admissions process as matriculation-eligible applicants. ●Applicants must ensure the official transcript demonstrating proof of a bachelor’s degree reflects at least a 2.5 undergraduate GPA and submit that with the online application. ●Applicants must upload a second recommendation on the online application by the application deadline. ●Applicants must make a plan in collaboration with the applicant’s PK–12 school of employment. ●Applicants must sign the non-matriculation policy on the admissions portal. |
●Applicants must complete the same admissions process as matriculation-eligible applicants. ●Applicants must submit, with their admissions application, transcripts from all institutions attended ●Applicants must ensure the undergraduate transcript reflects at least a 2.50 undergraduate GPA. ●Applicants must upload a second recommendation on the online application by the application deadline if the current undergraduate GPA is below a 3.0. ●Applicants must make a plan to submit a degree-conferred transcript ASAP (and no later than October 1, 2020). ●Applicants must sign the non-matriculation policy on the admissions portal. |
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GPA Under 2.50 |
Unfortunately, applicants whose undergraduate GPA is below 2.50 are ineligible for enrollment in a Relay master’s degree or teacher-certification track. |
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Leave of Absence Implications |
Individuals with a non-matric status may take a leave of absence but if readmitted at a later date, they will return as a non-matriculated student. Taking a leave of absence during a non-matric enrollment status does not waive the non-matric policy requirement. In order to qualify for reenrollment, students must resolve all outstanding financial balances and receive approval from the Dean’s Office after sharing their compelling reason for their reenrollment. |
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Additional Resources |
Late Graduate (from Undergraduate) Non-Matriculated Status at Relay |
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[1] Admission to educator-preparation programs in some states requires a higher minimum GPA. See Relay’s Support Center for details.