At times, an admitted (or readmitted) student who has not yet begun coursework may not be able to start in their originally planned term. If a student wishes to begin in a later term, they may request to defer their enrollment through their Manager of Student Success. This policy outlines eligibility, guidelines, and next steps for requesting Deferred Enrollment.

Eligibility 

To defer enrollment, students must meet the following criteria: 

• No coursework participation: Students must not have attended any classes or participated in coursework. Once a student has participated in coursework or attended a class, they are considered an enrolled student rather than an admitted student. Enrolled students may take a leave of absence in order to return to Relay in a future term. 
• Timing of request: Students must make the request after they accept their offer of admission or reenrollment and before the census date of the originally admitted term. If a student would like to request to change their term of admission, please reach out to [email protected].
• Program availability: Not all programs are offered to begin in each term, and available programs are subject to change. The programs below have limitations on which terms a student may defer their enrollment and/or how deferred enrollment may impact licensure: 
  • Advanced Certification in Special Education: Fall start only (not eligible for Summer start).
  • New York 4‑Term Residency: Summer start only 
  • New York certification (Trans B): Applicants with a Fall start are typically not eligible for a Transitional B certificate until Spring 2027.
  • Illinois and New Jersey students who start in the Fall term will not be eligible for a license until Spring 2027 and will not be eligible to complete their program until Fall 2028.

 

 

Guidelines 

 

• Deferring Enrollment Across Terms: 
  • The academic year runs Summer, Fall, Spring. 
  • Students may defer within the same academic year without meeting new admissions requirements. 
  • Students wishing to defer to the next academic year will be withdrawn as a “No Show” and must submit a reenrollment application and meet any updated admissions standards (including GPA). 
  • Students may defer up to two times, always within the same academic year (e.g., in rare circumstances, a student may defer from summer to fall, and then fall to spring).
  • Deferring enrollment to a future term may impact course availability, financial aid eligibility, AmeriCorps eligibility, program completion timelines, certification/licensure timelines, and more. 

 

• Employment/partner approvals: Students are responsible for confirming any implications with their employer and, if applicable, teacher preparation program (e.g., Teach for America) before they submit their request.

 

• Provisional Admissions: Provisionally admitted students may request to delay their start to allow more time to submit a degree‑conferred transcript if their program allows for deferred enrollment.

Process 

Students should email [email protected] to request to defer their enrollment. 

 

If an applicant has not yet accepted their offer: The Admissions and Enrollment team will review requests on a case-by-case basis. 

 

If a student has already accepted their offer: After emailing [email protected]:

1. Students must meet with a Manager of Student Success to discuss possible timeline changes to graduation and certification/licensure.
2. The Manager of Student Success will then submit the request on the student’s behalf.
3. Students will receive notification of the approval or rejection of their request via their Relay student email within 5 business days. 
   1. If Approved: Students will be unenrolled from all coursework for the term in which they were originally expected to start. Students should continue to check their Relay student email for communication regarding next steps to get started in the future term. 
   2. If Rejected: Students may choose to: 
      1. Request a Voluntary Withdrawal and opt to return to Relay at a later date, or 
      2. Continue to take courses in the term they were admitted if courses have not yet started. 

 

 

If a student wants to withdraw a deferral request, they must ask their Manager of Student Success. If the request was already processed, a reversal is not guaranteed and must still meet the original term due dates and course availability requirements.

Exceptions 

If a student does not meet one of the eligibility criteria or fails to submit a request within 1 week of the census date, a student may submit an exception request. Exceptions are evaluated based on context such as circumstances shared, course availability, certification considerations, financial implications, etc.