Policies

The University-Level Online program (UL Online) is a program of Stanford Pre-Collegiate studies (SPCS), which is within the Stanford Continuing Studies Program (CSP). Policies of UL Online are described here and are not superseded by policies of CSP. Also note, there may be other policies, pertaining to more specifics of the course, posted for admitted students or specific course policies.

Admission

Admission is discretionary. Students admit to UL Online are not matriculated Stanford University students, and University privileges do not apply to UL Online students (e.g. library access). Admission decisions are conducted entirely within the UL Online program. There is no connection or relation between the UL Online admission process and Stanford Online High School's admission process, nor Stanford University's admission process. The University reserves the right, at its discretion, to withhold registration from, or require withdrawal from the UL Online program of, any student or applicant.

UL Online courses are offered within three terms during a school year.

Fall term 16 weeks (late August to mid December).
Spring term 16 weeks (late January to early May).
Summer term 8-10 weeks (mid/late June to mid August).

Students are expected to complete coursework during the term enrolled into (see policies below). UL Online generally does not allow students to enter a term after the start of a term.

Opening of application, application deadline, start/end of terms:

See https://ulo.stanford.edu/dates-and-tuition-ulo

Submission of grades

The earliest this can occur is two weeks after the end of term, however it may take up to four weeks to submit grades. Students will be notified when and how to request transcripts from the Continuing Studies Program at Stanford (CSP).

Application deadlines

Deadlines to submit applications generally fall 10 days before the start of the term. If you feel you may not be able to complete the application in time, please use the contact form to point out your situation. (It is known that it can be difficult to obtain transcripts and letters of recommendation during the summer.)

In order to process Financial Aid requests in a timely manner, no request for financial aid can be accommodated after the application deadline. (See policies on the Financial Aid page.)

Regular versus Continuing Student applicants

There are two types of applicants, those who are new to UL Online (or have applied to prior terms but did not enroll), and Continuing Students who have completed a prior course in UL Online. For continuing students we do offer a streamlined application and potential discounts (not guaranteed).

International students

UL Online is an entirely online program with no requirement to visit Stanford University. International students are welcomed to apply and require no visa or other documentation to apply.

Adult applicants

At the current time, UL Online does not offer opportunities for post-secondary (i.e. adult) applicants. These courses are only offered to students enrolled in (or immediately graduated from) high school. An alternative/limited enrollment is under consideration for such applicants.

Auditing

Students may not audit UL Online courses. You must register and pay for a course before attending any class meetings.

1098-T tax form

UL Online is a program within the Continuing Studies Program. Continuing Studies is classified as a professional development/personal enrichment program and does not meet the University's criteria to send 1098-T tax forms to students. These forms are only offered for tuition paid toward undergraduate or graduate courses.

Course Cancellations

UL Online reserves the right to cancel a course for any reason, including insufficient enrollment. This will be announced prior to the term. Students may be advised to take another UL Online course. If students have submitted tuition when a course has canceled and no alternative has been found, a full refund of tuition will be granted.

Tuition & Fees

Tuition

All UL Online courses have tuition of $1500 per course/per term. Tuition is to be submitted through the application portal, unless arrangement has been made through your school or district. We cannot accept cash or check payments. UL Online does not offer a payment program. Full payment of tuition and fees is due at the time of registration. UL Online does offer limited financial aid on a need-based basis, please see the Financial Aid section of the website for more information.

Schools and districts

If an applicant's school or district will be submitting tuition on behalf of the student, the school should be in contact with the Director of UL Online prior to submission of the application.

Registration Fees

A non-refundable registration fee of $35 is required for each student for each course.

Discounts

There are no set discounts for UL Online courses.

Financial Aid

UL Online offers a limited amount of aid to help offset tuition. Please see the Financial Aid page for details and policies.

Drops/Transfers & Refunds

Withdrawals

At any point up to the submission of grades, a student can withdraw from a course with no mark being submitted. Thus there would be no reference on the transcript. You should contact your instructor as soon as you determine you intend to withdrawal. After the end of the term, it may not be possible to amend your transcript. For students who do not respond to midterm/final proctor requests or lack submission of a midterm or final, it is assumed that the intent is to withdraw.

Transferring terms

If you feel you will be unable to complete the course within the term, and do intend to complete the course, you should contact your instructor for options available to you. You may be able to transfer to a future semester. Note that only one such transfer is allowed, with no refunds during the future semester. It is the student’s responsibility to apply and accept enrollment for a transferred semester. Students who do not send in a transfer application and/or do not accept their enrollment agreement for the transferred semester will not be eligible for a refund.

You might need to pay $150 in tuition depending on when you notify your instructor via email.

Week 1 - Week 2:
Transfer to a future semester with no additional tuition.

Week 3 and later:
Transfer to a future semester for $150 in tuition.

Retakes

If a student desires to retake a UL Online course after its completion, the fee is $500 and the student will convert to NGR for the current term (see Grading & Testing below).

Refunds

You might be eligible for a tuition refund depending on time when a notification of plan to withdraw is submitted to your instructor via email. Note that the application fee is non-refundable. As an alternative, you might consider transferring to a future term (see “Transferring terms”).

Week 1 - Week 2:
Refund of 90% of tuition.
Week 3 and later:
No refund is available.

Grading & Testing

Estimated timing for grading of assessments

To the best of their abilities, instructors will complete evaluations of major assessment (midterm/final) within two weeks of the close of the window. Any exam taken after the window will incur delays in evaluation. Minor assessments (homework) usually takes about one week. Also, due to instructor load, there may be delays in evaluations. Please contact your instructor for updates.

Course Grades

Students have three grading options for UL Online courses:

Letter grade (A, B, C, No credit)

Requires independent proctoring (see below).

Non-letter grade (Credit, No credit)

Credit is awarded for corresponding grades of C- and above.

No Grade Requested (NGR)

No information will be sent to CSP, no transcript available.

Note that grades not indicating a passing grade switch to NGR. Students can change the grading option at any time up to when data is submitted to Continuing Studies.

Credit

All UL Online courses carry 3 units of credit offered through CSP, the Stanford Continuing Studies Program (see https://continuingstudies.stanford.edu/).

UL Online courses carry Continuing Studies credit, not undergraduate/graduate credits. Credits cannot be applied toward any Stanford degree. Continuing Studies credit is not the same as Stanford University credit but is recognized as a university-level institution in and of itself. Various schools, universities, districts, etc. have different policies regarding credit issued by CSP. Most commonly, credits for University-Level Online courses are used to place out of required courses in college, while a smaller number actually provide transfer credit. Prospective students should inquire with institutions themselves regarding policies regarding credit.

UL Online program does not provide or fill out any papers pertaining to credit transfer.

Transcripts

Credits will be recorded on your transcript. Official transcripts from CSP are only available after the term, once grading data has been sent to CSP. Continuing Studies may take some time to process issuance of transcripts.

UL Online program does not issue transcripts. You will be notified when and how to request transcripts. As a general rule transcripts will become available about a month after the end of the term.

UL Online does not provide any official notification of grade prior to the completion of the term. If there is an urgent need, a letter from the instructor/director of UL Online can be sent.

Testing & Proctoring Policies

Most courses have two major assessments: 3-hour midterm and final exams. All exams must be proctored. Depending on the type of the grade, the proctoring requirements vary.

Letter grade: independent proctoring
Non-letter grade: parent/guardian proctoring

Note: to receive a letter grade both exams must be independently proctored.

It’s a responsibility of a student to find and make testing arrangements with a proctor. We prefer that independent proctors have an academic background. Some examples of individuals who can serve as independent proctors are:

A high school teacher, administrator, counselor, or principal's designee;
A public library administrator;
An administrative officer or designee of an accredited college or university; A military education officer;
A professional proctoring service provider; or
A person of similar professional standing to those listed above.

Note: Relatives, family employees, and family friends may not serve as independent proctors. Prior to the exam, you will be asked to provide contact information for a suitable proctor, who will then be vetted and registered into the proctoring portal platform.

Students should adhere to the ULO Honor Code while taking exams. More details regarding exams and policies will be provided by your instructor.

Code of Conduct & Other Policies

University and CSP policies applicable to UL Online students

Student Code of Conduct: https://continuingstudies.stanford.edu/policies/policies-code-of-conduct
Stanford University policies: https://continuingstudies.stanford.edu/policies/university-policies

Other policies

Requests for letters of recommendation: Instructors are happy to write letters of recommendation for students applying to universities or other purposes. Be aware that an instructor may inform you that a minimal letter may be submitted if there is insufficient interaction through the term. Please be wary of instructors' time constraints and allow sufficient time (minimum 3 weeks) of advanced notice. Also note that instructors are not necessarily cognizant of submission requirements and you should supply all relevant information to ease the process.
Communication policies: All communications with instructors and other UL Online staff should be relevant to a student's enrollment only. Unless otherwise prompted, one should not solicit instructor
Social media policies: Students and instructors should refrain from instituting requests for social media connections (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram) while a student is enrolled within the UL Online program.
Maintaining email account: While enrolled in UL Online courses, students must continue to use the same email address with which they initially applied. In extreme cases where it is not possible to maintain an email account, the student should contact their instructor as soon as possible. A possible gap in access to materials may result.

ULO Honor Code and violations

The University-Level Online program, being a computer-based, distance learning program, must rely heavily upon the good faith and intentions of its participants. A zero-tolerance policy towards academic dishonesty maintains the integrity of the program. As a part of the Continuing Studies Program at Stanford University, we reserve the rights stated within their Student Code of Conduct.

More information about the ULO Honor Code pertaining to written assessments will be provided by your instructor.